Author Archives: nextstoprp

Tax assessment tips

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized
Assessment change map

Assessment change map

On March 24, 2015, DC’s Office of Tax and Revenue and DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson hosted a real property tax town hall meeting. The meeting was scheduled because Riggs Park is one of the neighborhoods that has seen a large increase in assessed values. Both DC OTR and  Mendelson handed out documents (DC OTR Real Property Taxes Fact Sheet (pdf); DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson Tax Assessment Town Hall (pdf)). Below are some tips pulled from Mendelson’s handout.

  • To dispute the assessment of your real property you must file a first level administrative appeal.
  • April 1st is the absolute deadline for filing first level administrative appeals. Hand deliver to be sure it is received on time, or by certified mail to have proof of the postmark, or fax it and follow-up with a phone call to the assessor (whose number is on your assessment notice).
  • For best results, conduct your first level administrative appeal in person. Telephone is next best. You will better  understand how to challenge the assessment by talking to the assessor.
  • Verify your property data (e.g. use code, number of bedrooms, type of structure, billing data, and property class, etc). If possible get this information from your assessor before filing your appeal.
  • Most appeals are based on “equalization”- that comparable properties are assessed equally. Look for three properties  similar to yours- and near yours- that are assessed lower than you.
  • Take advantage of tax relief programs: Homestead deduction, senior citizen property tax relief, historic properties program, lower income homeownership tax abatement, first-time homebuyer  individual  income tax credit, senior citizen property tax deferral, schedule H/individual income property tax credit, etc.
  • The tax rate for homeowners remains 85¢ and the homestead deduction is $71,400 this year. Taxes did not increase more than 10%.

Neighborhood development roundup: We still have questions

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten, Fort Totten Metro Development, Fort Totten Square, Neighborhood Development, North Michigan PArk, The Hampshires

With the announcement of WMATA’s selection of a joint developer for the park-and-ride lot at Fort Totten metro station, now is a good time to look at the state of development in the neighborhood. Even as the first major development nears completion, questions remain about how retail will ultimately shape up for the neighborhood.

1. Fort Totten Square

Fort Totten Square Phase I with potential Phase II rendering

Fort Totten Square Phase I with potential Phase II rendering

Developer: JBG & Lowe Enterprises

Location: Riggs Road between 3rd Street and Chillum Place NE

Expected delivery: Mid- to late-2015

  • Mixed use development anchored by 117,000 square foot Walmart
  • 10,000 square feet of ancillary ground floor retail
  • 345 rental apartments

Fort Totten Square emerged the winner to be the first major development in the neighborhood. The Walmart anchor will be joined by Subway and Five Guys. There are two other retail spaces that have not been leased. Residential leasing personnel are being hired for the luxury apartments, so this development will be ready to accept residents without all of the pieces to the retail puzzle in place. Early in the development process, the developers indicated they were hoping to sign a coffee shop or a sit-down restaurant to the development. We cannot give the odds on either of those happening at this point.

In addition, talks are said to have begun again between District officials and the developers for sale of District owned land across the street from Fort Totten Square in order to build a second phase to the development. The developers provided an initial concept plan for the mixed use development for the second phase with less housing and more retail. We cannot say with any certainty though what will happen with the negotiations or the concept plan.

First to deliver, Fort Totten Square still leaves questions about what type of retail and amenities we can expect for the neighborhood in the near future.

2. Art Place at Fort Totten (Building A)

Art Place at Fort Totten Building A

Art Place at Fort Totten Building A

Developer: Cafritz Enterprises

Location: South Dakota Avenue between Galloway Street and Kennedy Street NE

Expected delivery: 2017 (though construction is undoubtedly behind schedule)

  • Mixed use development
  • Over 100,000 square feet of retail
  • 520 rental apartments

Art Place at Fort Totten is a multi-phase planned unit development (PUD).  The only tenant we know about for the first phase (Building A) is X-Sport Fitness. We are pumped about potentially having a gym in the neighborhood, but we are really interested in knowing what other anchor retailers are being targeted for Building A. The development team indicated early on that Building A would be constructed with the potential to locate three restaurants there. We also know the building will also have space for an ANC office and a daycare center.

At the ANC 5A08 SMD meeting on March 18, we learned that negotiations are taking place to have the children’s museum occupy the warehouses located at 5458-5462 3rd Street NE, rather than in Building B of Art Place as originally envisioned by the development team.

We will have to wait and see what happens with this development. The development team has long said they will be looking at the effect of Walmart’s opening on the retail landscape for the neighborhood, so they cannot provide any updates on future phases of the development. We still have questions about Building A though that also cannot be answered at this time.

