Author Archives: nextstoprp

Fort Totten South Project

Posted by nextstoprp in Riggs Park Place (formerly Fort Totten South)

Updated with link to BZA Application March 13, 2018

DC Urbanturf and Curbed DC recently reported on the Fort Totten South project coming to Riggs Park that we have been reporting on for a few years now. Fort Totten South is a mixed-use townhome project proposed by JBG and EYA for the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE. Recall that the development team is filing a BZA application for the site to make the zoning designation consistent. Most of the site is zoned mixed-use, but a small portion of the site is zoned residential.

For additional information, see EYA Fort Totten South Revised Plans December 2017

See also Fort Totten South BZA Application March 2018 (pdf) and Fort Totten South Architectural Plans and Elevations March 2018 (pdf), BZA case number 19745

 

 

LRCA Scholarship Applications Due April 18

Posted by nextstoprp in Lamond Riggs Citizens Association

The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association is accepting scholarship applications from graduating high school seniors who reside in Lamond-Riggs, attend a DC public school (traditional or charter), and who will attend college full-time in the fall. The application package and guidelines are available at http://www.lrcadc.org/scholarships. The Application deadline is April 18, 2018. Please spread the word!

If you wish to make a donation to support the scholarship program, you can do so online. The LRCA is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Donations to LRCA are deductible to the extent permitted by law.

ANC 5A February 28, 2018 Meeting Recap

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

On February 28, 2018, ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting.

Commissioners present: Frank Wilds (5A01); Keisha Cofield-Lynch (5A03); Isaiah Burroughs (5A04); Ronnie Edwards (5A05); A. Jamaal Lampkin (5A06); Sandi Washington (5A07); Gordon-Andrew Fletcher (5A08).

ANC 5A Treasurer Sandi Washington (5A07) presented the financial report. The ANC has a balance of approximately $33,424.

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie was a special guest at the meeting. He let residents know that the council will receive the mayor’s budget on March 21. After that, the council will hold budget oversight hearings.

The council received the amendments to the Framework element of DC’s Comprehensive Plan in January. Council Chair Phil Mendelson will hold a hearing on the amendments on March 20. Councilmember McDuffie said he would like the Comp Plan to emphasize affordability and that he does not want to see residents displaced. He mentioned a bill he introduced that is now law that requires 20% affordable housing (<50% median family income) in projects developed from the disposition of public land (30% affordability if located within half mile of metro station). He is also responsible for a law that requires that for DC government funded multifamily projects, the District must use the DC median income rather than the DC metro area median family income for affordability guidelines. DC’s median income is much lower than the median income for the metro area, approximately $75,000 versus $110,000.

DC Board of Ethics & Government Accountability

The general counsel and the director of DC’s Board of Ethics and Government Accountability provided an overview of the District agency, which governs the conduct of DC’s 33,000 employees. The board can impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation. Individuals can file complaints with BEGA. See BEGA’s presentation here: BEGA Presentation (pdf)

Lamond-Riggs Library

Robert Oliver, President of the Lamond-Riggs Library Friends, presented results of the survey the group distributed last year regarding the rebuilding of the Lamond-Riggs Library. The group received nearly 200 responses. The highest response rate was from Lamond-Riggs and North Michigan Park residents. DC Public Library will conduct its own survey and public engagement after a design team is selected. See LRLF’s entire survey results here: LRLF Survey Results (pdf).

Although the library sits in the SMD of Commissioner Frank Wilds (5A01), the commissioners decided that Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) will be the ANC’s representative on the library’s rebuilding advisory committee.

Marriott (Michigan Avenue & Irving Street NE)

See presentation with timeline and benefits here: Marriott ANC 5A Presentation February 2018 (pdf)

Recall that the Marriott Hotel development team now plans to apply for a zoning map amendment to build mixed-use moderate-density commercial and medium-density residential by right, rather than pursue a PUD as originally envisioned. Although the developer is no longer pursuing a PUD, it said it will honor the benefits negotiated under the original PUD agreement. The developer anticipates having its zoning map amendment hearing in April, hotel construction beginning in first quarter 2019, and hotel opening in 2021.

The issue of whether the team can build residential on the site has still not been resolved. The ground lease for the site (which sits on federal property) permits hotel and “other compatible uses” at the site. The development team is working with District officials and Congresswoman Eleanore Holmes Norton’s office to ask GSA to reconsider the agency’s interpretation that residential development is not a compatible use with a hotel. See this post for previous discussion of that issue.

