Dennis Corkery, Offic of theAttorney General – photo credit, Dennis Corkery from LinkedIn.
How DC Responds to Vacant/Blighted/Nuisance Properties
by Larry Janezich
Posted May 19, 2026
Last Thursday, ANC6A, Chaired by Commissioner Amber Gove, heard from a panel of DC officials on how the city addresses the issue of vacant, blighted, and nuisance properties. The presentation was coordinated by 6A Commissioner Roberta Shapiro, who brought the Department of Building’s (DOB) Keith Parsons, the Office of Tax and Revenue’s (OTR) Frank Bessenyei, and the Office of Attorney General’s (OAG) Dennis Corkery, to the Commission.
DOB
Keith Parsons took the lead in the presentation noting that addressing the issue of vacant and blighted properties starts with DOB. The role of DOB is two-fold.
Identifying properties as either vacant or blighted.
If the property has violations they have an abatement team and contract abatement to correct some issues, e.g., grass, trash, boarding up, and mitigation of structural issues.
Enforcement starts with a complaint filed with DOB on the website, here: https://dob.dc.gov/ (under Inspections and Enforcement) which provides a menu to request a vacant or blighted property inspection.
Filing the form trigger’s a property inspection. Prompts help DOB identify what they will potentially do. Inspectors try to determine if anybody is actually living in the property day to day or using the property day to day in business. If any part of the property is occupied, the entire property qualifies as occupied – one unit in a 700 unit apartment house qualifies the entire structure. Using the garage in an otherwise empty commercial building qualifies. An investor who buys five empty store fronts and puts them all in one tax lot and occupies one store front qualifies all five as being occupied.
As a side note, Parsons clarified that DOB does not handle squatters but MPD can and DOB will alert MPD to squatters when that is part of the complaint.
Filing a complaint will generate a confirmation email and by replying a complainant can find out what happened.
There are a number of exemptions a property owner can claim to postpone the declaration of property as vacant. These include, among others, ongoing construction, listing a property for sale, property is under probate or litigation, hardship, and application for permits.
Here’s a link to DOB’s Vacant Property Tax Dashboard which displays a map showing the location of every one of DC’s 4472 vacant properties https://bit.ly/4dRQOK5
OTR
Frank Bessenyer said that OTR communicates with DOB on updating and changing classification of properties.
OTR’s Assessment Services Division is responsible for billing and collecting real property taxes and a corrected tax bill is issued promptly once DOB notifies of a change in status – usually within 48 hours. The tax rate for a vacant property is 5% – for a blighted property it’s 10%. Vacant lots are not taxed at the higher rates.
Any property for which taxes are in arrears is potentially subject to a tax sale – technically it’s the lien that is sold and that starts a foreclosure process unless the owner decides to redeem the lien during the 2 – 3 years the foreclosure process takes. If the tax lien does not sell, the District continues to offer it in future sales. If it still does not sell, the lien may go to a discount tax sale where bidding on properties starts at $300.
OAG
Dennis Corkery works in the Workers’ Rights and Anti-Fraud Section of OAG. His office deals with nuisance properties involving drugs, firearms, and prostitution. OAG can bring lawsuits against the owner of the property if there’s a nuisance going on. OAG has to go after the owner – so if there’s an absent land lord or owner there’s not much they can do.
Corkery cited a recent OAG success in ANC6A at the property at 1000 C Street, NE. The property was vacant for over a decade and the owner submitted endless exemption requests which Corkery said were either fake or designed to take advantage of the process. OAG filed suit and was ultimately awarded default judgement. (The owner – George Papageorge – must pay $1.8 million in back taxes.) US Marshals will sell the property and the money used to pay for the judgment.
1000 C Street, NE. Photo credit: Google Maps. 2025
Wednesday Noon: New Eastern Market Rodent Control Plan – Virtual Community Meeting
REMINDER: Capitol Hill business owners and community stakeholders are invited to join DC Health for an important virtual community meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, May 20, from 12:00-1:00 PM, regarding a new targeted rodent control “blitz” initiative coming to Eastern Market.
