Monthly Archives: June 2013

Comment on MoveDC by July 5 + Tidbits from the Lamond Riggs Workshop

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with , , , ,

DDOT held a public workshop on moveDC, its initiative to develop a long-term transportation plan for the city, at Lamond Riggs library on June 6, 2013.  The agency also held workshops online and at various locations around the city.  The agency has spelled out three possible approaches to the plan:  (1)  Stay the Course (focus on incremental improvements); (2)  Get to the Center (focus on easing ways to get and travel around downtown); and (3)  Connect the Neighborhoods (focus on local streets and local connectivity).  DDOT is offering one more chance to provide input on this initiative.  Visit the online comment portal here to learn more about the three approaches and share or concur with policy suggestions by Friday, July 5.

Riggs Park and Surrounding Neighborhoods

With a chance to focus on the Riggs Park neighborhood at the Lamond Riggs library workshop, we learned a few things about what people are hoping for in terms of connectivity in the area.  Connectivity in the area was also addressed in this post previously.

Pedestrian Safety and Metro Access

Several people identified specific streets with missing sidewalks or where passage is impeded, particularly around the Fort Totten metro station.   Some of the metro access issues will be addressed by the 1st Place and Galloway Street NE transportation access plan.

Bikeshare

Lots of people have provided suggestions for bikeshare locations, which would fall under Approach #1, since bikeshare already exists and incrementally adding stations is consistent with the design of the system.  Currently, the closest bikeshare stations are in Brookland.  A few are available across Fort Totten Park some distance away in Petworth.  JBG plans to fund a station at Fort Totten Square when the project is complete in 2015 and Walmart might pay for a station near Fort Totten metro station as well.  Montgomery County officials are planning to roll out bikeshare in Takoma and Silver Spring in the near future.  It makes sense for the city to fill in the gaps in Riggs Park and North Michigan Park to make the system function a bit better and give people options for getting downtown and to other neighborhoods.

One suggestion made by a transportation planner was to specifically identify possible locations for bikeshare.  That means it is not enough to request a bikeshare station “at the metro” since the city will likely have trouble getting the requisite authority to place a bikeshare station “at the metro.”  I was told it would be more helpful to work with Aventine Fort Totten, for example, to identify space on that property for a station.  One other suggestion I have made is a bikeshare station by UDC-CC’s Backus campus.

Metropolitan Branch Trail

Many people have also advocated for completion of the Metropolitan Branch Trail between Brookland and Silver Spring, to include an off-road connection through Fort Totten and Takoma.  The city has provided funding for this fiscal year and next to design the Fort Totten portion of the trail, which will include a cycle staircase requiring cyclists to dismount.  Funding for construction of this portion of the trail is allocated for FY2016.

Cycletracks

As part of Approach #3, a suggestion has been made to install cycletracks along Riggs Road NE to provide an east-west connection to different neighborhoods and along South Dakota Avenue NE to provide a north-south connection.

These are just a few ideas presented by residents in the neighborhood.  More ideas are welcome by July 5 on the online portal.

Tidbits from the Fort Totten walking tour

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten, Fort Totten Square, Neighborhood Development and tagged with , , , , , ,

The Coalition for Smarter Growth hosted a walking tour around Fort Totten called “Fort Totten:  More than a Transfer Point,” on June 15, 2013.  Greater Greater Washington has a nice recap of the tour.  In addition, CSG has pictures posted on facebook and flickr.

Overview

Deborah Crain from the Office of Planning provided an overview of the process that created the Small Area Plan for the South Dakota Avenue/Riggs road NE corridor.

More Apartments On the Way

A resident of the apartments at Aventine Fort Totten recounted the history of the complex, which was originally constructed in 2007 as Fort Totten Station apartments on WMATA property next to Fort Totten metro station under a 99 year lease.  The project, which consists of three apartment buildings, was originally slated to be five buildings, including some condos.  Residents and advocates were successful in finally getting a walking path from 3rd Street NE opened to Riggs Road.  Now, residents are hoping to make the walkway ADA compliant.

Fort Totten metro station is one of the stations around which WMATA hopes to create new transit oriented development.  Stan Wall, WMATA Director of Real Estate & Station Planning,  spoke a bit about plans for rental apartments on the site of the commuter parking lot on 1st Place NE.  The project will still contain commuter parking, but likely will not contain any retail.  The RFP for that project will likely be out around September of this year.

Improved Pedestrian & MBT Connection

Anna Chamberlain, DDOT transportation planner and project manager, discussed the city’s desire to create a better pedestrian experience around the metro.  DDOT’s transportation/access plan for the Fort Totten metro area, including for Galloway Street and 1st Place NE, can be found here.  Part of the plan involves transforming 1st Place NE from a service road for WMATA to a city-owned street with the attendant streetscape improvements.  WMATA and DDOT are currently negotiating that deal.  Ms. Chamberlain and others also highlighted DDOT’s reconfiguration of the South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road NE intersection, which eliminated the flyby, constructed a four corner intersection, and created high visibility crosswalks and streetscape improvements.