ANC 5A Chair Ronnie Edwards (5A05) said the ANC will hold a special meeting before its scheduled March meeting in order to have DDOT discuss traffic impacts considering other development being planned, such as the anticipated Armed Forces Retirement Home development project. The Marriott development team is proposing to reconfigure the Irving Street/Michigan Avenue intersection to a more standard T-intersection. DDOT also wants to add bike lanes to Irving. These efforts are intended to slow down speeding traffic and make the area more pedestrian-friendly.

Armed Forces Retirement Home

The Armed Forces Retirement Home is trying once again to develop roughly 80 acres of its property. Developer interest is said to be very strong. AFRH will hold an industry forum regarding a solicitation for proposals on March 19.

ANC 5A Website

Commissioner Fletcher and Commissioner Isaiah Burroughs (5A04) are making final updates to ANC 5A’s new website – http://www.dcanc5a.org. They still need to upload the correct ANC 5A map and the ANC’s resolutions to the site. If you have any suggested changes, let them know.

NEAR Act Implementation

Katie Beckman-Gotrich once again asked the ANC for a resolution to support full implementation of the NEAR Act. Ward 5 MOCR Lionell Gaines provided a handout on the status of the Act’s implementation. See NEAR Act Implementation (pdf)

Mayor’s Report

Mr. Gaines asked residents to continue advocating for preservation of DCTAG funding. He also provided Mayor Bowser’s three-year accountability report.

Miscellaneous

National Park Service has let ANC 5A know that preliminary results from testing conducted in Fort Totten Park show no hazardous conditions or contaminants. Recall NPS decided to do this testing after belatedly learning that Metro used soil from Spring Valley, a superfund site, to remediate the parkland after using the property for staging during green line construction.

UDC is requesting additional funding from District government. According to UDC, its funding accounts for 1.1% of DC’s budget, whereas colleges in Maryland and Virginia receive a larger percentage of state funding, 4.5% and 3.3% respectively. UDC is conducting forums to promote its equal funding campaign. The next forum will be on April 2, 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm.

The DC Attorney General’s office was listed on the agenda, but they did not show. This meeting was held at Trinity University, so it is not clear if representatives from the office went to ANC 5A’s usual meeting location at UDC-CC Backus by mistake.

The next ANC 5A meeting will be on March 28 at Carroll Manor, Providence Hospital, 1150 Varnum Street NE.

LRCA Environment Committee Interest Survey

Posted by nextstoprp in Lamond Riggs Citizens Association

From the Environment Committee of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association:

The LRCA Environment Committee requests your participation in a 5-minute online survey. We are planning education, community engagement, and neighborhood beautification activities for 2018 and beyond, and we would love your feedback.

Please click this link to fill out the survey. The survey will be open until Friday, February 16

We hope you can also join us for the first planning meeting for April Spring Clean Day for Lamond-Riggs at Culture Coffee Too.

Date/Time: Saturday, February 24, 10 am

Please mark the date on your calendars and we hope to see you there!

Lamond-Riggs Library Baby/Toddler Storytime Survey

Posted by nextstoprp in Lamond Riggs Library

The children’s librarian at the Lamond-Riggs Library wants to find out if people are interested in a baby and toddler story time at the library. If interested, fill out the form with desired day and time of the week and send it back to Suzanne Steward at suzanne.steward@dc.gov or drop it off at the library by February 28. Questions, call the library at (202) 541-6255.

Baby storytime questionnaire outreach form (pdf)

February 15: Lamond-Riggs Library Black History Month Lecture by Noted Historian C. R. Gibbs

Posted by nextstoprp in Lamond Riggs Library

Guest post by Robert Oliver, President of the Lamond-Riggs Library Friends

Historian C.R. Gibbs has been invited to give a lecture during Black History Month. He will present “A Dawn Like Thunder: Africa, Black America and Work War II” from his series of lectures on African American History and Culture. The Lamond-Riggs Library proudly hosts this presentation on Thursday, February 15, 2018 starting at 7 p.m.

Mr. Gibbs is an award-winning historian, humanities scholar, and exhibitor of artifacts. He is noted for writing, researching, and narrating Sketches in Color, a 13-part companion series to the acclaimed PBS series The Civil War. He received an Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation in Public Education from the Mayor of the District of Columbia. He was honored by the Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Braintrust, and he was named one of the “50 most influential people in Washington, D.C.” by the Washington Informer.

So please come and enjoy an evening of thoughtful discussion at the Lamond-Riggs Library.

ANC 5A January 24, 2018 Meeting Recap

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

On January 24, 2018, ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting.

