Extreme Cleanup at Fort Totten with REI and AllTrails
Saturday, April 11, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Reminder: Registration will close at 5:00 PM the day before the event. Please register as soon as possible!
When: Saturday, April 11, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Where: Fort Totten Park
Monday, April 6, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM (Doors open at 5:45pm)
Location: Lamond-Riggs Library, Meeting Room 1
5401 South Dakota Avenue NE
April 2026 Meeting Agenda
UDC College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences proudly presents the return of the Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market at UDC Community College campus where fresh produce, artisan goods, live entertainment, and community connection come together.
Season Opens April 3, 2026 at UDC Lamond-Riggs Campus, 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE, in the large parking lot.
Every Friday from 4 pm-8 pm.
Let your neighbors know!
Update 4/1/2026: Following publication of this post, DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson announced that the hearing schedule will in fact be revised. A new schedule will be released later this month.
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Original Post
Starting April 6, 2026, Council committees will hold hearings on proposed agency budgets.
The FY2027 budget hearing schedule and instructions on how to participate through either oral or written testimony are available at the link: DC Council FY2027 Budget Oversight Hearing Schedule.
This is the current schedule. It may be adjusted because of delays with the mayor’s budget submission.
Sign up to testify orally or provide written testimony on the DC Council Hearing Portal website.
Once again, elected officials have been warning about a tight budget year. That said, I personally would like the city to put more investment into UDC’s Lamond-Riggs campus. The campus houses the community college program and one of the university’s food hubs. The food hub is run by UDC’s College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES). The campus is supposed to be undergoing renovation and expansion as outlined in the approved 2023-2033 Lamond-Riggs Campus Plan.
See UDC 2023-2033 Lamond-Riggs Campus Plan Fact Sheet.
See UDC 2023-2033 Lamond-Riggs Campus Plan.
I mentioned during ANC 5A’s February meeting that UDC President Maurice Edington stated during the university’s recent oversight hearing that they have engaged a consultant to look at the feasibility of moving the community college from the Lamond-Riggs campus to the Van Ness campus. They expect a report in May.
Apparently, during last year’s budget fiasco, between Congressional Republicans’ fooling around with DC’s local funding, and the mayor’s desire for public money for the RFK stadium, UDC lost capital funding that had been approved for Phase 1 renovations of the Lamond-Riggs campus. So President Edington said he took that loss of funding to rethink the vision for the campus entirely. He said that he wants to build a “world-class” community college and that he does not think the Lamond-Riggs campus is the place for that. He said that a large building at Van Ness is undergoing renovation and should be complete by 2028. He also stated that he has asked the consultant to look at other areas of the city as well.
I have long said that the city treats the Lamond-Riggs campus as an afterthought. I think rather than disinvesting in this important city and neighborhood asset, the city should actually invest more in the campus and give the university back the money that was already approved for Phase 1 and approve Phase 2 funding as well. UDC’s budget hearing is currently scheduled for April 23.
The budget hearings are the time to let the Council know what you support and would like to see funded. Even if it does not get funding this time, it is important to have a record of the ask, so ask!
DC’s Office of Planning (OP) has released a virtual workshop to walk through its Draft Future Land Use Map (FLUM).
Visit OP’s Draft FLUM Virtual Workshop. Comment on the draft changes by April 30, 2026.
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.
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.
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.
Metro recently released a revised FY2027 budget proposal: Metro Revised FY2027 Budget Proposal.
Changes explained by Metro (copied and pasted)
The original FY27 proposed bus service improvements (Nine routes in DC and two in Virginia) are slated to start on or near July 1, 2026.
To further support the Better Bus visionary transit network, the following service improvements are being considered for December 2026, pending Board adoption:
More Frequent Weekday Service: Orange, Silver, and Blue Line trains every 10 minutes all day before 9:30 p.m. – an improvement from the current 12-minute headway – to support off peak demand and encourage ridership growth with more frequent all-day service in December 2026.
More Frequent Late-Night Service: Red Line trains every 7 to 9 minutes – improved from every 10 minutes – during late night period from 9:30 p.m. until closing, seven days a week, to boost capacity in both directions for evening travel in December 2026.
$3 per-trip administrative fee for Abilities Ride trips starting July 1, 2026.
The Board of Directors will consider the General Manager’s recommendations and is anticipated to adopt the final FY2027 Budget on April 23, 2026.
A former LaSalle-Backus parent passed along materials regarding the modernization of LaSalle-Backus Elementary School located at 501 Riggs Road NE.
The project budget is $88.6 million. Anticipated project completion is summer 2029.
