This month’s call will highlight the recent incidents in and around the Turkey Thicket area and Edgewood area, along with situational updates from all three police districts that touch Ward 5 (3D, 4D, and 5D).
New Generation TLC & ANC Commissioner Elaine Alston present the a Community Fun Day on Saturday, October 24, from 1–5 PM, at the UDC Community College Parking Lot.
Enjoy FREE food, music, moon bounces, games, face painting, and more
On Friday, October 23, Art Place hosts Fort Totten Fall Fest & Movie Night, a free gathering that moves from pumpkin decorating to an outdoor screening of Hotel Transylvania to a glow party. The action unfolds on the lawn at 4th Street NE and Galloway Street NE, by The Modern at Art Place, from 6 to 9 p.m.
For voice-only participation on a telephone, dial +13092053325,,81506605246#
Call to Order & Roll Call, 2 minutes
Administrative Items, 5 minutes
Instructions for participation in virtual webinar meeting, 2 minutes
Consideration of October 2026 Public Meeting Agenda, 2 minutes
Approval of September 2026 Regular Public Meeting Minutes, 1 minute
Treasurer’s Report, 10 minutes
Summary of bank balance and expenditures
Consideration and approval of FY26 Q4 QFR
Community Concerns, 30 minutes
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 two minutes. You may contact members of the Commission before and after Commission meetings.
Reports, 12 minutes
Barbara Rogers, Community Engagement Director, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis-George (3 minutes)
Dr. T. Michelle Colson, Ward 4 State Board of Education Representative (3 minutes)
Zoey Lewis, Mayor’s Office on Community Relations and Services (3 minutes)
Presentations, 25 minutes
DC Office of Planning, DC 2050 Comprehensive Plan, 15 minutes
Free DC, voting rights training, 10 minutes
Consent calendar, 2 minutes
ANC Resolution 4B-26-1001 – DDOT 3rd Place NW Alley Repairs
ANC Resolution 4B-26-1002 – Trash Can at Madison & Kansas
ANC 4B Letter of Support Requesting Increased Enforcement to Improve Vehicle Registration Compliance
ANC 4B Letter of Support for Extension of Time in BZA Case No. 21170 (723 Oneida Place NW), 2 minutes
Commissioner Updates, 20 minutes
Adjournment
Please check the Commission’s website for additional information: anc4b.com
Neighbor Gavin passed along a listing for the old Eastern Star Home building located at 6000 New Hampshire Avenue NE in Lamond. At this point, I have lost track of how many times this property has changed hands. Originally part of The Hampshires, a planned unit development consisting of large detached single family homes and townhomes built in 2006, the Eastern Star Home was long slated to be converted into condos.
The property is zoned R-1B. The building cannot be torn down, but the interior can be renovated. For a variety of reasons, developers have found it difficult to to redevelop the property.
Join Mayor Muriel Bowser on October 17 for Ward 4 Family Fun Day!
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026 Time: 12:00 pm-4:00 pm Location: Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center (501 Riggs Road NE)
Join Mayor Bowser for Ward 4 Family Day. Enjoy activities for all ages, including games, music, and giveaways. Say farewell to the mayor in the neighborhood where she started her career in public office.
The North Michigan Park Fall Community Clean Up is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Looking for volunteers to assist with the community clean up. Students that need community hours are welcome.
Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025
Time: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Meeting Site – North Michigan Park Recreation Center, 13th and Emerson St NE
Main Street Clean Up Area
South Dakota Ave – From Gallatin Street NE to Webster St NE
Gallatin St – From South Dakota Ave NE to 16th Street NE
Sargent Road – From South Dakota Ave to Gallatin St NE
The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) notified ANC 5A that Aldi has applied for a renewal of its license to sell beer and wine with a tasting endorsement. A hearing is scheduled for December 21, 2026. Petitions or letters in opposition or support are due by November 30, 2026.
A placard notifying the public will be issued this Friday October 16.
Hosted by Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George
Date: October 15, 2026
Time: 11:00 am-1:30 pm
Location: Lamond Recreation Center (20 Tuckerman Street NE)
Join Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George to connect with senior neighbors, enjoy music, dancing, food games, prizes, and helpful resources from District agencies
RSVP online or by calling or leaving a voicemail with the Ward 4 Council office at 202-724-8052. For any questions or requests for accommodations, please reach out to Community Engagement Director, Barbara Rogers at brogers@dccouncil.gov.
Heads up, a few neighbors shared that last night and this morning, they have seen National Guard members walking along South Dakota Avenue NE, Hamilton Street NE, and Kennedy Street NE. I do not know why they have popped up in the neighborhood or why they are even still in the city. No matter one’s politics, the continued use of National Guard to patrol neighborhood streets should be alarming to all.
New large signage at the UDC Community College, Lamond-Riggs campus installed on October 2, 2026.
We explained in this post a couple of years ago that UDC intended to install new signage as part of a placemaking initiative that originally was for just the Van Ness campus. My understanding is that UDC has decided not to put up signs on the sides of the building facing Galloway Street and Hamilton Street. UDC replaced the street pole signage several months ago.
ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on September 23, 2026. Commissioners present: Keith Sellars (5A01); Timothy Thomas (5A02); Emily Singer Lucio (5A03); Derrick Holloway (5A06); Valeria Sosa Garnica (5A07) – Chair; Elaine Alston (5A08) – Secretary; Shelagh Bocoum (5A09) – Treasurer.
