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Date: Monday, August 16, 2010 at 12:33 PM
ROSEDALE ALLIANCE "GARDEN GROUP" NON-COMPLIANCE WITH D.C. HEALTH CODE COMMUNITY COMPLIANCE REQUEST THAT THE GARDEN GROUP COMPLY WITH D.C. LAW
Mr. Coomber:
This e-mail comes in reply to your e-mail dated August 12, 2010. The Kingman Park Civic Association is very disappointed that you would make false, untruthful and intentionally misleading statements to the D.C. City Counsel, officials of the District Government, the ANC Commission, and the general public. You have falsely stated, and implied that the Rosedale Alliance "Garden Group" did not commit D.C. Health Code violations last summer. This misleading misrepresentation was made by you, when you stated in your e-mail that the owner of the subject "Garden" lot was cited for health code violations and not the "garden group."
The truth is that the owner of the subject "garden" lot was cited last summer for health code violations that were committed by "The Rosedale Alliance Garden Group." See the attached, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH INSPECTION REPORT. The false representations [in your August 12th e-mail] that the garden group was not responsible for the health code violations are inexcusable and extremely deceptive. This now leaves your credibility, and the credibility of your group in question.
In addition, you have falsely and intentionally mispresented the fact that the garden group did not build an illegal wooden fence, which surrounds the "garden lot." This is an out right falsehood. The fence was build by several members of your garden group, and witnessed by neighbors, many, whose homes are adjacent to the garden lot. Mr. Jordan and you failed to obtain required governmental permits to construct the fence, and you proceeded to construct the fence despite objections by many of the adjacent landowners.
The obstruction created by the fence prevents many of the adjacent landowners from observing and reporting suspicous criminals to the police and appropriate authorities. This is exactly why you and Mr. Jordan are required to obtain permits first. Unwanted strangers and characters are seen coming and going from the rear of adjacent homes at all times of the night and day. Your group greatly contributed to this problem because the problem did not exist prior to your efforts to bring dozens of individuals to the rear of the homes. We are demanding that you and your group remove the illegal fence and stop this course of misconduct.
Equally disturbing is your untruthful statement that dead bodies or a dead body was found on the lot. Nothing is further from the truth. What type of morbid thought would bring you to make such a false statement. Before you arrived we had a wonderful neighborhood, and we will continue our reputation as a historically great D.C. community.
KPCA will continue to monitor this issue, and we will not hesitate to contact public officials and neighors about any unlawful activity and health code violations. I am sure that Ms. Marie Hille of the D.C. Department of Health will confirm the violations caused by the "garden group" last summer. Committing these health code violations for a second summer is not responsible activity. I suggest that you contact her immediately.
Sincerely,
Frazer Walton
President
Kingman Park Civic Association
Attachment: D.C. Department of Health Inspection Report
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Date: Monday, August 16, 2010 4:30:53
Dear Mr. Walton:
In my email, I wrote that the Kingman Park Rosedale Community Garden "conversed with DC DOH, rectified all issues they raised, and a citation was not issued" last summer. A brief record of that conversation can be seen in the DC DOH report, which you attached to your email. It is supportive of the account of events in my emails. The Report did not state that the Kingman Park Rosedale Community Garden or its members were issued a notice of abatement or a citation, which runs counter to your claim that there was a "misleading misrepresentation was made by you, when you stated in your e-mail that the owner of the subject 'Garden' lot was cited for health code violations and not the 'garden group.'" The Report does not involve the issuance of any citations, but only mentions that an abatement notice was sent to "Mr. Asad Hameed, who owns the land that is used by the community garden."
There are many issues that contribute to the mosquito problem in the Kingman Park and Rosedale neighborhoods, and a well tended Garden is at the bottom of the list. On the plot next to the Garden, the vegetation grew so long at one point this summer that it was much higher than the fence that has surrounded the Garden area for many years. Such overgrowth is a source of mosquitoes; as are the large puddles that form in the dilapidated alleys; as are the water traps in all of the backyards on either side of 21st Street, NE between D and E Streets that do not properly drain; as are clogged gutters. Working together to rectify these issues would be a more effective use of your, Ms. Raglin's, and my time and energy.
Our DCRA compliant repairs to the fence have been addressed by my previous emails. Your claim that it prevents people from seeing criminals inside the Garden is difficult to understand, considering the fence is largely transparent. (see attached picture below)
I did not write that dead bodies or a dead body was/were found in the Garden lot. The first reference to dead bodies being found on the property that contains the Garden was in your email. It is disturbing that you created this issue.
I have been in close contact with Ms. Hille of the DC DOH. In an email to Ms. Raglin this morning, Ms. Hille wrote that I corresponded with her "in a responsible manner and disclosed many details that left me at ease with confidence that the garden was under capable hands." Feel free to contact her for further information.
If you have any further concerns, feel free to contact me. I look forward to working together with other Kingman Park and Rosedale residents to address the issues that confront us.
Regards,
Bob Coomber
Kingman Park/Rosedale Community Garden (KPRCG) Co-coordinator
2 comments:
I have heard enough , Mr. walton you and your family as well as the other home owners in Kingman Park are to held in highest of of appreciation. many former students have been supported and guided by the caring hands of the people in that community for more than 35years many of us from out of town. I have been reviewing the claims made by some concerning your actions and they need to be told that their block busting , hate filled actions are now drawing attention from those of us as far away as the west coast down to Fl. we may not reside in Kingman but many of us were treated well and given moral support during our years in school. It seems to me that your organization is too polite in what is a fight to save your community . The residence living there should rember when many of them needed help they came to your door , you helped without charging a fee. The persons now attacking have no idea that a peice of American History is beiing attacked and defamed by their actions. some persons have no idea of your history and how it is connected to the history of Black America and this Nation. Should this attack continue on you , your own personal history and the good people of Kingman park then we need to make it a national issue . We are hearing that one of the attackers works on the hill and now the question must be asked is he using his position on the Hill to enhanse his standing in the slander and hate filled adventure cloaked in community pride when in fact there could be a profit motive here with no concern for the people who not only contributed to the building of kingman park but are responsible for Black professionals all over this country. Black profeesional at the state department , Law Busines and education , I pleadge to you all the support you need and will ake of other Americans of like minds to bring this Issue of what appears to be Block busting to the Attention of all Americans and make this a political issue that no one on the hill can ignore . Keep the up the good fight. Norm
From reading your comments, you have no clue what you are talking about! Sending crazy messages out on a blog is dumb! Make sure you do spell check also!
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