It seems like every day in Carver Langston, there is a new construction project being started. Homes are being renovated at lightning speed. And with all that activity comes a few downsides: increased traffic, construction noise and lots of dust! It can be quite a headache for the folks who already live here. Recently, former D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) Director Melinda Bolling attended a meeting of the Langston Civic Association to discuss residents’ property concerns, including illegal construction. She said that any concerns should be reported to 311. But how can you tell if the construction on your block is illegal? Here are a few things to look for. IF YOU SEE: Any form of construction. THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE: A permit posted in a conspicuous place. D.C. requires a construction permit be obtained through DCRA for workers to do any of the following:
If that type of work is happening and there aren’t permits posted, you should definitely report it immediately. Also note the dates allotted for the construction on the permits. If construction begins before the permitted period or after it’s supposed to end, the construction company is in violation and could face a hefty fine. IF YOU SEE: Construction happening after 7 p.m. or on Sundays/holidays. THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE: A special permit for after-hours work. In general, construction is only allowed to happen from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. If you see or hear construction happening outside of those hours, it’s illegal unless they’ve applied for a special work permit. You can check to see if the construction site received a special permit through DCRA. IF YOU SEE: Any work that affects an adjacent property. THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE: Notification letters sent to the neighbors. This is a big one. If construction is happening right next door, you should have been notified about it with a letter. In the letter, you also have a right to respond to the construction, particularly with how it affects your property. You have the right to allow the construction access to your property, allow access with conditions, or deny access altogether. If you didn’t receive this letter in advance of construction beginning next door, the construction company is in violation of D.C. law. IF YOU SEE: Your street or sidewalk being blocked. THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE: A public space permit. If there’s a big trash bin, sidewalk construction or other debris that encroaches on public space, the construction company needs to have gotten a permit to occupy public space. These are issued through the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), and you can look up public space permits on their website. IF YOU SEE: Large construction vehicles parked on your block. THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE: Emergency No Parking signs. You’ve probably seen these types of signs. They’re pretty prevalent around town, and they look something like this: The city requires that construction staging areas on the street get these permits. Parking in our neighborhood seems to be at a premium these days, so if you don’t see these signs hung up on street poles or trees around where the construction vehicles are being parked, report it to 311! IF YOU SEE: Sedimentary run-off (liquid running down your street). THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE: A plan approved by the D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE), curb inlet protection and tree protection. Any work that could cause environmental havoc has to take special precautions. “Curb inlet protection,” for example, is something that looks like this: It’s used to prevent run-off from contaminating the Anacostia River. “Tree protection” takes the form of a chain-link fence around any trees in the area, and it’s another thing designed for environmental protection. This blog post is not all-inclusive by any means, but these are some of the major things that are relatively easy to spot that should be reported to 311. Help your neighbors out and keep your eyes peeled for violations. Together, we can keep our community a pleasant place to live! Comments are closed.
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