Commissioners present: Frank Wilds (5A01); Keisha Cofield-Lynch (5A03); Ronnie Edwards (5A05); A. Jamaal Lampkin (5A06); Sandi Washington (5A07); Gordon-Andrew Fletcher (5A08).

The commissioners approved participating in the ANC security fund and tabled discussion of the budget and financial report.

ANC 5A Calendar

ANC 5A Chair Ronnie Edwards prepared a calendar of the remaining ANC 5A meetings and their locations. The ANC will hold its meetings in different locations based on the focus of each meeting. The next meeting will be on February 28 at Trinity University. The meeting will focus on the Brookland post office, the Marriott hotel proposal for Michigan Avenue and Irving Street NE, and Providence’s health village concept.

See ANC 5A 2017-2018 Meeting Schedule and Location (pdf)

MPD PSA 405 Report by MPD Sector II Captain Brian Bray

Captain Brian Bray is fairly new to the PSA. Violent crimes are down 23% from 2016 to 2017. Thefts from autos and stolen autos continue to be the big problems in PSA 405. Repeated advice: Do not leave items visible in cars and do not warm up cars unattended. Note that many of the thefts from cars take place at Providence Hospital, which is in PSA 405. Cpt. Bray is requesting more patrol officers because officers get tied up with calls for Providence Hospital and Washington Hospital Center. Not sure if there is any correlation between the closure of the psychiatric ward at Providence last year and the increase in police calls for individuals that appear to be having mental health episodes, but the captain did note that officers are being called to Providence more frequently for assistance with these types of cases.

Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) noted that more patrols are needed around the Fort Totten metro area and that additional lighting is needed for the path by the Mamie D. Lee garden and the complex with Briya Bridges and Mary’s Center. Apparently there was more lighting on the path before, but the lighting was removed because the path is in a park, which technically closes at dark.

Providence Health Village

The ANC meeting was held at Carroll Manor, part of the Providence Hospital campus, to give residents close to the hospital the chance to come to a closer location to discuss Providence’s new health village concept. Much of the information presented by Providence VP and Chief Strategy Officer Ruth Pollard at last night’s meeting was presented at community conversations the hospital held last year, but this is the first time ANC 5A has held a full ANC meeting on the topic. Providence sits in ANC 5A.

Providence is part of Ascension Health, a Catholic health system. According to Ms. Pollard, Providence is the longest continuing operating hospital in DC and the Ascension health network. All that to say it has a long history in DC and in the neighborhood where it is located, so Ms. Pollard stressed that Providence is not closing and it is not looking to completely change the look of the campus. The hospital has stopped offering certain services and will probably wind down others, but there will still be a hospital and the hospital will continue to anchor whatever comes of the health village concept.

Ms. Pollard said the way health care is delivered is changing and therefore Providence is making operational and facility improvements to adjust to those changes. Hence the health village concept–shifting from a focus on sick care to creating a community to keep people out of the hospital with a focus on outpatient, preventing care, and health-related services. Ms. Pollard said the hospital does not have any pre-formed ideas of what the health village will include, but ideas include a fitness center and a healthy food grocery store. One idea raised at previous community meetings was affordable assisted living housing, which apparently is lacking in DC. As of right now, they do not plan development of condos, townhomes, and such.

Providence plans to issue an RFP for a local contractor to help flesh out the health village concept likely some time in February. Around the same time, the hospital plans to develop a dedicated webpage for this project. They anticipate a year of planning during which time they will seek community input. They believe it will be about three to five years before anything actually starts being constructed.

Ms. Pollard said the Providence team (or maybe more accurately Ascension team, which seems to be the one driving decisions) visited Union Village in Henderson, Nevada for ideas. So check out the website for an idea of what one health village concept looks like, but keep in mind that the 150-acre Union Village is massive compared to Providence’s 30-35 acre campus. And Union Village contains market-rate housing, which Ms. Pollard said is not being planned for Providence.

There was some discussion about how the ANC needs to get information to their constituents about this project. The ANC still does not have a fully developed website (more on that later) and there does seem to be a little disagreement about how proactive the commissioners should be in informing constituents about matters. But it would be a good idea for the commissioners to visit the civic associations in their SMDs to provide updates. Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) is usually pretty good about doing this for Riggs Park.

Councilmember McDuffie’s short-term rental and affordable housing bill

Marie Johns, managing member of the firm Leftwich LLC, encouraged residents to support McDuffie’s bill regulating short-term rentals in the city. The firm was retained by the hotel industry to lobby on the bill.

