[Ed. Note: Neighbors near or interested in the 801 Buchanan Street NE project should join the distribution list for ANC Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03). That is the best way to get regular updates about this project. I am not following this project closely.]
From ANC Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio:
Now that the Conway Education Center is complete, the next project will be the demolition of the old Kennedy School building and the construction of the townhomes. The developer has asked to meet with us to give us an update and share a proposed change to the plan. I have scheduled a meeting for Monday at 7:00 pm.
Please encourage all of those within 200 feet to attend the meeting.
ANC 5A Office (ANC 5A) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Motion to designate the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC) as the sole agent for 5A solely for the purpose of completing the initial setup, account registration, and 3-year renewal of your supplier profile in the District’s DIFS and PASS systems. Including the Automated Clearing House (ACH) Direct Deposit Authorization Form.
Motion to approve AV/Communications Contract
Commission Action Items/Updates
Motion to amend letter for Boystown Public Space
DC 2050 Committee (co-chairs Keith Sellars 5A01 and Dyanna Weston 5A05)
Taylor Street Joint Committee
Reports & Presentations
The Office of Campaign Finance will give a brief presentation on the Agency’s Campaign Finance Programs.
Art Place at Fort Totten is holding a Pop-Up Art Market on June 20, 2026, and July 18, 2026. They are seeking vendors in the following categories: jewelry, crafts, candles, painting, artwork, body and skincare, baked goods and more.
Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb is seeking nominations for three trustee to run the DC Healthcare Access Trust. The Trust was established as a result of the Attorney General’s review of the sale of Providence Hospital, and it is intended to support the operation of an urgent care center on the Providence Hospital campus, or other charitable healthcare serving the community in the area around the Providence campus.
Nominations must be received by April 8, 2026.
Learn more and nominate a candidate via the online form: oag.dc.gov/Trustees.
OAG will hold two public meetings to share information about the DC Healthcare Access Trust trustee nomination process and answer community questions:
Virtual public meeting on 3/18/26 When: Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 6:30pm – 7:30pm Where: Online webinar (link provided after RSVP) RSVP:oag.dc.gov/ProvidenceMarch18
In-person public meeting on 4/2/26 When: Thursday, April 2, 2026, 6:00pm – 7:30pm Where: Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library, 5401 South Dakota Ave NE, Washington, DC 20011 RSVP:oag.dc.gov/ProvidenceApril2
A neighbor passed along information about an upcoming District Waterways Advisory Commission meeting and survey.
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The District Waterways Advisory Commission invites District residents, partners, and waterway users to participate in shaping the future of our rivers and waterways.
District Waterways Advisory Commission Virtual Meeting April 22, 2:00–4:00 PM This meeting will focus on: • Boating and recreational use of District waterways • Environmental restoration and longterm waterway management
This meeting is open to the public and interested stakeholders are welcome to join as Commissioners begin the work of identifying goals and strategies to promote the diverse uses of the Anacostia and Potomac River, the Washington Channel, and adjacent land.
Share Your Experience Through the Waterways Survey The Waterway Commission wants to know how YOU use the waterways to better understand how residents and visitors experience the District’s waterways and what improvements they have in mind. Whether you boat, paddle, cycle, stroll, or fish along the waterfront, or simply value our rivers, your feedback is important.
Location: Faith United Church, 4900 10th Street NE
Faith United Church is holding its free monthly mobile market on April 16. Fresh fruit/produce, canned goods, protein available, as well as some adult/baby diapers.
In addition, student doctors from Georgetown University Foot Clinic will be on hand to provide foot care. For information and to put your name on the list for the foot clinic, contact (202) 635-7777.
OP estimated the number of additional new homes necessary to keep housing cost increases below the inflation rate. With the Draft FLUM, OP seeks to quantify the number of housing units that would be created by each of the changes.
Draft Ward 4 Neighborhood Proposal
CHANGE AREA 4.4
Location: New Hampshire NW and Riggs Ave NE
Changes in this area include:
· Small-scale residential neighborhoods to moderate-scale residential neighborhoods
These changes are estimated to add 1,050 housing units and 100 jobs.
Draft Ward 5 Neighborhood Proposal
CHANGE AREA 5.1:
Location: South Dakota Ave NE
Changes in this area include:
· Small-scale residential neighborhoods to moderate-scale residential neighborhoods
These changes are estimated to add 60 housing units and 50 jobs.
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I attended the spring workshop and I find OP’s draft changes for Riggs Parks (Change Areas 4.4 and 5.1) to be a bit random. If the goal is to say that we need additional housing units, I think we can look to where we know large institutional properties are going to be developed into new housing, such as the Boys Town and Providence campuses, rather than looking at random parcels of existing semi-detached homes, which is what the Draft FLUM is proposing.
OP Director Anita Cozart explained that they are targeting areas near Metrorail and high-frequency bus routes (I get that). She said the idea is to make way for gentle density like small apartments. When I pointed out that Faith United Church has been trying to build on its property for decades but no change is being proposed for that property, she said OP also wants to keep the areas with proposed changes contiguous and not do one-off changes to individual lots. I get that as well, though I suspect that is exactly what will end up happening for reasons.
