On June 1, 2017, at 6:30 pm DC’s Department of Parks & Recreation, ANC 4B Commissioners Tischa Cockrell and Barbara Rogers, and the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations are hosting a meeting to discuss programming at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. If you have ideas about programming, things you would like to see at the rec center, then this meeting is for you. The meeting will take place at Riggs-LaSalle Rec (501 Riggs Road NE).
Source: ANC 5A May 2017 Meeting Notice
ANC 5A Monthly Public Meeting
May 24, 2017
6:45 pm
UDC-CC Backus (5171 South Dakota Ave. NE)
Guests This Month Include –
Additionally –
Please support the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association’s scholarship fundraiser featuring acclaimed vocalist Shirleta Settles taking place on May 20, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, at People’s Congregational UCC, located at 4704 13th Street NW.
Each year, the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association awards scholarships ranging in amount from $500 to $1000 to neighborhood youth. Last year, LRCA awarded three $1000 scholarships to neighborhood youth who are now attending Spelman College, Towson University, and University of Pittsburgh.
Really phenomenal young people living in our community. Come on out and support their pursuit of higher education. If you can’t make the concert, consider making a donation through the link.
The Washington, DC Economic Partnership has released its 2017 Neighborhood Profiles.
To view the Fort Totten/Riggs Park 2017 Neighborhood Profile Sheet, click the link: Fort Totten/Riggs Park Profile Sheet 2017 (pdf)
From ANC 5A:
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On Wednesday, May 10 at 6:45 pm, ANC 5A will hold a special meeting in regards to the Mundo Verde PCS expansion project as discussed at our regular April community meeting.
Looking to view our minutes from previous meeting? Visit our new Dropbox page where we will store the minutes and other relevant documents for the community.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8u26gmr8oeogiij/AABixakOpJXXh6enPZb_VyOBa?dl=0
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5A
Washington, DC 20017
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote last night for the new board of officers and trustees for the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association. My entire slate was successful. I look forward to serving as president of the board on behalf of this community. The new board will be sworn in at LRCA’s June meeting.
The incoming board:
President – Uchenna Evans
1st Vice President – Paul Garcia
2nd Vice President – Gwen Cofield
Treasurer – Iyanna Holmes
Financial Secretary – Sheila King
Corresponding Secretary – Vacant
Recording Secretary – Vacant
Trustees: Harrison Beacher; Lauren Boyd; Charon Hines; Linda Hodges; LaRoya Huff; Olga Naidenko; Michael Nelson; Sarah Shank; Tanya Slade; Lisa Wray
Be sure to come out for the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association meeting tonight, May 1, at 7:00 pm. Paid members will be able to vote for LRCA’s new officers. The meeting/election takes place at LaSalle Backus Education Campus, located at 501 Riggs Road NE (enter on Madison Street).
I am running to become the next LRCA president as I explained in this post. I am a part of a slate of candidates that I believe will be excellent stewards of the Association. Please vote for:
Uchenna Evans – President
Paul Garcia – 1st Vice President
Gwen Cofield – 2nd Vice President
Iyanna Holmes – Treasurer
LRCA Campaign Flyer (pdf)
Either individually or collectively, this slate of candidates is directly responsible for the following actions to ensure that the Association has systems in place to effectively ensure that the community continues to thrive:
A neighbor Susanna Murley has organized a cleanup of the area around Hellbender Brewery
Saturday, April 29, 2017
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Hellbender (5788 2nd Strett NE)
From the event page:
Please join us as we pick up the trash that has accumulated on Hellbender Hill over the winter. We will meet at Hellbender and clean from there to the corner of New Hampshire and Oglethorpe St. NE.
Bonus: Hellbender will give a free pint to the first 15 people who register!
Hydroponic garden at the Urban Food Hub at Backus Continue reading
The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association is accepting scholarship applications from eligible graduating high school students who live in the Lamond-Riggs neighborhood until May 2, 2017. For more information and to download the application packet, visit http://lrcadc.org/scholarships
My name is Uchenna and I am running to be president of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association, the neighborhood civic association. Officer elections take place on May 1, 2017. In order to vote, you must be a paid member of the civic association, so I am asking you to do two things. (1) Pay dues online at lrcadc.org/join-lrca. Only $10 for individuals, $15 for families, and $50 for corporate members. (2) Show up at the LRCA meeting on May 1 to cast a vote. The meeting takes place at 7:00 pm at Lasalle Backus Education Campus, located at 501 Riggs Road NE (enter on Madison Street).