Ward 5 Warriors grant

The ANC gave $5,000 to the Ward 5 Warriors to support their trip to Walt Disney for the Pop Warner championship. The team lost in the first round but won a consolation game. Turns out grant money for trips outside of DC might not be authorized under law. The ANC is waiting for a ruling from the ANC Office. If it turns out the money was spent on an unauthorized purpose, then that money could be deducted from the ANC’s next allotment.

ANC 5A website

Commissioners Gordon Fletcher (5A08) and Isaiah Burroughs (5A04) will submit the final edits for ANC 5A’s website to the web designer. The ANC agreed to pay $375, half of the payment, now and tender the balance when the edits are done. If you have any recommended changes, let Commissioners Fletcher and Burroughs know. One that they should already be aware of is putting up the correct ANC 5A map. The map on the old website at anc5a.org is correct, but the map on the new site at dcanc5a.org is incorrect. Commissioner Fletcher said the site will be ready by the next ANC meeting on February 28.

Council Report by Chanell Autrey

Agency performance oversight hearings will take place February 7 through March 9. See DC Agency Performance Oversight Hearing Schedule FY 2017-2018 (pdf)

Budget hearings will take place at the end of March.

Mayor’s Office Report by Ward 5 MOCR Lionell Gaines

  • Home for the Holidays campaign: 242 residents moved into new homes
  • Vacant to Vibrant initiative: 35 sites bid on for development of workforce and affordable housing
  • ANC resolution on green space at South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road NE: Green space will be preserved and will not be developed, but it will not be transferred to DPR for a park.

Wells Fargo Divestment Campaign

The ANC continued to table taking up a resolution in support of a campaign to encourage District government to divest from Wells Fargo because of ties to the Dakota Access and Keystone pipelines, fossil fuels, predatory lending, and the prison industrial complex. We previously wrote about the campaign in this recap. Mr. Gaines noted that Councilmember Jack Evans said District officials take the issue seriously and will evaluate the contract at the appropriate time. It is the council (Committee on Finance & Revenue) that would have to take action.

Miscellaneous

David Krucoff spoke for a few minutes about his Douglass County, Maryland campaign, which advocates for retrocession of Washington, DC to Maryland.

Jeremiah Lowery is a Democratic candidate for At-large Council. He is running on a campaign of high quality affordable childcare, lower utility bills by switching to clean energy, and affordable housing.

 

 

February 5: LRCA public meeting with Mayor Bowser

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized

Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association
Public Meeting
February 5, 2018
7:00 pm

Location: LaSalle-Backus Education Campus (501 Riggs Road NE, enter on Madison Street)

Guests
Mayor Muriel Bowser
DDOT Director Jeff Marootian

Read the LRCA February 2018 newsletter

Pay dues online at http://www.lrcadc.org/join-lrca to support scholarships for neighborhood youth ($10/year for single person membership & $15/year for households of 2+ adults)

January 24: ANC 5A Monthly Meeting in New Location

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

From ANC 5A
—
Location Change

ANC 5A Montly Meeting
Wednesday, January 24, 2017
6:45 PM
Carroll Manor Skilled Nursing Home
1150 Varnum Street NE (Rear of Providence Hospital)
Washington, DC 20017

Hello ANC 5A Residents

This is a followup reminder about our upcoming Monthly Meeting.  The Meeting will be hosted in 5A03.

SPECIAL AGENDA ITEMS (in addition to regular business)

Election of Officers

Providence Hospital – “New Health Village”

Michigan Avenue/Irving Street Marriott Hotel & Convention Center  – Proposed Zoning Map Amendment

Airbnb Update and Consideration

Update – re:  Grant approved for Ward 5 Warriors

Approval of 2018  ANC Security Fund Participation & Fee

WE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US!  Please share information with your neighbors.  Bring a 5A resident to the meeting.

Tonight: ANC 4B monthly public meeting

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 4B

ANC 4B Monthly Meeting
January 22, 2018
7:00 pm
MPD 4th District Headquarters
6001 Georgia Avenue NW

At tonight’s ANC 4B meeting, commissioners will vote on a resolution pertaining to the extension of the MBT from Fort Totten metro station to Takoma. To view the recommendations from ANC 4B’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, click here.

 

Know a Budding Scientist? Tell them about this internship!

Posted by nextstoprp in Education

Know a Budding Scientist? Tell them about this internship!

Guest post by David Kosub*

Does your daughter ask to swab the inside of your cheeks just because she wants to culture the microbes living inside you? Does your grandson ask you to spit in a cup because he wants to extract DNA and sequence the family genes? Does that neighbor kid keep going on and on about the pharmacokinetics of proton pump and potassium ion channel inhibitors? Does your mom’s cousin’s hair-dresser’s dog-walker’s new temp go on and on about their Bio and Chem classes while playing with their phones? Well, read on then….