To receive project updates, sign up for the LaSalle-Backus Modernization Project distribution list.
The DCPS point of contact is Matthew Dela Cuesta. He can be reached at matthew.delacuesta@k12.dc.gov.
The project will renovate and expand the existing school. Looks like the existing school is roughly 55,000 square feet, and the modernized school will be 79,000 square feet. The existing school will be gutted to put in new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. New playgrounds and an outdoor classroom will be constructed as part of the project.
Swing space will be at the old Sharpe Health School located at 4300 13th Street NW. Buses will be available to transport students between LaSalle-Backus and Sharpe during construction. More information about this will be provided as the process moves along.
Vendor Call: UDC CAUSES Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market
Location: 5171 South Dakota Ave NE, Washington, D.C., Ward 5
UDC College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences proudly presents the return of the Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market at UDC Community College campus where fresh produce, artisan goods, live entertainment, and community connection.
Farmers Market—where fresh produce, artisan goods, live entertainment, and community connection come together every Friday from 4 pm – 8 pm.
Season Opens: April 3, 2026
Interested vendors may apply at the link: UDC 2026 Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market Vendor Interest Application.
For more information, contact causesfarmersmarkets@udc.edu or (202) 274-7124.
Download: UDC 2026 Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market Vendor Flyer.
Download: UDC 2026 Lamond-Riggs Farmers Market Public Flyer.
From North Michigan Park Civic Association
NORTH MICHIGAN PARK CIVIC ASSOCIAITON
MONTHLY MEETING
FACE TO FACE ONLY
DATE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2026
TIME: 7:00 PM TO 9:00 PM
LOCATION: FAITH UNITED CHURCH
4900 10TH STREET NE (10TH & DECATUR ST )
WASHINGTON, DC 20017
IMPORTANT AGENDA ITEMS:
· Presentation and Workshop by DC Board of Elections on Rank Choice Voting.
How you voted in previous elections has drastically changed. “An informed consumer is an educated consumer.”
Also on the agenda is an update on the Boys Town Development
From ANC Commissioners Keith Sellars (5A01) and Danielle Geong (4B09)
Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
Time: 8am-10am
Location: Meet at either (1) South Dakota Avenue & Galloway Street NE or (2) Kennedy Street & Eastern Avenue NE.
Trash grabbers & bags provided.
For more information, contact 5A01@anc.dc.gov or 4B09@anc.dc.gov.
Plymouth Congregational and New Hope Baptist United Churches of Christ host a food pantry 10am-12noon on the fourth Saturday of each month at 5301 North Capitol Street NE.
As a reminder, there are several other food pantries in and around the neighborhood.
DC Bilingual Public Charter School Family Food Market (1st Friday monthly, October through June)
33 Riggs Road NE
11:00 am-1:00 pm
Produce & shelf stable items
For more information, email uejimofor@dcbilingual.org
Sponsored by Capital Area Food Bank
Impact DMV Church (1st Saturday monthly)
5335 1st Place NE
11:00 am-1:00 pm
Groceries
Faith United Church of Christ (3rd Wednesday monthly)
4900 10th Street NE
9:00 am (food usually runs out by 11:30 am)
Produce market and diaper bank
For more information, contact faithuccdc@gmail.com or 202-635-7777.
LaSalle-Backus Elementary School Family Food Market (Typically 3rd Thursday monthly, October through June)
501 Riggs Road NE (enter on Madison Street side of campus)
3:30 pm-5:30 pm (people start lining up as early as 2:30)
Produce & shelf stable items
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (3rd Saturday monthly)
501 Riggs Road NE (enter on Nicholson Street side)
11:00 am
Fresh produce, canned goods, & fresh quarter chicken
Sponsored by Andre Lee (Lee Little League)/Feed My People Ministry
From ANC 5A
Date: March 25, 2026
Time: 6:45pm
Location: Hybrid
Zoom: https://bit.ly/ANC5A2026
In-Person Location:
Washington Yu Ying PCS, Early Years Campus
4350 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20011
Agenda
From Office of DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson
Chairman Mendelson will host two Tax Town Hall meetings. The first meeting will take place virtually via Zoom on Thursday, March 26th, from 6 PM to 8 PM. Please RSVP for the Zoom link at ChairmanCS@DcCouncil.gov. The second meeting will be held in person on Saturday, March 28th, from 10 AM to 12 PM at the UDC Student Center, located at 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW, in Room A01.
The purpose of these meetings is to provide information about property tax assessments and the appeals process. Staff from the Office of Tax and Revenue will be available to answer any questions related to these topics.