My desire to be president really comes from the simple desire to put community first when it comes to community affairs. As I mentioned in this post, I have been a trustee of the association for the past two years. As president, I will have the platform to continue focusing on the work I’ve done in putting the community first.
First, making sure we have an informed community. I created this blog to inform the community about what was going on in the neighborhood, particularly at a time when there was not much communication from those in positions inherently entrusted with the mandate to be transparent. That’s why early on I started posting ANC 5A meeting recaps. That’s why I helped to create and maintain LRCA’s website and social media presence. These things require time, research, attending neighborhood meetings, and getting to know elected and law enforcement officials. One outgrowth of creating this blog and establishing the LRCA website is that our community has an online presence. In this digital age, it is important for our community to have an online presence so that we are defining and shaping the view of our community. And it’s important that we continue to be informed.
Second, continue participating in the civic process. One thing I have done behind the scenes over the years is submit comments, letters, and testimony related to various items affecting the neighborhood, sometimes drafted on behalf of the association and sometimes speaking solely for myself. I think it is important that residents participate in the democratic processes available to us. So that means when the Zoning Commission is considering a proposed development, or the Comprehensive Plan is being updated, or a regulated industry has proposed to take action that impacts residents, we have to become informed and we have to participate.
Third, shaping how our community evolves. The neighborhood is evolving. Major development is occurring. The library needs to be updated. We have the ability to have a constructive voice in shaping how the neighborhood continues to evolve. Everything may not be for everybody, but there really can be something for everyone. That’s why in addition to having a neighborhood wish list on the blog, I had a hand in creating a community benefits survey for residents. Our neighborhood is diverse in many ways and I think we’ve embraced that diversity fairly well. We have an opportunity to capture the history of the neighborhood because we are fortunate to have residents who have lived here for 40, 50 years. We also have an opportunity to make sure all residents feel invested enough to make sure that our community is safe, is welcoming, and has the amenities and resources to support residents across generations.
All of these things require time and work. I enjoy doing the work because I live here and I think we all have to work to have the neighborhood we want. We have all benefited from the work of residents over the years who have made positive contributions to the neighborhood. By continuing to put community first when it comes to neighborhood affairs, we can continue to benefit far into the future.
I would appreciate your vote. If you live within the boundaries of LRCA, please be sure to pay your dues online today so that you can vote in the officer election on May 1.
Thanks for reading.
Guest post
On March 22, 2017, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 5A held its monthly public meeting. This one had the highest attendance of the year. All commissioners were present.
Frank Wilds (5A01); Grace Lewis (5A02); Keisha Cofield-Lynch (5A03); Isaiah Burroughs (5A04); Ronnie Edwards (5A05); Jamaal Lampkin (5A06); Sandi Washington (5A07); Gordon-Andrew Fletcher (5A08).
Office of the Peoples Counsel
Representatives from the Office of the Peoples Counsel (OPC) encouraged the audience to attend the Pepco proposed rate increase hearing hosted by the DC Public Service Commission, located at 1325 G Street NW in Suite 800. The hearing starts at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, 2017.
Those who wish to give testimony should contact the PSC at either (202) 626-5150 or at psc–commissionsecretary@dc.gov by April 7, 2017. Also, the PCS will accept written comments for the public record until April 25, 2017.
The OPC representatives asked the commissioners for a resolution on the proposed Pepco rate increase. ANC 5A passed a motion opposing the Pepco rate increase.
See: OPC Pepco Rate Request Info (pdf)
Annie’s Ace Hardware
Mr. Thomas Vedrody introduced himself and Annie’s Ace Hardware to the audience. Mr. Vedrody manages the Annie’s Ace Hardware store located at 3405 8th Street NE. The store is a DC Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) that is locally owned and operated. Furthermore, the staff consists of local residents.
The commissioners provided Mr. Vedrody with the opportunity to address the community as an effort to showcase our neighborhood CBEs.