To all the budding biomedical scientists out there, this is a great opportunity for you! The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently accepting applications from area high school students for their summer internship program until March 31.

If you were like me many, many, many years ago, you fell in love with science and all the amazing things that come from it. Even after working at NIH for over a decade, I am still in awe of the amazing things that are done on its campus and through the research it supports across the country. And, because I feel so strongly about this place, I wanted to spread the word about how others can get involved—as the next generation of biomedical and behavioral scientists may be right here in Lamond-Riggs!

Though I’m not directly affiliated with the specific summer programs, I have no doubt they are likely pretty cool! You can experience directly what it means to be an actual researcher. Learn from real world-renowned scientists about their projects. Do experiments that your lab mates design. Get training on how science is done. Receive important career and college advice. Present your actual laboratory work at a poster session (these are so much fun!). And, you may get paid too!

There are a couple opportunities to consider for those interested. Please check out the High School Scientific Training and Enrichment Program (HiSTEP) and HiSTEP 2.0 programs—these are meant specifically for  Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia high school students. HiSTEP participants, though not directly working in the lab, will gain an understanding of how science, STEM professional careers, leadership experience, college advising, and personal skills intertwine. The individuals selected to be part of HiSTEP 2.0 will receive eight weeks of hands-on training in a biomedical research laboratory. While working at the NIH campus in Bethesda, you will also experience    weekly workshops devoted to improving your scientific capabilities as well as professional and personal skills. HiSTEP is focused on juniors in high school, while HiSTEP 2.0 is for seniors.

Interested? Note the following first:

  1. Watch the Applying Successfully Video
  2. Read the FAQs carefully and suggestions for creating a successful application
  3. Must be sixteen years of age or older by June 15, 2018
  4. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
  5. Application must include a resume, list of coursework and grades, cover letter expressing your interest, and two references

With the NIH basically in your backyard, this is a great opportunity for you to learn from the experts. I’m also happy to talk to any students about pursuing a career in biomedical research should you have questions.

And to my other neighbors, who too may be far, far removed from high school, I invite you to announce any similar opportunity’s available where you work too. I have no doubt that the diverse, educated, and dedicated neighbors in Lamond-Riggs will prove to be an ample asset for the next generation of leaders in our midst.

David is a newcomer to Lamond-Riggs and is looking to do what he can to enhance his community in as many ways as possible – and yes, he hugs trees too.

*If you are interested in being a contributor to Next Stop…Riggs Park, email nextstopriggs@gmail.com.

2017 Year-End Neighborhood Development Roundup

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development

Post updated 12/23/2017 to add information about the Bertie Backus Food Hub

Lots of movement on the development front in Riggs Park this year.

Art Place at Fort Totten

In September 2017, residents began moving into The Modern at Art Place, the first phase of Art Place at Fort Totten, located at 400 Galloway Street NE. On November 27, 2017, Mayor Muriel Bowser cut the ribbon to officially celebrate the opening of this development. Leasing for the 520 apartments is being done in phases. The retail portion covers about 100,000 square feet. Lots of rumors abound, but the retailers we know about for sure include X-Sport Fitness, Ramadans Pharmacy, Shining Stars Pediatric Dentist, and T-Mobile. Those will open some time after the new year.

Explore! Children’s Museum

The Explore! Children’s Museum is still slated for the second phase of Art Place at Fort Totten. There have been questions about the news that the National Children’s Museum will be opening up downtown in the Reagan Building in 2019. The Explore! Museum and the National Children’s Museum are two different children’s museums. Plans are still afoot for the Explore! museum to come to Riggs Park in the future. Earlier this year, Explore! established a partnership with National Portrait Gallery. The museum has also held well-attended, quarterly festival events in the neighborhood in Riggs Park for the past couple of years. Look for a larger festival next year.

Fort Totten Square 

Ribbon cut at Culture Coffee Too

Culture Coffee Too opened at Fort Totten Square at 300 Riggs Road NE on November 13, 2017, bringing a much needed gathering space and cultural offerings to Riggs Park. The coffee shop joins Walmart, Subway, Petco, and Five Guys to complete retail leasing for Fort Totten Square.

Fort Totten South

JBG, developer of Fort Totten Square, has teamed up with EYA for the second phase to Fort Totten Square, known as Fort Totten South. We previously wrote extensively about this project because it involved the sale of District-owned property to the development team. The council approved the sale earlier this year.