This pilot effort brings together residents, businesses, and ANC commissioners to address rodent activity through a coordinated, data-driven approach. During this session, DC Health will share what to expect during the three-week blitz cycles, the methods being used, and how success will be measured.
Most importantly, this meeting will focus on partnership. Attendees will receive practical tips and guidance on how to reduce rodent activity, including proper waste management, property maintenance, and how to report issues through DC 311. Whether you live, work, or operate a business in Eastern Market, your participation is key to keeping our community clean, safe, and rodent-free.
For more and to register to receive a link for the virtual meeting, go here: https://bit.ly/4wX0qer
“Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting” opened on the 4th floor at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian last Friday. The exhibit contains 50 works by 40 artists and shows how American Indian art expanded after World War I and how Native painters began to advocate for themselves in a world that often ignored their talent.
Kay Walking Stick (Cherokee Nation): Homage to Chief Joseph. Walking Stick believed abstract art could address issues without using symbols.
Dick West (Southern Cheyenne): Untitled. Modernist abstraction.
George Morrison (Grand Portage Chippewa): No. 2. Explored abstract expressionism.
Diane O’Leary (Comanche): Untitled. O’Leary painted historical depictions of Indian life and strove to increase women’s representation in Native art, featuring everyday life and cooperative scenes of work.
Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Choctaw/Cherokee): Infinite Anomaly #1. Signifies a conceptual space to explore idenitiy, history and place. Gibson wss the first Native artist ever chosen to represent the US in the Venice Biennale.
Vision Zero Hardening at Maury Elementary (Constitution Avenue/Tennessee Avenue/13th Street) – DDOT will join to give an overview of the project which will start this summer following DC Water work in the area.
New Business
DDOT Public Space Permit. Della Barba Pizza is applying for a sidewalk cafe on the corner of 14th and East Capitol Streets.
Resolution on restoring better bus network funding – This passed at the full ANC 6A meeting on May 14, 2026. The TPS Committee will discuss briefly.
Ebike/e-scooter and sidewalk safety resolution from Commissioner Shapiro.
11th Street SE Bike Lane – The full ANC 6A voted to send a letter to DDOT in support of safer design for the north-south cycle track at 11th Street SE and I-695.
Gold Line – WMATA and DDOT announced plans for Bus Rapid Transit along Benning Road and H Street NE.
CANCELLED. ANC6B Public Safety Committee will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm.
The meeting location will be 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE; Second Floor, Conference Room 1 (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s).
Congressional Cemetery hosts National Treasure Hunt’s HEIST NIGHT
Team up with friends to crack clues, solve ciphers, and hack history as you race against foes to find the missing piece in a nearly 20-year-old treasure hunt! You’ll test your skills in history, science, logic, trivia, and more as you work together to solve escape room-style puzzles in a character-driven quest.
“Patriots Row” extends its reach on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Eater DC reported last week that the Conservative Partnership Institute has expanded its holdings into the 300 block of PA Ave, SE, by purchasing the site of Spike Mendelsohn’s former Santa Rosa Taqueria at number 313 – 315. After the Taqueria closed in 2021 and moved down the block to 301, the site was slated to become a Greek restaurant according to word on the street. That appears to have never gotten off the ground except from some inside work and an exterior paint job. The new space is in the same block as The Tune Inn, Hawk & Dove, and Butterworth’s.
Here’s another angle of 313 – 315 after Santa Rosa moved out showing the size of the building. It’s not clear what the plan is for the new space. The nonprofit’s operations in the buildings on the 200 block of PA Ave, SE and several townhouses around the corner on 3rd Street support the MAGA movement with education and training programs and provides meeting space for like-minded organizations like the Idaho-based Christ Church which holds Sunday services upstairs.