3. WMATA/Donatelli Fort Totten Joint Development

Developer: Donatelli Development

Location: Existing park-and-ride lot on 1st Place NE

Expected construction start date: 2017

  • Mixed use development
  • 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail
  • 345 rental apartments
Donatelli bid

Donatelli bid

WMATA is up to its usual MO with the joint development of the park-and-ride lot at Fort Totten metro station. There were two proposals for the joint development. WMATA initially indicated they would make both proposals public. They presented the two concepts to ANC 5A’s commissioners (Fort Totten – Presentation to ANC 5A (Feb 11-2015)), but did not present at an ANC meeting. WMATA ultimately selected Donatelli.

We know the other bid was submitted by Jair Lynch.  That proposal was more arts-focused to piggyback on the concept of the Arts Place development. However, that bid proposed fewer apartments than the Donatelli bid (302 versus 345).

Jair Lynch bid

Jair Lynch bid

We have long had the sense that WMATA is not too concerned about placemaking in its development projects, despite the inclusion of a placemaking element in the RFP.

Given that there has always had long been vacant ground floor retail space at Aventine Fort Totten (another WMATA joint development project at Fort Totten), we definitely have questions about the type of retail Donatelli anticipates bringing to this project.

Residential Development

The uneven retail landscape is interesting give the huge interest from homebuyers in the neighborhood. Median home sale prices have increased and homes have sold more quickly. The Hampshires, a subdivision of detached single family homes and townhomes by Comstock Homes, has attracted a lot of interest. A PUD application was recently submitted for the Totten Mews, another project of Comstock Homes, in nearby North Michigan Park. Several newly constructed homes by independent developers have also popped up in the neighborhood.

It is clear that many people love what the neighborhood has to offer: large open park space, relatively affordable homes with outdoor space, close proximity to a major metro line and downtown, low crime, civic-minded neighbors. Newer homebuyers are certainly attracted to the potential development coming to this established neighborhood. The small area plan identifies even more potential development sites. As we can see from development in the pipeline though, the state of retail for the neighborhood remains a big question mark.

More on MBT extension (on tonight’s ANC 5A meeting agenda)

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with
MBT proposed extension map

MBT proposed extension map

If you did not make it to the open house for the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) extension, there will be another chance to learn about the proposed design from DDOT at ANC 5A’s public meeting on March 25. Information about the trail is available on the project website. The WashCycle also has a nice post about the extension.

The new section will run from Brookland to Takoma, so that means that our neighborhood will finally be connected to the existing off-street trail. The new section will run along the railroad tracks from Bates Road to Fort Totten metro station, then along First Place NE, Riggs Road NE, First Street NE, and Blair Road NW. There will also be a new sidewalk on 1st Place NE by the metro station, which is a nice bonus.

The trail experience for the new section will be a bit different from the existing off-street trail because the new section will traverse three major intersections (Riggs Road, New Hampshire Avenue, and Kansas Avenue) and will not run completely alongside the train tracks as the existing off-street trail mostly does.  But, we love that progress is happening to finish the trail.

The proposed design is just a preliminary design. The final design is anticipated to be complete in 2016 and optimistically construction will begin in 2017. Comments may be sent to jim.sebastian@dc.gov.

If you support the trail or have questions, please consider coming out to ANC 5A’s meeting tonight (March 25) at 6:45 pm at UDC-CC’s Backus campus.

 

March 24: Property tax town hall meeting 6:00 pm tonight at Lamond Riggs Library

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized and tagged with

Tonight at 6:00 pm at Lamond Riggs Library (5401 South Dakota Avenue NE), DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson and DC’s Office of Tax and Revenue are hosting the final meeting in a series of town hall meetings on property tax assessments.

From the press release:

Chairman Mendelson will hold four Tax Town Hall Meetings that will focus on the District’s recently announced real property tax assessments. Chairman Mendelson will be joined at each of the workshops by representatives from the District’s Office of Tax and Revenue. “We are focusing our attention in the neighborhoods that have seen significant changes in their assessments over the previous year” said Chairman Mendelson. This year’s workshops will mark the eleventh consecutive year that Mendelson has held such meetings for the benefit of residents.

March 21 & 23: Learn about the proposed Fort Totten extension to the MBT

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with

Two opportunities are coming up to learn about the Fort Totten extension to the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) and give feedback.  Design is underway to extend the MBT from Brookland to Takoma.  The new section will run along the railroad tracks from Bates Road to Fort Totten metro station, then along First Place NE, Riggs Road NE, First Street NE, and Blair Road NW.

1. March 21, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm DDOT and ANC 4B are hosting a public open house on the extension.

Location: MPD 4th District Headquarters (6001 Georgia Ave NW)

2. March 23, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm DDOT and ANC 4B team up again before ANC 4B’s regular public meeting to give the public a chance to view the plans.