EYA has changed the design since the first iteration, which previously involved building approximately 180 back-to-back townhomes atop a podium with retail on the ground floor. The latest plan has 160 homes, with only 65 back-to-back homes atop a podium and the remainder traditional townhomes with garages. There will be fewer two-bedroom homes. The majority will be three-bedroom. Though they have reduced the number of homes, there will still be approximately 29 below-market rate homes, both two and three-bedroom.

Ground floor retail space remains at around 20,000 to 23,000 square feet. There will be underground parking for the retail and the townhomes on the platform instead of a structured garage as in the previous plan. EYA is considering two alternative color schemes, red brick and what they consider a more modern, lighter color. A small portion of the site has a residential zoning designation instead of a mixed-use zoning designation, so the developer will apply to the Board of Zoning Adjustment for a change to make the zoning designation mixed-use for the entire site.

See EYA Fort Totten South Revised Plans December 2017

 

Lamond-Riggs Library

The Lamond-Riggs Library will be completely rebuilt at its current location at 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE. The kick-off meeting was held in October 2017. A design team will be selected around April or May of 2018. A design kickoff meeting will follow in summer 2018. Library officials will hold targeted focus groups for residents. The current library is anticipated to close in fall 2019 and the interim library will open around the same time. The current timeline has the new library opening in 2021.

Be sure to visit the project website at http://dclibrary.org/newlamondriggs for up-to-date information.

Metro/Donatelli Fort Totten Joint Development Project

Donatelli/Metro joint development plan

The project to redevelop the long-term parking lot at Fort Totten metro station has been hanging around for a couple of years now, waiting for approval of a joint development agreement by Metro’s board. We wrote about the project in this post. Metro selected Donatelli for the joint development project back in 2015. The plan involves building around 345 apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail with a structured garage to replace the surface parking lot. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2018.

Metropolitan Branch Trail

We are including the extension of the Metropolitan Branch Trail from Brookland to Fort Totten in this development report because it will be a useful connection for residents from Riggs Park to points south and into downtown. In October 2017, DDOT awarded a design-build contract to Potomac Construction Company for the Fort Totten extension. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2018 and should take around one to two years to complete.

Bertie Backus Urban Food Hub

In September of this year, UDC CAUSES held an open house to introduce the Bertie Backus Urban Food Hub to the community. The food hub is located on the campus of UDC-CC Backus at 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE (off Galloway Street). The food hub has a hydroponics house, aquaponics house, compost collective, community garden, and will eventually contain a native plant nursery and commercial food kitchen. There is also potential for a farmers market, or at least possibly a farm stand by summer 2018. The open house was the start of more community engagement with the food hub, spearheaded by Cheryl Dixon and CAUSES faculty. Compost training classes and sign-ups for the community garden took place in November and December. CAUSES faculty remarked how surprised they were by the strong level of resident interest in the activities at the food hub. Next year will bring more opportunities for community participation during the growing season as well. This food hub really is an opportunity to organically build community and we look forward to watching it grow next year.

That wraps up our 2017 development report. Lots of retail to look forward to coming online in 2018. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

December 14-15: Drilling at Lamond-Riggs Library

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized

From DCPL regarding drilling at Lamond-Riggs Library to examine soil prior to rebuilding project:

Hillis-Carnes Engineering to commence the geotechnical drilling on site tomorrow.

Hillis-Carnes will have a drilling rig/truck on site after 9:30 am and they will be working through COB Friday. Hillis-Carnes will need to come back to finish the drilling and additional inspections next week. The drilling will start in the grassy area around the library building and proceed to the parking lot by Friday. Hillis-Carnes expects the drilling to produce minimal noise disturbance to the neighbors during normal business hours.

ANC 5A November 29, 2017 Meeting Recap

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized

Guest Post

Post updated

On November 29, 2017, ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting.

Commissioners present: Grace Lewis (5A02); Isaiah Burroughs (5A04); Ronnie Edwards (5A05); A. Jamaal Lampkin (5A06); Sandi Washington (5A07); Gordon-Andrew Fletcher (5A08). Commissioner Wilds (5A01) is recuperating from surgery and is doing well.

The commissioners unanimously approved the October 2017 minutes.

Police Report

PSA 405 Sergeant Scott Dowling stated that Lieutenant Ashley Rosenthal has been replaced by Lt. Todd Perkins who currently works the midnight shift. Sgt. Dowling’s crime report covered the last 60-days of activity:

Crime +/- Change over Prior Period
Robbery +1
Assault w/Deadly Weapon -4
Gun -1
Burglary -3
Property Crimes (Package Theft) -1
Theft from Auto -1

Sgt. Dowling mentioned that PSA 405’s crime statistics skew upward due to the local hospitals, which are crime hotspots. He also mentioned that the higher prevalence of crime in Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights disproportionately affects the statistics for the Fourth District.