Bikers up in arms. ANC6B’s Transportation and Public Space Committee, chaired by Tyler Wolanin (upper right), met last Wednesday to hear from DDOT on the effort to clean up the traffic mess at the I-695/11th Street, SE intersection – technically the I-695 Eastbound Ramp, DC 295 and 11th Street SE Project. The project is meant to enhance safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicular traffic but cyclists are up in arms, and say that current plans fail to address their concerns about a safe two-way protected bike lane between I and O Streets, SE.
After the presentation, the committee discussed the issue and recommended that the full ANC support a letter to the DC Council requesting that they allocate funding for the project but also that they direct DDOT to revisit plans for 11th Street, SE between I and M Streets, SE. ANC6A will be recruited to sigh the letter as well. A second letter from ANC6B will go to DDOT and outline specific concerns with the proposed bike lanes.
The steps of the new Southeast Library have been poured. DC Public Library hopes to reopen Southeast Library by mid to late August.
Opposing animal cruelty. And here’s a photo from the Capitol Hill corner of 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday afternoon. The proffered petition supports a referendum to prohibit force-feeding ducks or geese by banning the sale of foie gras in DC. It’s part of Pro-Animal Future’s stand against animal cruelty. For more, go here: https://proanimaldc.org/ and here: https://stampede.proanimal.org/petition/end-force-fed-cruelty-in-dc
The Week Ahead…
Highlights:
CM Charles Allen updates ANC6B on Ward 6, Tuesday night. See below.
ANC6B discusses Proposed Resolution for Actions to Improve Public Safety on Barracks Row. See below.
Tuesday, May 12
ANC6B will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm.
Meeting location will be 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE; First Floor (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s).
For info on how to join the virtual meeting, go here: https://anc6b.org/
Among items on the draft agenda:
Community & Commission Announcements & Speak Out
Councilmember Charles Allen
Office of the Mayor (MOCR)
Metropolitan Police Department
Presentations
Congressional Cemetery Presentation on new Master Plan
ANC 6B Input on Other Concerns
Discussion on Proposed Resolution For Actions To Improve Public Safety On Barracks Row.
Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee
ABC Renewals
New Applications
Protests/Other Updates
Tobacco King Application Update
CIVIC Settlement Agreement progress
Issues with restaurant vendors blocking alley behind 200 block of 7th SE SE.
Transportation Committee
Resolution on Priority Bus Lane for Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge (John Philip Sousa Bridge)
Planning and Zoning Committee
Wingstop/Emerald Wings
ANC7D will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm (new time).
Updates from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)
TBD Community Presentation
Elected District Government Official Updates
Letisha Vinson, Office of Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder
Amber Wright, Mayor’s Office of Community Relations &
Services (MOCRS)
Eboni-Rose Thompson, State Board of Education (SBOE), Ward 7
Representative
Kisha Anderson, District Department of Transportation (DDOT),
Ward 7 Community Engagement Specialist
Community Matters
Big Chair Chess Club, Wendall Brown, President and Wendell Hawkins, Vice President
Commissioner SMD Reports 10 minutes
Community Comments
ANC 7D Committees
TPS Proposed Motion: ANC 7D send a letter to DDOT in response to NOI 26-105-MPDD with the following recommendations:
Support converting F Street, NE to a one-way
Support the installation of a tactical sidewalk
Separate the tactical sidewalk from the roadway using a raised barrier
Surround no-parking areas with flex-posts
Request DDOT indicate existing streetlights in its plan documents and determine whether any streetlight relocations will be required.
TPS Proposed Motion: ANC 7D send a letter to DDOT requesting the agency conduct a comprehensive transportation study of he Rosedale campus.
TPS Proposed Motion: ANC 7D send a letter to the DDOT convert the half-lane buffer at C & 16th Streets NE be changed to a parking lane and convert the existing parking lane to a bioretention area.
Commission Proposed Motion: ANC 7D send a letter to WMATA and the RFK Project Executive expressing disapproval of any proposal to locate a bus terminal facility in the area of 19th and C Streets, NE.