Commission Business
Chair Valeria Sosa Garnica (5A07) stated that the ANC finally received all of its FY2026 funding of approximately $23,000 after curing deficiencies related to mismanaged grant reporting.
The ANC voted to approve an FY2027 budget after a long discussion about how much to budget for grants for the new fiscal year starting on October 1. Commissioner Shelagh Bocoum (5A09), the ANC’s treasurer, prepared a draft budget allotting $40,000 for grants. The ANC has a lot of money in the bank because historically it rejected a lot of grant applications and did not spend a lot of money. In the past couple of years, the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC) loosened up grant rules, and the ANC began giving out pretty sizable grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000.
Commissioner Elaine Alston (5A08) requested that the ANC budget $60,000 for grants. Commissioner Holloway (5A06) is seeking a grant for a community day in his SMD, as is Commissioner Weston (5A05) for hers. Unclear how much they are seeking. Commissioner Bocoum explained that the ANC only gets about $23,000 each fiscal year so it would not make sense to budget $60,000. Also, Chair Sosa Garnica explained that no commissioner is entitled to grant money. The money belongs to the commission as a whole and is to be disbursed according to grant guidelines. Anyone applying for a grant has to submit the required documentation, including commissioners.
Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) suggested a compromise of $45,000 for grants, which the ANC eventually agreed to.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations at Gas Station (5A08)
Commissioner Alston (5A08) removed this item from the agenda. Unclear if she plans to have a meeting about this for her single member district (SMD).
Food & Friends Holiday Work Request (5A09)
After a surprisingly lengthy discussion, the ANC supported Food & Friends’ request to do construction work on its expansion on two holidays, Indigenous People’s Day and Veterans Day, in order to make up rain days. Commissioner Bocoum (5A09) did not share this request with residents ahead of time. Commissioner Keith Sellars (5A01) stated that the ANC should have alerted nearby residents. People seemed to overlook the residents who live directly across South Dakota Avenue from Food & Friends outside of Commissioner Bocoum’s SMD. The ANC compromised by approving work to begin at 9am instead of 7am.
Art Place PUD Letter (5A09)
This item was removed from the agenda because the Zoning Commission already voted to approve the Cafritz Foundation’s two-year time extension request. For some reason, the ANC chose not to submit a response before the Zoning Commission meeting o September 10 even though knew about it months in advance.
Fiesta DC parade was on September 27. DPR’s Ward 5 capital projects meeting was on September 29.
Commissioner Sellars (5A01) asked Mr. Davis about the gravel and debris that have been in the Riggs Road cycletrack for a long while.
After multiple requests from Commissioner Sellars (5A01) and Mr. Davis, DC Department of Buildings (DOB) abated the blighted old union building on First Place NE across from Impact DMV Church.
Ward 5 Council Report (Kelly Cislo, Constituent Services Coordinator to Councilmember Zachary Parker)
Ms. Cislo said that car vandalism is on the rise according to MPD. Ms. Cislo scheduled a walkthrough of hotspots with Commissioner Lucio (5A03). Ms. Cislo encouraged residents to sign up for the camera rebate program.
Ms. Cislo said she would reach out to DPR DPW about cleaning the Riggs Road cycletrack. (Note: DPR DPW sent out a machine on September 30).
Commissioner Updates/Community Concerns
Commissioner Sellars (5A01) has tentatively scheduled a meeting with National Park Service for October 26. He is awaiting confirmation from NPS.
UDC Community Engagement Director Juanita Gray shared information about the new 9/11 memorial at UDC-CC Lamond-Riggs campus.
I expressed that it would be great if commissioners could check their email and take advantage of opportunities to submit public comments about development projects and other matters. For some reason, even though residents share information about and feedback for public meetings and hearings, the ANC routinely skips submitting comments for the record.
A resident suggested that Commissioner Bocoum (5A09) contact The Modern about having SMD meetings there because there is a lot happening in her SMD that routinely gets overlooked by the ANC.
Media Contacts: German Vigil – (202) 306-1668, german.vigil@dc.gov
Metropolitan Branch Trail Closure for Resurfacing Between Brookland and Fort Totten
(WASHINGTON, DC) – The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will temporarily close a portion of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) beginning Monday, October 5, 2026, to complete necessary resurfacing and pavement improvements.
The closure will extend from the Brookland-CUA Metro Station area north toward the Fort Totten Transfer Station. Work is expected to continue for approximately four weeks, through the first week of November 2026, weather permitting.
This section is among the earlier portions of the MBT to have been constructed, and the resurfacing work will restore the trail surface and provide a smoother, safer, and more comfortable experience for people walking, biking, and rolling along the corridor.
Detour Information During Construction:
Pedestrians will be detoured to the sidewalk on the west side of John McCormack Drive NE.
People traveling by bicycle or scooter should use John McCormack Drive NE as the designated detour route. Those who choose to use the sidewalk should travel cautiously, reduce their speed, and yield to pedestrians at all times.
Detour signage will be posted throughout the area to help guide trail users around the closure.
The parking lane along the east side of John McCormack Drive NE will be temporarily closed to accommodate construction staging.
DDOT recognizes the Metropolitan Branch Trail as an important transportation and recreation connection for communities throughout Northeast Washington. We appreciate the public’s patience while this work is completed and look forward to reopening this section with a renewed trail surface that will serve MBT users for years to come.
DDOT encourages all trail users to follow posted signs, remain alert near the work zone, and allow additional time when traveling through the area.
