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.
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.
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
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:
Increase opportunities for more housing along high-frequency bus routes and metro stations, to direct more housing to neighborhoods that haven’t had a lot of development;
Distribute housing opportunities across DC’s wards, to ensure fair and balanced housing development across the District; and
Allow more types of housing and amenities, to meet the diverse needs of DC’s current and future residents.
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.
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.
[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:
Arts-based workshops that provide people living with memory loss and their caregivers a meaningful opportunity to connect and learn supportive practices. Workshops will be facilitated by dementia care experts from the George Washington University Institute for Brain Health & Dementia.
Portrait sessions with professional photographers to capture and preserve meaningful moments.
Oral histories with residents living with dementia and their caregivers, honoring their expansive lives and allowing them to shape their own narratives.
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.
For voice-only participation on a telephone, dial +13092053325,,81506605246#
Meeting ID: 815 0660 5246
Call to Order & Roll Call
Administrative Items
Instructions for participation in virtual webinar meeting
Approval of February 2026 Regular Public Meeting Minutes
Approval of technical edit to January 2026 Public Meeting Minutes
Treasurer’s Report
Commissioner Updates
Community Concerns
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.
Reports
Barbara Rogers, Community Engagement Director, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis-George (3 minutes)
T. Michelle Colson, Ward 4 State Board of Education Representative (3 minutes)
Leticia Acosta, Mayor’s Office on Community Relations and Services (3 minutes)
4B Community Safety & Support Committee (2 minutes)
Presentations
Johanna Shreve, Chief Tenant Advocate, Office of the Tenant Advocate
Oshaine South, DDOT, to discuss Safe Routes to School Action Plan for Roots Public Charter School
Resolutions
Adjournment
Please check the Commission’s website for additional information: anc4b.com
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
3/18, from 6-8pm at MLK Library (901 G St. NW)
Small group discussions at 6:30 and 7:15pm
3/21, from 11am-1pm at MLK Library (901 G St. NW)
Small group discussions at 11:30am and 12:15pm
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.
Both Councilmember Janeese Lewis George and Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker have submitted their FY 2027 budget request letters to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. Links to each below with snippets of neighborhood-specific items.
Provide targeted capital funding for upgrades at Riggs–LaSalle Recreation Center, including a new field, outdoor fitness equipment, replacement of indoor fitness equipment, window repairs in the multipurpose room, new blinds in the computer, senior, multipurpose, and arts and crafts rooms, and updated computers and televisions.
Fully fund all five Ward 4 Main Street programs, including Petworth, Uptown, Upper Georgia Avenue, Takoma, and Parks, with specific attention to restoring funding for Takoma Main Street, that continues to serve District residents.
Retain and increase funding for the School Connect program at LaSalle–Backus Elementary and Ida B. Wells Middle School, and increase funding to sustain competitive compensation for School-Based Behavioral Health clinicians and coordinator roles.
Continue to invest in Ward 4, including through the following capital projects:
New Playground at Grant Circle
Shepherd Park Library
Kennedy Street Library
Whittier Modernization and Swing Space
LaSalle-Backus Education Campus Modernization
Emery Heights Recreation Center Modernization
Small Capital Improvements to MPD’s Fourth District station
ADA upgrades at Riggs LaSalle Rec. Center
Track replacement at Riggs LaSalle Rec. Center
Hattie Holmes Senior Wellness Center Courtyard Enclosure
Pre-K Playground replacement at Takoma Elementary
2-5 year old playground replacement at Shepherd Park
Playground slide replacement at Lafayette Pointer Park
Playground slide replacement at Chevy Chase Community Center
Begin designing a new trail project to connect the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) to the PG County Connector along Galloway Street and Eastern Ave NE. Y
Worth reading both letters in full to see what citywide policies the councilmembers are pushing and what you may want to advocate for during the upcoming budget hearings.