Ms. Chamberlain also discussed the Fort Totten connection to the Metropolitan Branch Trail.  DDOT plans to create a cycle staircase, which will require bikers to dismount, next to the the trail at a 5% grade.  The city has allocated money for this fiscal year and next to design the Fort Totten connection, with money allocated for FY2016 for construction of the Fort Totten portion of the trail.

Art Place at Fort Totten

With respect to the two major developments underway in the neighborhood, the tour highlighted the difference in engagement between the team for Art Place at Fort Totten and the team behind Fort Totten Square.  No one from the Art Place team was on hand to provide updates on the project.  Residents and representatives from the Lamond Riggs Development Task Force filled in the gaps.  We know that a bid is out for general contractors, with a selection expected to be made in July.

Fort Totten Square

Although the Art Place project is a planned unit development (PUD) and one would expect more engagement since there is more approval required for the project, the team behind Fort Totten Square has been much more forthcoming about the realities of the Fort Totten Square project, which is a matter of right project.  That is not to suggest that residents always get what they want with Fort Totten Square.  Residents were quite vocal about not wanting Walmart as an anchor for the project for a variety of reasons.  The reality also is that certain businesses can afford to pay rent and do not mind co-locating with a Walmart, so while the developers have promised that they will not solicit businesses like liquor stores and check cashing stores, they have not ruled out cell phone stores, for example.  The challenges of having a Walmart-anchored project were acknowledged on the tour.  However, the strong points about the project, including its mixed use design and “urban format” grocery component were highlighted.

During the tour, Jamie Weinbaum, JBG project manager for Fort Totten Square, described the amount of programming and amenities the residential component will have (yoga, outdoor movies in the courtyard, two-tiered pool, transit screens, bikeshare, car2go parking in the garage).

One other tidbit from the tour was Mr. Weinbaum’s response when asked whether his team would work with existing small businesses to improve storefront facades to contribute to the overall improvement of the South Dakota/Riggs corridor.  He said his team has had talks about development opportunities and various discussions with local businesses.  However, nothing concrete was provided.  He also discussed what is known as the south site, the grassy area in front of the mural on Riggs Road.  He said his team has resumed talks with the city about a land transfer for that site.  However, given that his team is interested in making sure Fort Totten Square is fully leased for both residential and retail purposes, it does not seem as if there is any urgency into getting control of that site if it will not be developed right away.

Overall, the tour provided a nice opportunity to meet folks from Riggs Park, North Michigan Park, Petworth, and South Manor who are all interested in seeing a great, established neighborhood have improved connectivity and more neighborhood amenities.

 

Metro work June 14 – 16

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Free shuttle buses replace red line trains between Rhode Island Ave and Forest Glen stations, 10 pm Friday, June 14 – closing, Sunday, June 16.  The buses will run on a local route with stops at Silver Spring, Takoma, Fort Totten, Brookland, and Rhode Island and a limited stop route, operating between Rhode Island and Forest Glen with a stop at Silver Spring.  Visit metro’s page for details. 

The green line at Fort Totten station will be open.  Yellow line trains will run between Huntington & Mt. Vernon.  Yellow & green line trains will run 20 minutes apart.

Farmers Market for Backus?

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development and tagged with ,

At the ANC 5A meeting on May 22, 2013, Dr. Calvin Lewis, research associate, principal investigator, and farmers market coordinator at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), presented on UDC’s proposal to operate a farmers market at its Backus community college campus on South Dakota Avenue NE.

They propose to operate the market in the large parking lot on Galloway Street NE just off South Dakota Avenue.  However, that land is zoned R-2 for residential uses.  Dr. Lewis stated he was told by DCRA that the application for a farmers market likely would not be approved because a farmers market is considered a commercial use.

The commissioners at the ANC meeting told Dr. Lewis he can likely apply for an exception to the permitted use.  Frank Wilds, commissioner for the ANC SMD in which the campus resides (ANC 5A08), is supportive of a market there, but he was told he needs to present the concept to residents of his SMD before the ANC will consider whether to support UDC’s application for a farmers market at Backus.

UDC currently operates a farmers market during summer months at its main campus on Connecticut Avenue NW.  That market was first operated under a grant received from the Department of Agriculture, according to Dr. Lewis.

He said his team at UDC thought it would be a good idea to bring a market to the Backus campus since the surrounding neighborhood is home to a large number of senior citizens who would benefit from being able to walk a short distance to get fresh produce.  He said several UDC students walked around the neighborhood to ask residents if they would like and support a farmers market at Backus and that the response was overwhelmingly positive.

I caught up with another staff member at the meeting who said they have the same vision to incorporate chef tastings and demonstrations that they presently have at the UDC market.