DC’s Office of Planning released a Draft Future Land Use Map (FLUM) for DC’s next Comprehensive Plan that OP is calling DC 2050. The FLUM is designed to provide a view of where different land uses are recommended or planned. The FLUM is important because it can be used to support changes to land use. (Recall that McDonald’s used their requested change to the FLUM to support its quest to upzone their parcel for the sole purpose of putting in a drive-thru as a matter of right. OP signed off on that).
OP is using an approach called Place Types that they say will help make it easier to understand how a property can be used.
Attend OP’s Phase 2 spring workshop on March 21 at Martin Luther King, Jr. Library at 11am to give input on the Draft FLUM.
OP states the changes in the Draft FLUM are designed to do three things:
OP also provided an explanation of the considerations that went into the Deaft FLUM:
The current Future Land Use Map has an estimated capacity of 445,000 total households. In order to keep housing prices from rising relative to inflation, OP estimates that we will need at least 460,000 households by 2050. The DC 2050 Future Land Use Map proposes adding capacity to meet this new target by identifying new land use changes near transit, in areas that have grown less over the past twenty years, and with additional analysis in areas with the highest risk of displacement.
See OP explainer on Draft FLUM.
One thing to keep in mind is that Riggs Park has an approved Riggs Road/South Dakota Avenue Area Development Plan (sometimes referred to as a small area plan) for the commercial corridor. I previously asked OP reps how they intend to incorporate approved plans, which are consensus documents, into the new Comprehensive Plan. They said that for plans approved before a certain year, the plans would be incorporated into the Comp Plan through the FLUM. I do not remember the year OP stated, but it would cover our neighborhood plan, which was approved in 2009.
I do not remember what OP said about small area plans in progress or plans approved after a certain year. It would probably be helpful for OP to put all of this in the explanation.
Check out OP’s DC 2050 website. It has lots of resources to help residents understand how OP is approaching the Comp Plan rewrite.
If you would like to give feedback on the Draft Flum, attend tomorrow’s workshop or stay tuned for OP’s survey.
From ANC 5A
Date: March 25, 2026
Time: 6:45pm
Location: Hybrid
Zoom: https://bit.ly/ANC5A2026
In-Person Location:
Washington Yu Ying PCS
220 Taylor St NE, Washington, DC 20017
Agenda
[Ed. Note: Passing along information about an interesting project for residents interested in participating]
Arts workshop + portrait session on March 28, 2026, at Michigan Park Christian Church. Registration here. More information: DementiaStoriesDC.com. Questions: 202-352-8869.
More details:
Dementia Stories DC is an initiative by The Dap Project that celebrates the lives of D.C. residents living with dementia and Alzheimer’s while raising awareness about the care, connection, and support families need.
The three-part initiative includes:
The initiative will culminate in a June public exhibit (Alzheimer’s Awareness Month) featuring portraits, photography from the workshops, and oral histories.
To participate, register for an upcoming workshop and portrait session on Eventbrite. Have questions? Email us at DementiaStoriesDC@gmail.com.
From ANC 4B
ANC March Public Meeting Agenda
Monday, March 23, 7:00 p.m.
This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom, with the information provided below:
Virtual Meeting Details:
For video participation via Zoom on a computer or mobile device, click this link:
https://dc-gov.zoom.us/j/81506605246
For voice-only participation on a telephone, dial +13092053325,,81506605246#
Meeting ID: 815 0660 5246
Please use the “Raise Hand” button via Zoom or *9 via telephone to speak.
The Commission will provide details regarding how to present community concerns at the start of the virtual meeting. This is the time for questions or statements from members of the public about issues on the agenda or other areas of concern. Please limit your statement or question to one minute. You may contact members of the Commission before and after Commission meetings.
Please check the Commission’s website for additional information: anc4b.com
Contact your Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner:
The next ANC 4B Planning Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
The next ANC 4B Regular Public Meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 27, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.
From Office of Planning
The DC Office of Planning has developed proposals for how the District uses its land over the next several decades and is seeking your feedback to ensure the plan will address what you care about. In an open house and small-group discussions led by OP staff, OP will share proposals for the District’s future land use, explain how they were developed, and ask for your feedback. Register now for either event: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/9d2c386a3b414ce38c8ff6014c17bee6
Note: OP will also be publishing a survey, which is an option for people unable to attend.
DC 2050 will guide where and how we build new housing, grow job opportunities, connect neighborhoods, preserve our history, and invest in services.
To learn more, visit DC2050.com or follow OP on Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook, and X.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 