Location: MPD 4th District Headquarters (6001 Georgia Ave NW)

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) is also hosting an informal happy hour on March 19 at Simple Bar & Grill in Brightwood to build community support for the extension.  RSVP here.

More information about the MBT and the proposed design is available on the MBT website. Comments and requests for information may be directed to jim.sebastian@dc.gov.

Donatelli selected for Fort Totten joint development

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Metro Development and tagged with ,

Update 3/13/2015: Post updated with photos

Update 3/11/2015: The Washington Business Journal published an article with renderings.

Original post

WMATA (Metro) announced yesterday afternoon that Donatelli Development has been selected to develop the park-and-ride lot at Fort Totten metro station. The proposed development will have 345 residential units and 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail and will be designed to achieve at least LEED Silver certification. The existing 422 parking spaces will be replaced in the new development. If the project receives final approval from Metro’s Board of Directors, construction is anticipated to begin in 2017.

We have not seen any renderings of the proposed development (see update at top of post). At ANC 5A’s February meeting, commissioners reported that they received an update from Metro that a selection was pending and that Metro would encourage the selected developer to present its plan to residents and solicit feedback. One commissioner stated her top concern is retail. We too are interested in potential retail, but we are really interested in the design as well. As we can see from the still vacant ground floor retail space at Aventine at Fort Totten (also a Metro joint development), design and retail success go hand in hand.

This proposed development follows large-scale neighborhood developments in progress, Fort Totten Square (scheduled for completion this year) and the first phase of Art Place at Fort Totten (anticipated 2017 completion).

More townhomes planned near Fort Totten

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development

DC Urbanturf has the story on Totten Mews, new townhomes proposed for North Michigan Park near Fort Totten metro station. Comstock Homes filed a planned unit development (PUD) application earlier this week for 40 new townhomes, each with three bedrooms and one garage. An additional 17 surface parking spaces and a playground area are planned for the development, which will sit next to the Emerson Park development and the Capital Area Food Bank. Part of the site is zoned for industrial use and was previously used for long-term outdoor storage. Comstock is seeking approval for the PUD as well as a zoning map amendment to R-4 for residential use.

We took a look at the PUD application (case # 15-04) for a few more details. The land was purchased from the previous owner who had received PUD approval to build in 2007. That approval lapsed in 2009. Comstock’s plans are similar, but the developer says this proposed development has a better layout and better treatments.

Comstock plans to set aside four homes as inclusionary homes, two for low-income households (up to 50% of the AMI) and two for moderate-income households (up to 80% of the AMI). They are proffering an additional home for eligible moderate income household.

All PUDs must contain a community benefits component. According to the PUD application, the major benefit of this development is turning historically unused land into attractive residential use near a major metro station. The developer plans to use masonry and cementitious siding treatment for the homes, sustainable features, and carriage style garage doors. Extensive landscaping is planned for the site as well as certain improvements to aid walkability. The PUD application states the developer is  also working with ANC 5A and property owners on a package of “in-kind and financial contributions to benefit the immediate neighborhood and surrounding residents of ward 5.”

Comstock is not new to building near Fort Totten. The company developed The Hampshires, an attractive subdivision of detached single family homes and townhomes, located near 3rd Street and New Hampshire Avenue NE.

Lowe’s gives to Lamond area charter school

Posted by nextstoprp in Education and tagged with

According to the Washington Business Journal permit report, Imagine Public Charter School received a grant from Lowe’s Home Improvement to replace playground equipment:

6200 Kansas Ave. NE: Lowe’s Home Improvement (NASDAQ: LOW) has yet to open at Dakota Crossing, but its entry to the District is already benefitting some D.C. residents. The playground equipment on the Imagine Public Charter School Lamond Campus will be replaced in-kind, thanks to a grant from the District and Lowe’s.

Ward 5 Construction Job Fair

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized and tagged with , ,
Banner

Councilmember McDuffie and the Department of Employment Services

Invite you to a

Job Fair: Ward 5 Construction Projects

Job Fair

Pre-Screening Date:  Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Time:  10 AM, 1 PM or 3 PM

Location: American Job Center at Bertie Backus

5171 South Dakota Avenue, NE

RSVP required by Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 5 PM:

http://ward5constructionpreemploymenteventbertiebackus.eventbrite.com

Questions? Please click the link above to learn more about the pre-screening process.

DOES

March 23: Save the date for special election for ANC 4B08

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 4B, Ward 4 and tagged with

Three candidates are vying for the vacant ANC 4B08 seat: Christopher Gabris, Ebonie A. Purvis, and Barbara Rogers. ANC 4B office assistant Jim Irwin provided the following information about the ANC 4B08 special election:

At its public meeting on Monday, February 23, 2015, ANC 4B announced a special election to fill the vacant seat in ANC 4B08.  The special election will be held at the Commission’s public meeting on Monday, March 23, 2015.  The meeting will be held in the community meeting room, MPD 4D headquarters, 6001 Georgia Avenue N.W.