Wednesday, May 13
ANC6C will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
For info on how to join the meeting, go here: www.anc6c.org
Among items on the draft agenda:
Community announcements
Commissioner announcements
DC agency informational announcements
Lead Free DC, Dexter Humphrey
FOIA Update – Andrew Hayes
Consent agenda
Transportation and Public Space Committee
H Street Main Street, proposed art installation in public space
New Business
Exclusionary zoning restrictions, proposal for “gentle zoning,” Andrew Hayes
Vacant and Blighted Properties – Frank Z. Bessenyei and Brandon Wells, Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Dennis Corkery, Office of Attorney General for DC, and Keith Parsons, Department of Buildings.
Consent Agenda
Transportation and Public Space Committee
Recommendation: ANC 6A send a letter of support to Councilmember Charles Allen requesting the renaming of the alley at D Street NE and Kingsman Field and Dog Park between 13th Street NE and Tennessee Avenue NE be officially named “Electric Alley”.
Recommendation: ANC 6A provide a letter of support to DPR for Duilio Passariello’s DPR arts grant application for Lovejoy Park with the contingency that we get written confirmation that this design would not be in conflict with the overall renovation of the park by DPR.
Recommendation: ANC 6A send a comment letter on DDOT NOI re SafetyTreatment at Bladensburg Road NE between Benning Road and Neal Street NE.
Economic Development and Zoning.
Recommendation: ANC 6A send a letter of support to HPRB for an application to build a 2-story garage at 1341 A Street NE.
Standing Committees
Community Outreach Committee
Recommendation: ANC 6A approve the grant application for Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School PTO in the amount of $1,981.00 for support of Phase 2 of their community garden rebuild.
Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis
Update on application for cannabis retailer license for DC Dank, 712 15th Street NE
Suggested Motion: ANC 6A approve a conditional settlement agreement for Transmission, 1353 H Street NE.
Update on settlement agreement negotiations with Allure Lounge, LLC, 711 H Street, NE
Transportation and Public Space
Recommendation: 6A send a letter of support to H Street Main Street in their pursuit of a grant from the DC Commission on Arts and the Humanities.
Recommendation: ANC 6A pass a resolution in support of WMATA’s previously published Metrorail expansion options through ANC 6A and encourages district agencies, WMATA, and stakeholders in areas surrounding the proposed rail segment to begin exploring potential funding and partnership models.
New Business
Suggested Motion: ANC 6A send a resolution to the Board of Elections requesting they confirm the election results for Ben Hammer, 6A06
Suggested Motion: ANC 6A authorize the ABC committee to renegotiate existing settlement agreements to remove restrictions on pub crawls when requested by establishments whose existing settlement agreements contain this clause. (Burger)
Suggested Motion: ANC6A (in collaboration with 6B) send a letter to DC Councilrequesting they allocate resources and direct DDOT to revisit plans for 11th Street SE(between I and M Streets SE) and reiterating 6A’s previous support for safety improvements and safe connections for all road users between Lincoln Park and the future 11th Street Bridge Park.
Capitol Hill Corner Would Also Like You To Know About:
Monday – Briefing on Ranked Choice Voting – 7:00pm – Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church at 4th and Independence, SE.
Starting now, DC will use Ranked Choice Voting in all elections involving more than three candidates. To help educate voters, Capitol Hill Village and ANC6B have arranged for the DC Board of Elections staff to provide a community briefing about voting with this new procedure.
The meeting is on May 11, 7:00 pm, at the Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church at 4th and Independence, SE. ANC6B Commissioner Jerry Sroufe emphasizes that this meeting is for voters – not candidates.
Friday Night Live at Eastern Market Metro Plaza
5:00pm – 6:30pm – Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – Celebration Performances
Ron Charles, Former Washington Post Book Critic: A Tipping Point in US Books & Letters. On the current threat to books and letters. In-person.
Ron Charles will be in conversation with poet, editor, and Life of a Poet curator and moderator, Kyle Dargan.
A recent New York Times article mourned the end of the Washington Post’s Book World as a major blow to literary journalism and an inflection point in America’s literature. The current state of books and letters has been marked by increased federal intervention, including attempts to cut library funding and accelerated removal of books on gender and diversity from school libraries. Federal efforts have targeted library funding, though court challenges have temporarily blocked some initiatives. Meanwhile, a push for “patriotic education” and removal of certain materials in school libraries on military bases has occurred.