Dr. Lewis will be at the Lamond Riggs Citizens Association general body meeting on Monday, June 3, 2013, to share information with residents about this proposal.  The meeting will run from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Connectivity around Fort Totten

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten, Fort Totten Square, Lamond Riggs Library, Neighborhood Development and tagged with , , , , , ,

This post is long overdue, but still timely because of a couple of events coming up.  At the Ward 5 budget townhall meeting, I raised a question about connectivity around Fort Totten.  Of course, Fort Totten metro station with its three lines and several bus bays is a huge plus for the neighborhood, but the neighborhood could benefit from a bit more connectivity.  More specifically, I asked if funding would be made available to improve connectivity through completion of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, installation of bikeshare stations in the neighborhood, and a study of the feasibility of a north-south streetcar route along South Dakota Avenue NE to Riggs Road NE.

Metropolitan Branch Trail

Currently, the northbound off-road portion of the MBT ends in Brookland.  From there, an on-street route continues (partly up a steep hill) to Fort Totten.  DDOT previously held workshops and planning sessions to determine the best route for completing the MBT north of Brookland.  The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board’s (TPB) May meeting included proposed amendments to update DDOT’s section of the FY 2013-2018 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).  One of the items is completion of the Fort Totten portion of the MBT in 2015.

Bikeshare

Residents have been asking for bikeshare stations in the neighborhood for a while.  JBG/Lowe, developers of Fort Totten Square, have said they are committed to paying for installation of a bikeshare station at the corner of the FTS development on 3rd Street & Riggs Road NE.  However, that station will not be installed until the development delivers in spring 2015.  They also said Walmart, which will anchor the development, has promised to pay for installation of a bikeshare station at Fort Totten metro station, but it’s not clear if Walmart will pay for that station to be installed before the development is complete.   In any event, the neighborhood will be getting at least one, maybe two, stations by spring 2015.

Opportunities for input

In the next couple of weeks, there will be two really good opportunities to speak directly to and hear from the agencies that are responsible for shaping the way residents connect and move around the city.  The first is DDOT’s moveDC public workshop on Thursday, June 6, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. at Lamond Riggs Library.  MoveDC is DDOT’s initiative to develop a strategic, multimodal long-range transportation plan for the city.  The workshop will provide a chance to talk about how residents travel around the city and share ideas on projects and priorities and what residents hope to see in the future.  Residents are strongly encouraged to participate.  Visit the moveDC website  for more information.

The second opportunity is a walking tour hosted by the Coalition for Smarter Growth called “Fort Totten:  More than a Transfer Point,” on Saturday, June 15, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.  This tour is more of an opportunity to learn about what is happening in the neighborhood.  Plenty of agency officials will be on hand.  CSG’s policy director Cheryl Cort will lead the tour.  A representative from WMATA will discuss plans to develop the parking lot parcels at Fort Totten metro station.  A representative from DDOT will discuss the streetscape improvements in the neighborhood and the reconfiguration of the South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road NE intersection.  A representative from JBG will discuss the vision for Fort Totten Square as a placemaking development.  A representative of the tenants of the Riggs Plaza apartments will discuss the Art Place at Fort Totten development.  Finally, a representative from the Office of Planning familiar with the neighborhood will tie it all together.  Hopefully residents were able to sign up because registration is now full.

Building Permit Issued for Fort Totten Square

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Square, Neighborhood Development and tagged with , , ,

A representative from JBG shared updates on the progress of Fort Totten Square, the mixed-use development anchored by Walmart with approximately 345 rental apartment units.  Final building permits were issued on May 30, 2013.  Digging will soon end and the concrete will start to pour.  Once the digging is done, many more contractors will be working on the site.  Clark Construction, the general contractor on the project, will set up a trailer office near the site.  Residents are encouraged to report problems with trash and other issues.

The construction job fair on March 23, 2013, yielded over 900 applications.  Qualified applicants will be contacted directly by the subcontractors.  In addition, the Fort Totten Square website contains information about hiring for the Walmart store.  A hiring center will open three to four months before the store opens.  More information about the hiring center will be posted on Walmart’s Washington DC website.

As mentioned in another post, JBG will pay for installation of a bikeshare station at 3rd Street & Riggs Road NE once the development is complete in spring 2015.  Walmart has also agreed to pay for a bikeshare station at Fort Totten metro station.  The developers anticipate having transit information screens in the residential buildings.  These are part of the developers’ effort to promote a walkable, bikable neighborhood.

Renderings of the development are available on the site of the development’s architects Hickok Cole.  The blue paneling seen in the online rendering is supposed to be more of a muted blue color.  The renderings provide views of both the residential and retail portions of the development.

The development has space for three to four additional retail tenants on the ground level at Chillum Place & Riggs Road NE.  In addition, a separate ground level retail space will be available at 3rd Street & Riggs Road NE.  There is hope that a major coffee shop will be interested in leasing the 3rd Street retail space.  Luring such a tenant will partly entail convincing DDOT to have 30-minute parking meters for the 16 spaces that line Riggs Road in front of the development.  It is still a little early to approach tenants for an anticipated delivery of spring 2015, but residents should use the time to think about what they would like to see at Fort Totten Square.