I still think that if there are institutional properties that will likely be redeveloped into new housing in the future, then to me it makes sense for that to be reflected in the Draft FLUM. I guess the only reason they are not doing that is that theoretically the institutional use reflected in the FLUM would not preclude developing housing.
For example, Boys Town is shown as institutional on the existing FLUM but it is zoned R-2 which will allow development of semi-detached housing by right. Developer Urban Atlantic is planning to build 166 semi-detached homes there. And 166 homes is already more than the 60 that OP is showing for the random draft change in Change 5.1. Realistically Change 5.1 is not going to result in an additional 60 housing units and that is probably fine. We already have 166 semi-detached homes going in at Boys Town and hundreds more housing units going in at Providence eventually. Furthermore, we know that the 8,000 square foot Main Building on the Boys Town campus will likely need a zoning change or exception in the future for anything to be done with it. It is not going to be torn down. So I think there are missed opportunities here.
It is worth looking at the draft changes elsewhere in the city. I participated in one of the breakout meetings. One of the questions was where to build affordable housing (I assume they were referring to income-restricted affordable housing). Mysteriously one of the assumptions they made when asking the question was that if they continue to build affordable housing in areas well below the median family income, then somehow amenities would follow by adding more low-income households to the mix. I think if the goal is to provide access to amenities, then it makes sense to build/maintain affordable housing in amenity-rich neighborhoods like neighborhoods west of Rock Creek Park and to be very intentional about providing amenities in areas lacking them. Assuming that amenities will somehow simply follow with no thoughtful intentional action does not make a lot of sense to me.
Anyways, be sure to take the opportunity to review the draft map and submit your feedback to OP by April 30.
LRCA will award Academic Excellence Scholarships of up to $2,000 to eligible graduating high school seniors and eligible college or trade school students who demonstrate academic achievement, financial need, and a commitment to community impact.
We asked for this information because we have been asking for the dimensions of the park space and planting areas for some time now and we knew they would have been submitted as part of the public space application. The construction set has a bunch of other useful information like planting, mulch, and watering schedule.
Thanks to reader Connor for passing along info about the upcoming closure of the 7-Eleven by Fort Totten station on May 6. This store has been around for close to 20 years. Another is not too far away at South Dakota and Kennedy.
UDC College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environment Science (CAUSES) kicked off the farmers market season at the Lamond-Riggs campus on April 3. It will take place very Friday 4pm-8pm at 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE. The market is part of the college’s urban food hub concept at the campus.
There are a few opportunities for residents to get more involved with CAUSES. A couple of highlights:
AgPod Volunteering
Every Friday from 2-5pm o Harvest produce from vertical farm container
Location: Lamond-Riggs Food Hub o 5171 South Dakota Ave NE
Contact: Andy Blunk, andrew.blunk@udc.edu
Participate on the CAUSES Ward Advisory Council
The advisory council for Ward 4 and Ward 5 has space for additional members (2 for Ward 4 and 3 for Ward 5).
The goals of the Ward Advisory Councils are to facilitate communication and collaboration with Ward-specific stakeholders, gain understanding of community needs, and provide guidance on CAUSES program offerings.
Explore! Museum began offering pilot programming at Art Place at Fort Totten in summer 2025. Now they are inviting artists, educators, parents, and neighbors to get involved to help develop a long-term vision for the permanent community institution. They are looking for:
Volunteer instructors
Lead a workshop, share a skill, or test an idea
Artists & makers
Help shape the creative direction of the space
Parent advisory board
Provide feedback to guide programming and priorities
ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on March 25, 2026. Commissioners present: Keith Sellars (5A01); Timothy Thomas (5A02); Jack Hermes (5A04) – Vice Chair; Dyanna Weston (5A05); Derrick Holloway (5A06); Valeria Sosa Garnia (5A07) – Chair; Elaine Alston (5A08) – Secretary; Shelagh Bocoum (5A09) – Treasurer.
Commission Business
The motion regarding electric vehicle charging stations at 4975 South Dakota Avenue NE was removed from the agenda. Apparently, Commissioner Elaine Alston (5A08) had a super last-minute “emergency” SMD meeting that very few people knew about where this issue was supposed to be discussed. The plan is to discuss the issue at a properly noticed meeting in the future.
The ANC voted to create a DC 2050 Comprehensive Plan committee. Unclear who will chair the committee. Residents interested in participating on the committee should email Commissioner Sosa Garnica at 5A07@anc.dc.gov.
Boys Town Public Space Application (5A02) (Vicki Davis, Urban Atlantic)
The ANC voted to support Urban Atlantic’s public space application associated with their redevelopment of the Boys Town campus located at 4801 Sargent Road NE in North Michigan Park. There will be 166 semi-detached homes, with 10 percent set aside for below market rate purchase.
DDOT asked Urban Atlantic to pay for several traffic pattern changes. There will be a new crosswalk where the bus stop is located, new bus signage and other changes. One big change DDOT wants to do is close off the cut-through on Crittenden between Sargent and South Dakota. Commissioner Keith Sellars (5A01) asked if flex posts would be placed around the crosswalk to prevent people from parking too close to the crosswalk. Vicki Davis of Urban Atlantic responded no, right now the plan is just to have “No parking” signs even though we know that if there is a space big enough for a car in front of and behind the crosswalk, someone will park there.