Hill Center Event
Friday, May 15 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – $23.00
Stone Room Concerts at Hill Center Features Acclaimed Indie-Folk Duo My Politic
In-person.
My Politic is an indie-Folk duo created by Kaston Guffey And Nick Pankey. The two of them grew up in the Ozarks & have been performing as My Politic for over 15 years. Across 10 releases, their body of work consistently showcases engaging slice-of-life storytelling, expertly crafted characters, highly skilled acoustic instrumentation & sibling like harmonies. Most recently, My Politic has joined other folk troubadours, Adeem The Artist, Margo Cilker & Jaimee Harris for tour stints through the midwest and south. They also made their Woody Guthrie Folk Festival debut in July of 2023 and has returned to Okemah OK every year since.
Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting
Stretching the Canvas: Ten Decades of Native Painting explores how Native artists challenged perceptions of what constituted art and what Native art could and should look like. Featuring more than 50 works by over 40 artists, this exhibition tells the story of how American Indian art expanded after World War I and how Native painters began to advocate for themselves in a world that often ignored their talent. For more, go here: https://bit.ly/4wletda
Library of Congress
Thursday, May 14 – 3:00pm (Doors Open: 2:30pm)
Fashion at the Library: “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel Documentary & Conversation.
Located in the Mumford Room, James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue, SE – 6th Floor. Register for Free Tickets here: https://bit.ly/49FQV98
Located at the Mumford Room, James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue, SE – 6th Floor
Whether in his golden youth or premature old age, legendary jazz trumpeter Chet Baker’s musical virtuosity always shone through. In this frank and revealing documentary made a year before his death, director Bruce Weber uses interviews, recording sessions, archive footage and home movies to show a man ravaged by his long involvement with drugs.
Seating will be by general admission on a space-available basis. Go here to register for free tickets: https://bit.ly/3RvarPq
Wingstop’s Fast Food Exception Takes a Half Step Forward
by Larry Janezich
Posted May 8, 2026
ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee met Thursday night on Winstop’s Fast Food Exception. Committee Chair Vince Marino is at upper right. Holland Knight attorney Leila Jackson Batties is at lower left.
Wingstop’s Fast Food Exemption Takes a Half Step Forward
by Larry Janezich
Posted May 8, 2026
ANC6B’s Planning and Zoning meeting Thursday night turned contentious even though Douglas Development has agreed in principle to neighbors’ demands that Wingstop install a Pollution Control Unit (PCU) to mitigate odor pollution from their chicken fryers at its proposed Barracks Row fast food carryout.
Near the end of the meeting, Committee chair Vince Marino summarized the situation as follows: “We clearly have a situation where … there are some people who whose (position) is getting confirmation about things like the PCU that are mentioned in their current (proposed) Memorandum of Understanding – we definitely have some citizens that would like to add additional (requirements) to the Memorandum of Understanding… – we definitely have some people who would prefer to this ANC take a strict protest position on this.” The latter group have gathered 300 signatures to petition the ANC to oppose a Settlement Agreement or to oppose supporting any more exceptions for fast food on Barracks Row.
Earlier on Thursday, Douglas Development – through their Holland and Knight attorneys – submitted to the ANC a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing the developer to address issues raised by neighbors negotiating restrictions on the restaurant’s operation to be detailed in an enforceable Settlement Agreement between the Wingstop and the ANC. Included in the MOU is language committing building owner Douglas Development to install a PCU as part of the exhaust system.
In the most contentious part of the meeting, neighbors opposed to another fast food restaurant on the block clashed with the lead Holland and Knight Attorney Leila Jackson Batties over how the opposition of some of the neighbors had been characterized. In addition, some neighbors involved in negotiating the Settlement Agreement were insistent on seeing documentation on PCU specs and plans for installation which must be submitted to the Department of Buildings before the ANC votes on the exception. These neighbors felt the developer had negotiated in bad faith earlier in the process.