Catholic University of America (CUA) Expansion

Catholic University Architect Margaret Carney and Catholic University General Counsel Lawrence Morris spoke next about CUA’s field expansion. Mrs. Carney explained that CUA wants to develop a playing field on its property adjacent to Bates Street NE and opposite the Fort Totten Transfer Station. The new field would incorporate a storm water management system and feature synthetic turf. Also, 130 parking spaces, additional lighting and restroom facilities are included. Lastly, the DDOT-installed gate on Bates Street NE would be moved to allow CUA traffic to access the field from Fort Totten Drive NE. However, the gate would remain to deter other traffic from accessing John McCormack Drive NE via Bates Street NE. Mr. Morris asked for an ANC 5A letter of support, which ANC 5A voted unanimously to provide.

DC Department of Public Works (DPW)

DPW Inspector Darlett Sally addressed sanitation infractions for a variety of offenses such as (1) using trashcans without lids, placing excess litter on top of trashcans, or leaving trashcans in the alley well before or after trash pickup; (2) using plastic bags (especially black) for leaf disposal; or (3) failing to notify bulk trash in advance of bulk item disposal.

In response to questions, Inspector Sally explained the Helping Hands and Sustainability DC programs. Helping Hands is a community cleanup program in which DPW provides tools and supplies – rakes, brooms, bags, gloves – for use.  The inspector provided Mr. David Williams at (202) 615-7190 and Mr. Earl Simpson at (202) 576-9004 as contacts. However, the compost delivery plan promised as part of Sustainable DC is not available yet.

DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH)

Mr. Travis Dread-Hughes cited that the DBH provides mental health and drug addiction support city-wide. According to the DBH website “The Department of Behavioral Health provides prevention, intervention and treatment services and supports for children, youth and adults with mental and/or substance use disorders including emergency psychiatric care and community-based outpatient and residential services.”

Mr. Dread-Hughes informed the audience that DBH has a network of 60 inpatient and outpatient drug and mental health treatment centers throughout the city. All can be accessed by calling a single number, (888) 793-4357, to access a 24-hour helpline. Mr. Dread-Hughes provided the contact information to each audience member. He closed by saying that we need to rise above our stigma against those who truly need help.

Mayor’s Office Report

Ward 5 MOCR Lionell Gaines covered the Mayor’s latest initiatives which follow:

  • December 9, 2017 – Explore the city’s school options (Pk3 – 12) by attending Edfest 2017 from 11:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the D.C. Armory, 2001 East Capitol Street SE.
  • December 15, 2017 – Attend the two-year anniversary celebration of the Commission on Fathers, Men and Boys from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Smith Public Trust, 3514 12th Street NE.
  • January 31, 2018 is the last day to enroll in the DC HealthLink insurance program.

Ward 5 Councilmember’s Office Report

Ms. Chanell Autrey gave the following information from Ward 5 Councilmember McDuffie’s office:

  • December 13, 2017 – Ward 5 Holiday Party at the Docks in Union Market, 1309 5th Street NE, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
  • December 30, 2017 – Legislative meeting on the disposition of Keene School (emergency legislation for DC Bilingual PCS) at Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 120 at 11:00 a.m.
  • TBD – Meeting with Riggs Plaza Tenants before end-of-year

ANC 5A website

Commissioner Fletcher (5A08) said the final website updates, including commissioner biographies, will be done by the end of the year.

Grant Request: Ward 5 Warriors

Mr. Andrew-Fletcher introduced the plight of the Ward 5 Warriors, a Pop Warner football team, to the audience. The Warriors earned a berth to playoff rounds held in Florida, but $30,000 is needed for lodging and travel. So far, the Warriors have only raised $2,500. More importantly, this sum must be raised in a few days.

To do so, the ANC commissioners unanimously agreed to waive the 14-day advance notice requirement to make the grant available. Next and after some discussion, the commissioners agreed to support a $5,000 grant if the team coaches:

  • Complete the grant application, and provide supporting documentation that lists the team members living in ward five; and if
  • Gottlieb Simon, Director of DC Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, approves this expenditure.