In response to a repeated request from Carmen Williams, the president of North Michigan Park Civic Association, Ms. Davis stated that the developer will leave space near Sargent Road for a second entrance/exit. She explained that DDOT did not determine that a second entrance/exit was necessary but they are leaving that space available just in case. She stated that there way to develop a second egress at the rear of the property.
A ribbon cutting for the One Hawaii Avenue affordable housing project is scheduled for April 15. The rebuild will be larger than the previous building. A resident stated that surrounding neighbors are worried about parking. Commissioner Derrick Holloway (5A06) noted that the previous building did not have parking and that it is not expected that many of the returning residents or new residents will have cars. He said he wants to invite DDOT and Department of Buildings (DOB) to the next ANC meeting.
Social Justice School (5A09) (Myron Long, Founder)
The ANC voted to approve Social Justice School Public Charter School’s request for holiday construction work and to support the school’s facility request before the DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB). Commissioner Sellars (5A01) abstained. The DCPCSB hearing is in April and a vote will be held in May. The goal is to be completely open in time for the 2026-2027 school year at 5455 3rd Street NE. This is the last remaining warehouse owned by the Cafritz Foundation that is being renovated for the school’s new long-term home. A resident and Commissioner Sellars (5A01) asked about the need to work on the Juneteenth holiday. School founder Myron Long stated there might not need to be construction on that holiday, but they would like to have the approval in case.
The school is currently occupying temporary facilities at 333 Kennedy Street NE and at Impact DMV Church. They previously subleased from Rocketship Public Charter School.
The school is a standalone middle school. Current enrollment is 99 students. At capacity, the school will have 210 students. Mr. Long stated that the school is currently meeting all of the conditions for its conditional charter approval.
DC Water Lead Pipe Replacement Program (Sean Moore, Communications Manager, DC Water)
DC Water has a program to replace lead service lines called Lead Free DC. There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. Residents should have received door hangers and information in the mail about the Lead Free DC program to provide DC Water with consent to dig a test pit to determine if the home has lead service pipes. There are several blocks in ANC 5A with a less than 30 percent response rate, so DC Water is asking the ANC to help with sharing information about this program and getting people to sign up. For more information, visit DC Water’s Lead Pipe Replacement Program webpage.
UDC Community College Relocation Feasibility Study (5A01)
Unclear why this topic was on the agenda. UDC Community Engagement Director Juanita Gray did not have a presentation about the topic, had no information to share, and incorrectly stated that a consultant had not been hired yet to assess the feasibility of moving the community college program from the Lamond-Riggs campus to the Van Ness campus. (The day after the ANC meeting, she acknowledged in an email that a consultant had been hired already and a report is expected in May, stating that she referenced “outdated” information during the meeting). UDC President Maurice Edington will attend an ANC meeting at some point to discuss the campus.
Citywide spring clean events are scheduled for April 25. The Ward 5 location is Crummell School. Ward 5 Rolloff Day for bulk disposal is scheduled for July 25 at North Michigan Park Recreation Center.
The DC childcare subsidy program will have a waitlist after April.
Metro is seeking feedback on bus improvements and its revised FY2027 budget proposal. Survey opens March 27 and closes April 6. Visit www.wmata.com/budget.
Ward 5 Council Office Report (Andrianna Lovelace, Constituent Services Coordinator for Councilmember Zachary Parker)
Councilmember Parker sent his FY27 budget request letter to Mayor Bowser. The DC Office of Attorney General is seeking trustee nominations for the healthcare fund that will be established in association with the Providence Hospital sale. An info session was held on April 2 at Lamond-Riggs Library. Submit nominations by April 8: DC Healthcare Access Trust Nomination Form.
The Ward 5 awards ceremony was held on April 1 at Ivy City Smokehouse.
Materials from the February 2026 Riggs and South Dakota Park pre-construction meeting are on the Riggs & South Dakota Park project website. Construction kicks off this spring.
Commissioner Sellars (5A01) held a clean up with Commissioner Danielle Geong (4B09) on March 28. Also, Commissioner Sellars noted the challenges with getting a commitment from District officials to install a water source for the new Riggs & South Dakota Park. Commissioner Sellars also shared shared that Councilmember Parker and Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George are scheduled to attend LRCA’s meeting on April 6.
Commissioner Holloway (5A06) stated that he and Commissioner Dyanna Weston (5A05) plan to have a meet-and-greet SMD meeting on April 22.
Rhonda Hamilton of The Dap Project shared information about a new project called Dementia Stories. A session was held at Michigan Park Church on March 28. The last one will be held on April 4 at Chevy Chase Library. Sign up on eventbrite.
I asked the ANC commissioners to share public space applications on the ANC’s website. The commissioners have access to the applications but the public does not. There have been multiple significant Public Space Committee hearings that residents did not know about because the ANC did not inform residents.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 