What is the ‘Clean Team?’ The crew that addressed the icy sidewalk at 4250 Connecticut Ave.

The January 12-13 snowstorm dropped between 8 to 10 inches on our area. After the last snowflakes fell, the shovels came out. Except at 4250 Connecticut Avenue.

Fannie Mae vacated the building in December but holds the lease on the property until the end of this month. That means it is responsible for clearing the sidewalk of snow and ice. But it didn’t send anyone late Sunday, or on Monday. By Tuesday morning, the path to the Van Ness Metro entrance was packed and slippery.

Hey @DCDPW: The owner of 4250 Connecticut Avenue NW hasn’t cleared their sidewalk in the least. The slight downhill here makes it extra treacherous. pic.twitter.com/OfnWVrF39G

— Martin Austermuhle (@maustermuhle) January 15, 2019

Enter the Connecticut Avenue Clean Team.

They arrived Tuesday morning and got to work, first laying down ice melt…

Then loosening the ice. Ernest Young and Kenny Covington were loosening it with shovels and Tyrone Ricks was in the truck scraping it away.

They were going above and beyond. Theresa Cameron, the executive director of Van Ness Main Street, says the Connecticut Avenue Clean Team is not responsible for snow removal, but will do so if needed. What do they do?

Remove litter, graffiti, illegal posters and stickers and weeds

Recycle glass, aluminum and plastic items collected from sidewalks and gutters

Maintain street trees through mulching, weeding and watering

Track and report public space maintenance issues via 311

 
And these three are responsible for Connecticut Avenue from Woodley Park up to Chevy Chase Circle. Ernest Young is assigned to the Van Ness area six days a week from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Career Path DC administers the District’s Clean Team Program. It provided the truck.

The Connecticut Avenue Clean Team was out there all morning, salting and shoveling. Fannie Mae later sent a small team. The result: a clear and safer sidewalk, at last.