Community Concerns

  • Lamond-Riggs Library Friends (LRLF)

Mr. Oliver, President LRLF, discussed the following:

  • Lamond-Riggs Librarian, Liane Rosenblatt, will retire during December 2017. She led adult programming and won the prestigious Cafritz Outstanding DC Government Employee Award in 2016.
  • A vendor will drill core samples on library property during December to assess the soil conditions.
  • DCPL has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to interested architectural firms. Three finalists will be selected next year to be evaluated by a board composed of DCPL and community members.
  • Community Activists

Activists presented two proposals for ANC 5A consideration:

  • A draft resolution to divest from Bank of America. The activist noted that four ANCs have already approved it, including that covering Cleveland Park.
  • A second resolution in support of the NEAR Act was provided for ANC review and approval.

Chairman Edwards (5A05) collected the resolutions for further review and comment by the commission.

December 4: LRCA monthly public meeting

Posted by nextstoprp in Lamond Riggs Citizens Association

Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association
Public Meeting
December 4, 2017
7:00 pm

Location: LaSalle-Backus Education Campus (501 Riggs Road NE, enter on Madison Street)

Guests:

* UDC CAUSES Bertie Backus Food Hub (compost, community garden, nursery, farmers market)
* Food & Friends
* Capital Area Food Bank

Light refreshments will be served.

Pay dues online at http://www.lrcadc.org/join-lrca to support scholarships for neighborhood youth ($10/year for individuals & $15/year for households of 2+ adults)

Read the December 2017 community newsletter.

Please support the LaSalle-Backus holiday drive.

Meet Joshua, Ani, and Sol…. Our Family Trees

Posted by nextstoprp in Environment

Meet Joshua, Ani, and Sol…. Our Family Trees

Guest post by David Kosub*

David and his tree

From youngsters with trunks you easily wrap your hand around to those heritage elders with trunks that you cannot easily wrap your arms around, trees make our neighborhood colorful, diverse, breathable, cleaner, and livable. Upon moving to Lamond-Riggs, my wife and I knew one thing we wanted to give back to the community: some more native trees. Without further ado, let us introduce you to our new tree family: Joshua (Tree), Ani (Tree Franco), and Sol (Tree) – and yes, together they are the Tree Amigos.

Here, we wanted to give a big e-hug to those folks already providing our neighborhood trees a good home and encourage others to consider having one or two planted near you.

Some come from storks. Some in a basket mysteriously left on your doorstep. And other branches of joy come from the DC government’s River Smart program and the Urban Forestry group. Never heard of them before? Well, check them out!

Through River Smart, you can get various environmental improvements to your home or business, all which reduce run off into the DC waterways and eventually the Chesapeake after it rains. This means you can get native trees and other plants that love gulping down DC rain, barrels that conveniently store water coming down your downspouts for future garden use, and impervious surfaces turned into permeable ones. The best part, aside from helping the environment of course, is that the city will even pay for a part of the cost. The logic is that it is more cost-effective to protect the environment at the beginning than cleaning up the damage we cause to our shared waterways later.

The 20 types of trees you can choose from are, importantly, all native species. River birches protected with crackly bark. Red maples lovingly considered true DC swamp inhabitants. Catalpas present their heart shaped leaves and white flowers to the world. American Hollies strut their stuff with vibrant red berries in the winter set against dark green leaves. Their arboreal diversity will all add some new sensory delights to you, your home, and your neighborhood. So, what are you waiting for?!?! Take a couple of minutes and fill out an application to get a home consultation already!

What if you don’t want a tree in your yard? Or don’t have the space? But, you look out into that lonely curbside tree box on your street, stomp your feet, and say to yourself, “I like trees too, darn it!” Please consider contacting the Urban Forestry group (or make a 311 request) and they will evaluate if a street tree should be planted there. Just remember, you are responsible for watering it too, even though it’s planted on city property.

Think Lamond-Riggs should have more trees around and want to plant one yourself?

Casey Trees, a non-profit based in Brookland, regularly hosts community tree planting events across the District. Not only can you say that you helped DC meet its urban tree canopy goal and that you gave a little earthy hug to Mother Nature when planting trees, you get to use a pick axe while you’re doing it! These community events can see hundreds of trees go up in a matter of a couple hours – it’s amazing. If the community wants this, we can make a request to Casey Trees to be put on their tree planting schedule.

With winter coming, this is the perfect time to act in support of our community and the environment. These programs are popular across the District and it’ll take a few months to get the ball rolling (it’s the government after all). But that timing will put you right around the spring planting season – and voila green will come!

If you have questions or want to bark about your tree family too, then we look forward to hearing from you. But, for now, we’ll leaf you alone and get off our tree box.

David is a newcomer to Lamond-Riggs and is looking to do what he can to enhance his community in as many ways as possible – and yes, he hugs trees too.

*If you are interested in being a contributor to Next Stop…Riggs Park, email nextstopriggs@gmail.com.