The Batties said she is 95% sure that two remaining issues involving water pressure and a structural issue can be resolved by their engineers in time for the meeting of the full meeting of ANC6B next week. But after some commissioners pushed to support neighbors seeking to review documentation, she agreed to postpone further consideration until the next committee meeting on June 4th. The attorney added, that if the engineers say it can’t be done, “we will not be seeking the ANC’s support.” This does not mean that the developer would abandon the plan to get an exception. It likely means that the developer would pursue the application for a special exception in spite of a vote of the ANC to protest the application for the exception.
Chair Marino said as much in his summary of where things stand: “It sounds to me like if what they get back from engineers is something saying that (installation of the PCU is not feasible they understand that it’s very unlikely that they’d be able to get this ANC to vote in favor of anything and so then most likely we would have a protest situation in front of us – but that’s happened before.” Marino added, “I always take the position that there’s room for agreement on these sorts of things. So that’s what I’m going to be continuing to work towards as we move towards the date of the June meeting…..”
The issue may be discussed at next Tuesday’s full ANC6B meeting, particularly if opponents of the exception show up and use time for public comment for that purpose. As it currently stands the request for an exception will return to the agenda of the Planning and Zoning Committee on June 4th for further consideration. At that time, it should be clear whether the committee will recommend that the full ANC support the application for an exception or protest the application. In the latter case, the ANC would lawyer up and prepare to litigate the application at a Board of Zoning Adjustment hearing which would be scheduled later in the summer.
Friday: CM Charles Allen Community Office House: CIVIC on 8th Street. 8:30am – 10:00am.
Friday Night Live on Eastern Market Metro Plaza. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – Celebration Performance – Aloha Boys – Hawaiian group – 5:00 PM – 6:30pm – Free
ANC6B Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration Committee met Tuesday night.
Hearing May Spell the End for Aloha Weed Shop on Barracks Row
by Larry Janezich
Posted May 6, 2026
CM Charles Allen has informed ANC6B and residents concerned about the Aloha weed shop at 539 8th Street, SE that the Alcohol Beverage and Control Administration has voted to hold a Qualification Hearing on Aloha’s pending Medical Marijuana license application. The hearing is to determine the eligibility of the applicant to apply for a license – a due process hearing where the Board may decide to deny the license application based on the evidence provided to the Board in a March 25, 2026 ABCA inspector’s report.
According to the report, the activities of Aloha owner Saleh Salim are being probed by law enforcement agencies in Fairfax County, Virginia. Salim and his two sons were arrested on March 18, 2026, by the Fairfax County Police Department and charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. (See below)
ANC6B’s Alcohol/Cannabis Committee chaired by Commissioner Karen Hughes discussed the issue at Tuesday night’s monthly meeting. Hughes told the committee “We don’t know the date of the hearing, but in its wake the Board will issue a final decision,” and suggested that the committee move promptly to state its preferences and recommend the full ANC file that letter with ABCA. (If the Board were to deny the license that would not prevent a new operator or other entity from taking over and applying for a license. That being said, there are legislative efforts underway to tighten location restrictions regarding weed retailers, though it’s not clear if any of the new criteria would apply to the 539 8th Street site. ANC6B is in the process of launching a community discussion regarding ways to encourage a better retail mix on Barracks Row.)
March 25, 2026
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE AND CANNABIS ADMINISTRATION
CASE REPORT (Excerpts)
Summary
(Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration investigation determined that on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Saleh Salim, owner of pending Medical Cannabis License for Aloha, located at 539 8th Street S.E., was in violation of:
5400 GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR ALL APPLICANTS
5400.1 Before issuing, or renewing a registration or permit for either a business applicant
or an individual applicant, the Director shall determine that the applicant meets all
of the following criteria:
(a) The applicant is of good character and generally fit for the responsibilities
of registration;
5300 DENIAL OF REGISTRATION FOR VIOLATIONS OF LAW
5300.1 The Director may deny registration to an applicant if evidence shows that the
applicant has permitted conduct at the cultivation center or dispensary which is in
violation of this subtitle.)
