Greetings!
This is a reminder that the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Technology Officer is hosting its last free tech repair event on Saturday, August 17. The All Hands on Tech initiative provides free tech repair to District residents’ laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Our team helps residents solve their software issues (virus, spyware, etc.), set-up new devices, and provides free tech training on smartphones and social media. Please join us this Saturday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library (5401 South Dakota Avenue NE). Residents can register online by texting FIXED to 83224 for the link to our website. Or, residents can visit connect.dc.gov/free-tech-support to sign up. Attached is the flyer for the event and the list of services available. We encourage any person experiencing severe issues like virus removal or who are unsure of their device issue to attend early. For questions, please contact them at (202) 266-6328 or email them at [email protected]. Currently our community is seeing an uptick in construction projects and our ANC commissioners have drafted some info for us on resources to keep up with what is going on and ensure that we understand our rights.
Per our commissioner Sydelle Moore: When public comment is allowed on any project, you WILL receive an official notice from me with accurate information and a request for comment. However, public comment is NOT allowed on all projects. To learn the difference between projects that do and do not receive public comment, please use the information included here. Also, for the first time in ANC 5D’s history, we now has a Zoning and Development Committee which includes multiple lawyers and architects who will help you for FREE with any development related questions. The committee meets once a month including this Thursday at 7:30 PM at 371 Morse St. NE Please contact your ANC commissioner with any questions. Comm. Sydelle Moore, 5D05 Email: [email protected] Phone: 202-681-6159 Twitter: @sydellebelle Comm.Bernice Blacknell, 5D04 Email: [email protected] MYTHS & FACTS: MYTH: ANC Commissioners vote on all construction in our community FACT: ANCs only vote on projects when a homeowner or developer would like to make changes to a property beyond what is allowed by our zoning laws. Most construction does not undergo ANC review as long as it follows the zoning laws. MYTH: Our neighborhood is zoned only for townhouses. FACT: Most of us live in an RA-2 zone which means that any building can have multiple units, but all buildings are required to remain under a certain size. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: QUESTION: What is an RA-2 Zone? ANSWER: RA-2 zones are designed to permit moderate-density residential housing. They also permit the construction of those institutional and semi-public buildings that would be compatible with adjoining residential uses like a church or school. QUESTION: What are the rules for an RA-2 project? ANSWER: This chart shows what is and is not allowed in an RA-2 zone. http://handbook.dcoz.dc.gov/zones/residential-apartment/ra-2/ QUESTION: How is my property zoned? ANSWER: Almost all homes in our area are in an RA-2 zone. See the map below for details. http://maps.dcoz.dc.gov/zr16/ QUESTION: What if I suspect illegal construction? ANSWER: Report all illegal construction by calling, emailing or tweeting 311 and then report the incident along with the 311 tracking number to your ANC commissioner. Your commissioner is: Comm. Sydelle Moore [email protected] or 202-681-6159. QUESTION: Where can I find more information? ANSWER: The DC Office of Zoning website: https://dcoz.dc.gov/ has additional information about zoning. Important meeting notices are posted to the ANC 5D website at least one week prior to any vote: http://www.anc5d.org/. ANC 5D meets every month except July and August on the second Tuesday of the month at 371 Morse St. NE from 7-9pm. Only cases requiring ANC approval are reviewed at these meetings. The next meeting is September 10, 2019 at 7PM Ample research demonstrates that opening additional alcohol retailers in areas struggling with crime and facing socioeconomic issues only serve to increase crime and exacerbate issues with substance abuse. For this and other reasons LCA has joined ANCs on both sides of Benning Rd in protesting the approval of an additional ABRA license at 2031 Benning Rd. NE. Please read the letters submitted in support of this protest below.
Most DC homeowners received their property tax assessments in the mail earlier this year, while others may receive them after a new home purchase. For those who disagreed or took issue with those assessments, here is how you can appeal.
1. File as soon as possible. The Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) requires appeals be filed electronically on or before April 1. For new property owners, the form here must be filed within 45 days of receiving their assessment. 2. Call your assessor. The contact information for the person who assessed the property should be listed on the assessment. The assessor should be able to give you an idea as to why the home was assessed at that particular value and why it might have changed from prior assessments. The government’s assessment incorporates data from sales, construction permits, field visits and existing land values. 3. Gather evidence. OTR warns that your appeal should be specific and should have hard supporting evidence: “Please note that a successful appeal requires meaningful and accurate supporting information. Simply offering an opinion with no factual basis will probably not result in a reduced assessment.” Leading with strong evidence will put you on a better footing throughout the appeals process. 4. File a first-level appeal. You can claim that the assessment is incorrect based on the home’s estimated market value (using a recent appraisal, for example); equalization (comparing to similar properties); classification (the current use of the property); and property damage or condition. You can choose a written, phone or in-person hearing with OTR. 5. Appeal to the Real Property Tax Appeals Commission. If your first-level appeal is denied, you can appeal the assessment to the Real Property Tax Appeals Commission (RPTAC) within 45 days. 6. Appeal to the DC Superior Court. As a last resort, property owners can appeal RPTAC’s decision to the DC Superior Court. Once open for registration, DPR summer camps remain open until full capacity is reached and/or the first day of the summer camp session. Once at capacity, each summer camp offers a waitlist for prospective families who are interested in sites that have high demand.
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