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
ANC Commissioner Danielle Geong (4B09) passed along a notice from DDOT about road repaving that will be starting in the neighborhood in a couple of weeks. Please pay attention to posted signs regarding street parking. Road paving can take 3-5 days to complete.
Also, DDOT has a paving plan dashboard where you can see where DDOT is currently paving and plans to start paving roads, sidewalks, and alleys. In addition, DDOT sends out a weekly construction notice with paving restoration locations. So lots of ways to be aware of upcoming work that may block roads.
Estimated start dates for neighborhood work:
March 23: Rittenhouse Street NE between 1st Place NE and Sligo Mill Road NE
March 23: Sligo Mill Road NE between Rittenhouse Street NE and Sheridan Street NE
March 24: Riggs Road NE between 3rd Street NE and Chillum Place NE
Note that DDOT will be working in nearby Takoma and Manor Park starting the week of March 16 so check out the full list for road paving locations.
DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) is updating its Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) and needs input from residents.
From DPR:
The SCORP is used to prioritize and select outdoor recreation projects in the District to receive funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund in the National Park Service. DPR wants to know more about how you enjoy the outdoors, what outdoor activities you do, and what activities you wish you could do through DPR. Your insights will shape the SCORP priorities and help plan the future. Complete the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/scorp.
On February 26, 2026, the DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) and Department of General Services (DGS) held a final design and pre-construction community meeting for the park space on the southwest corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE. The property sits in ANC 5A09, currently served by ANC Commissioner Shelagh Bocoum (5A09). It looks like DPR may now being calling it South Dakota and Riggs Park (they used to refer to it as Riggs & South Dakota Park). They anticipate construction starting this spring, ending this fall.
First thing to know is that thanks to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s office, there is $600,000 of new federal money for the green space, but District officials do not know when that money will become available. So they are proceeding with the design as planned with the budget of $337,000. When the additional funding becomes available, they will return to the community to begin planning for the next phase.
Final design for the first phase:
Concrete platform of 830 sq ft with native planting surround
Total native planting of 1,374 sq ft
Art installation
Trash and recycling receptacles
Two benches
Bike racks
Lighting
The presentation contains the plant palette, which should provide lots of visual interest.
Art Installation
DGS will handle solicitations for the art piece. Commissioner Bocoum along with ANC Commissioners Keith Sellars (5A01) and Danielle Geong (4B09) will assist DGS with reviewing applications. They will recommend the artist and the location for the installation. If a more interactive installation is selected, that will be placed more in the interior of the green space.
Water Source
Lots of time spent discussing the fact that the team does not plan to provide a water source to help maintain the plant or provide a drinking fountain. A water source has been a clear ask from the community from the beginning. The project team said providing a water source would cost about one-third of the $337,000 budget so they opted not to go that route.
The contract team said they as the contractor will be responsible for watering the plants the first year following installation. After that, DPR would love a community partnership to help maintain the plants, but without a water source, that will be a bit more challenging.
Construction Timeline & Maintenance
Lots of time spent discussing maintenance more generally. Sounded like DPR/DGS committed to putting together an info sheet identifying agency maintenance responsibilities, i.e., DPW, DGS, DDOT, DPR, etc.
The public space application was approved at the Public Space Committee’s meeting in January earlier this year (application #481392). I believe the project team will notify the ANC commissioners when they obtain all of the necessary permits and construction is imminent so that people are not surprised when fencing pops up.
Construction hours will be 7am-3pm, Monday-Friday. Delivery hours will be 10am-2pm (outside of rush hour). The construction entrance will be on the South Dakota side. Currently, they do not anticipate a need for lane closures.
Direct any questions to Brittany Hughes (DGS) at brittany.hughes@dc.gov and Christopher Dyer (DPR) at christopher.dyer@dc.gov. And please copy ANC Commissioners Bocoum (5A09), Sellars (5A01), and Geong (4B09): 5A01@anc.dc.gov; 5A09@anc.dc.gov; 4B09@anc.dc.gov.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 