Details
Specifically, Mr. Salim owns several tobacco businesses in Virginia, and on March 18, 2026, he was arrested and charged in Fairfax County, with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Additionally, Mr. Salim had a Fact-finding Hearing with the ABCA Board on February 26, 2026, where he stated that he was not involved in any unlicensed / illegal activity.
On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, ABCA received information that the Fairfax County Police Department executed search warrants at 13 vape stores, two storage units, one vehicle, and one warehouse in Fairfax County, as well as three residences in Prince William County. During the operation, detectives seized a vehicle and confiscated marijuana in multiple forms, including flower, vape cartridges, pre-rolls, and edibles. Detectives also recovered approximately 40 pounds of suspected mushroom-infused gummies, unknown pills, and suspected prescription medications being sold without authorization. Additionally, detectives located two storage units containing hundreds of pounds of marijuana. FCPD reported that coordination among local, state, and federal partners led to the seizure of narcotics with an estimated street value exceeding $2 million, along with more than $500,000 in cash. Detectives also seized and froze 30 bank accounts associated with the organization, containing more than $100,000….
The annual Capitol Hill House & Garden Tour will be held on Mother’s Day weekend, May 9-10. This year the focus of the tour will be the Southeast Capitol Hill. The tour is a two-day event: Saturday May 9 from 4pm-7pm and Sunday May 10 from 1pm-5pm.
The 2026 tour will include eight homes, three semi-public buildings and a newly installed native plant garden. Some homes have been part of the tour before but now have had fresh and unique updates. Go here for tickets: https://bit.ly/4nc7hvU
CHRS members will receive a discount code to purchase tickets for $30 each. The regular advance non-member price is $40, and the price increases to $50 on the weekend of the tour.
Refreshments from local DC vendors will be offered in the lobby of 507 8th Street SE on Barracks Row, which will also operate as tour headquarters. “The 507,” as it is known, serves as an event venue and also the offices of Taoti Creative.
Homes on the tour feature both historic and more modern layouts and interiors. A few of the homes are on lightly used streets. Some are homes you may have always wondered about due unusual exterior shapes or paint colors. There are standalones, corner lots, clapboards, and former boarding houses. There’s an infamous alley, an infamous business and one with some curious collections.
Also featured are stately and well-behaved stops, such as the Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church and the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, both of which have graciously offered their locations as rest stops and will also offer tours of their buildings. The church is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture with impressive stained glass windows, and the Hill Center has made a few changes to its outdoor garden.
The tour, as always, is pedestrian-friendly. This year’s map will take participants through some of the beautiful parks south of Pennsylvania Avenue, and CHRS will provide information about them in the tour catalog.
Interested in volunteering as a docent? No experience is necessary and training will be provided. All docents who sign up for a minimum of a two-hour shift will be given a free ticket to visit the other tour stops. Contact the CHRS House Tour Committee at caphillhousetour@gmail.com for more information.
Comments Off on Reminder: Capitol Hill House Tour Is Next Weekend
Last Sunday, Congressional Cemetery held its Spring Fair. Batalá Washington DC – this all woman drum band led a joyous procession through the cemetery to the Circle of Life for the dedication of a new bench for reflections and contemplation. Batalá’s music is dynamic samba reggae rhythms from Salador, Bahia. Photo: Sharon Metcalf
The Circle of Life. The Circle of Life is a recent installation of land art or earth art which celebrates nature’s perseverance. The site comprises a 60 foot circle of linden trees aligned with the points of a compass and serves as an observation site of the sun’s path during solstices and equinoxes. It celebrates and pays tribute the natural environment, invites meditation and reflection. It was created by a group of friends interested in Congressional Cemetery in partnership with Congressional Cemetery and a testimony to those who choose green burial as a simple and sustainable end to their existence. Photo: Sharon Metcalf
Congressional Cemetery Executive Director Mark Hudson and Circle of Life Designer & Arboretum Partnership Coordinator Sharon Metcalf untie the ribbon, inaugurating the newly installed bench with a Nature Sacred journal, making it available so visitors can leave a reflection or drawing for the next passersby. For more, go here: https://bit.ly/48C3qCh Photo: Sharon Metcalf
More on trees. Here’s an early spring image of the “Moon Tree” on the Grounds of the West Front of the US Capitol, near the Botanic Garden. So named because the seed for the American Sweetgum was carried around the moon on the historic Artemis I mission in late 2022. It was planted on the Capitol Grounds on June 4, 2024, in honor of NASA’s Artemis missions, part of a long-term plan to explore the moon and eventually Mars.