Ward 5 City Council Update
Mr. Ronan Gulstone, Chief of Staff to Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, addressed the following with the audience:
EYA Presentation
EYA presented on the latest modifications to the 12th and Allison Street project (St. Josephites development). Some of the modifications include:
Commissioner Cofield-Lynch (5A03), the commissioner for the SMD in which the project sits, moved to support the project. The commissioners voted to approve the project with one commissioner abstaining. Several residents in attendance objected to the commission’s decision to take the vote, stating that at least three of the commissioners were new and Commissioner Lampkin (5A06) explicitly requested more time to review the project because he was not familiar with the details of the project. Commissioner Edwards (5A05) said ANC 5A has followed this project carefully over the past two years and that he personally reviewed all of the comments received. He said a majority of the comments are in favor of the project and that based on the evidence, the decision to take the vote was appropriate.
Cafritz Presentation
Mr. Mark Regulinski of the Cafritz Foundation discussed the Art Place at Fort Totten project. Mr. Regulinski said the facility will be available for build out by its retail tenants by mid-April or May 2017. There will be 520 residential units, with 141 units designated as affordable. Over 500 parking spaces will be available, around 264 for residential units and the remainder for retail.
Long-standing issues were raised by residents concerning the affordable units, parking, and a memorandum of understanding to govern relocation and tenancy of the legacy Riggs Plaza apartments tenants. Commissioner Fletcher (5A08) promised to host a meeting in April to address these and other issues.
ANC 5A Business
The following business was conducted:
Mayor’s Office
Mr. Lionell Gaines, Ward 5 MOCR, reported that the Mayor will submit legislation to establish a Green Bank. According to the DC Department of Energy website, “Green Banks are innovative policy tools that seek to expand renewable energy, lower energy costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create green jobs.”
Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association Public Meeting
April 3, 2017
7:00 pm
Location: LaSalle Backus EC (501 Riggs Rd. NE, enter on Madison St.)
Guest speaker: Lou Durden, VP of Busines Development for Fresh Communities Holding Corporation, to discuss agricultural tech at UDC-CC Backus and possible neighborhood farmers market
Tickets will be on sale for LRCA’s Spring Scholarship Fundraiser $30/person or purchase tickets online at http://bit.ly/2nwCD1p
Pay dues in order to vote in LRCA officer election in May 2017
Culture Coffee Too owner Veronica Cooper (aka Ms. V) at Culture Coffee in Brightwood Park
This summer Culture Coffee is opening a second location, Coffee Culture Too, in Riggs Park at Fort Totten Square. Culture Coffee is a neighborhood coffee house that combines coffee and culture, hosting open mic nights, live music, and artist exhibits. We caught up with Culture Coffee Too owner Veronica Cooper at the original Culture Coffee, which she opened with her business partner on Kennedy Street NW in Brightwood Park in 2013.
Ms. Cooper (known as “Ms. V” to her regulars) anticipates holding grand opening events for Culture Coffee Too the week of July 10 through July 16, 2017, with a soft opening before then. A retired dressmaker, an accountant, a certified barista, Ms. Cooper hopes that Culture Coffee Too will be a community gathering spot for everyone. She will host sewing and arts and crafts classes for girls and looks forward to welcoming the neighborhood’s senior residents to Culture Coffee Too for activities as well. In addition to hosting art exhibits, Ms. Cooper wants to establish a jazz program for the new location, featuring jazz events on a weekly or monthly basis. The space will also be available to host meetings and private rentals.
Culture Coffee Too will serve coffee, tea, smoothies, wine, beer, coffee cocktails, pastries, and sandwiches. There will be outdoor seating. Some details, such as operating hours, may be adjusted over time. The coffee shop could be open as early as 6:00 or 6:30 am and as late as 10:00 or 11:00 pm depending on the pace of business.
We look forward to supporting a small, locally-owned business that will provide a true neighborhood gathering spot for coffee, culture, and conversation in Riggs Park. Culture Coffee Too will be located on the corner of 3rd Street and Riggs Road NE, occupying the last available retail space at Fort Totten Square. Stay tuned for the soft opening date and grand opening events.