Barracks Row has been getting a lot of attention recently. Here’s one of Capitol Hill BID’s “Men in Blue” working to bring spring to 8th Street, SE.
Last weekend, a couple of young fishermen were testing the waters of the Anacostia near the RFK Stadium site.
Thursday: 6B Planning and Zoning Committee continues consideration of Wingstop’s application for a fast food exemption for a new carryout on Barracks Row.
Friday: CM Charles Allen holds Community Office Hours at CIVIC on 8th at 8:30am.
Tuesday, May 5
ANC6B ABC Committee will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm
Meeting location will be 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE; Second Floor, Conference Room 1 (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s).
Application of Wingstop/Emerald Wings for an exception to the fast food restrictions on Barracks Row
Friday, May 8
Friday: CM Charles Allen holds Community Office Hours at CIVIC on 8th at 501 8th Street, SE, 8:30am – 10:00am. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3P2gNVM
Capitol Hill Corner Would Also Like You to Know About:
FREEDC EVENTS for May
Go here to see a list of upcoming events for this week and to sign up to join FreeDC: https://freedcproject.org/
Tuesday, May 5
Cajun Dance on Capitol Hill.
7:30 to 9:30pm, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A Street, SE.
Lively Cajun French music from southwestern Louisiana. Dance to two steps and waltzes played by the Capitol Hill Cajun Orchestra (led by members of the Capitol Hill Billies). All ages welcome; free admission. Next Dance, June 2.
Wednesday, May 6
Hill Center
7:00 pm – 9:00pm $12
At Issue: The Campaign to Undermine the 2026 Midterm Elections with David Becker, Executive Director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, Democracy Docket Senior Reporter, Matt Cohen, and New York Times Reporter, Nick Corasaniti
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month – Celebration Performances
5:00 PM – 6:30pm
Aloha Boys – Hawaiian group – Free
Friday, May 8 – 10
Folger Consort
2:00pm and 8:00pm
An English Garden: Friday, May 8 – Sunday, May 10 – Tickets $20-50
Folger Consort presents a program of Elizabethan songs and instrumental music interspersed with short readings of poems and gardening advice from contemporary authors. The Folger will welcome back audience favorite soprano Emily Noël and an ensemble of viols and lute for this springtime program, curated by Mary Springfels
Nicole “Ms. Niki” Addison is a classically trained singer/songwriter from Washington, D.C. One of family music’s most compelling and talented new emerging artists, Ms. Niki is a member of the GRAMMY-nominated 1 Tribe Collective’s All One Tribe album featuring “Rainbow.” Described as a new age cross between Mary Poppins and Ms. Frizzle. Ms. Niki is sure to please audiences of all ages.
Congressional Cemetery is the final resting place of many mothers. Some were biological mothers, like Lucy Bell, who devoted her life to fighting for her family’s freedom from slavery. Sarah Reed was an expectant mother who died reportedly trying to save her stepchildren during an explosion on the steamship Wawaset. Some mothers are metaphorical, like Barbara Gittings, “Mother of the Gay Rights Movement,” and Flora Adams Darling, the founding mother of the National Society United States Daughters of 1812.
This Mother’s Day weekend, we invite you on a stroll to learn about the history of mothers of all kinds, through the lens of Congressional Cemetery.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 