The election will begin at 7:15 PM and the polls will close at 8:45 PM.  Only registered voters who are residents of single-member district 4B08 will be eligible to vote.  To see a map with ANC 4B’s single-member district boundaries, click on this link. If you are not sure if you reside in ANC 4B08, please click here.

Click here to view the resolution adopted  by the Commission regarding the special election and the election procedures approved by the Commission

If you have any questions, contact Jim Irwin at the phone number below between 1 PM and 5 PM Monday-Thursday or send an email to office@anc4b.info.

Impressions of LRCA Ward 4 Council Forum

Posted by nextstoprp in Ward 4 and tagged with

Note: The views expressed below are my own and do not reflect the views of any organization with which I am affiliated, including the LRCA.

Ward 4 council special election forum March 2, 2015

On March 2, 2015, the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association hosted a forum for candidates hoping to represent ward four on the DC council. The forum, moderated by Washington Post columnist Colby King, was well-attended. Most of the candidates appeared: Acqunetta Anderson, Leon T. Andrews, Jr., Ronald Austin, Renée Bowser, Gwenellen Corley-Bowman, Judi Jones, Edwin Powell, Douglass Sloan, Bobvala Tengen, Brandon Todd, and Dwayne Toliver.

The forum started with opening statements by each candidate followed by a bit of trivia. Questions such as how many recreation centers, libraries, and middle schools are in ward seemed to stump many of the candidates.

The atmosphere was lively, but collegial for the most part. At one point, Renée Bowser asserted that developers were funding the campaign of Brandon Todd, to which Todd quickly replied that his campaign is actually being funded by the residents of ward four. In fact, Bowser seemed to be the only candidate willing to challenge Todd, the presumed frontrunner.

Some of the recurring topics of discussion were affordable housing, aging in place, education with a particular focus on getting a standalone middle school in the ward, and responsible development. There did not seem to be too much disagreement on these issues. With so many candidates, getting into the nuances that distinguish one from another was a challenge. A few candidates stood out just for their ability to concisely deliver their thoughts on particular topics.

One moment that could have been interesting occurred when the candidates were asked if they could have one do-over, what would it be. That question is akin to the interview question we all get asked during job interviews: “What is your biggest weakness?” A candidate can be thoughtful and introspective, but we know generally, job candidates have learned to answer this question without saying anything that would get them tossed from consideration. Such was the case at the forum. Answers ranged from pursuing a different graduate degree to purchasing real estate sooner to having a family at an earlier age. I am sure the candidates thought they were giving truthful, thoughtful answers, but I wonder if the candidates would have different answers now that the question has been posed.

If it seems as if I did not have too many lasting impressions about each candidate, that is mostly true. Generally, I think this forum was a good introduction to the candidates, an opportunity to put face and voice to all of the names as the campaign season starts to take off. It was a chance for the candidates to make a first impression and figure out how they want to navigate in a field of so many candidates with a compressed campaign schedule. One refreshing aspect was that almost all of the candidates seemed to have really good intentions in running for office and really seemed to care about the District.

You can find a one-stop source for most of the candidates on the Ward 4 Candidates Information website, which is not affiliated with any particular campaign. The site lists biographies and campaign website information as well as a calendar of events for various candidates. Questions may also be submitted through that site for consideration by the candidates.

Early voting beings April 18. Special election day is April 28.

February 25 ANC 5A Meeting Wrapup

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

The February 25, 2015, ANC 5A meeting was a long one.

  • ANC business
  • Police report
  • Verizon
  • ANC Budget
  • Potomac Charter presentation
  • Transition plan for CAPCS

The commission voted to approve the 2015 budget pending certain changes and agreed to post the budget to its website.

Police report

The commission decided to combine the PSA 405 meeting with the ANC meeting because people rarely attend PSA meetings. Lieutenant Michelle Ridlehoover attended with Officer Lucas. Lt. Ridlehoover mentioned the crew-related homicide on 12th Street and Emerson Street NE, but did not share too much information because the shooting was not random and involved suspects known to Fourth District police.

The officers also shared news of the new marijuana law in effect in the District. They did not pretend to know all of the nuances of the law and we will not either, but the big things to know from Lt. Ridlehoover: no retail buying or selling, no smoking in public, and definitely no smoking on federal property.  That includes Fort Totten and Fort Circle Parks.

One interesting point the officers raised when discussing burglaries in Brookland is that property managers of multi-unit buildings can share keys with officers so that they can patrol the building if there is concern about an outbreak in crime.

Verizon report

Mario Acosta-Velez, Director of Government Affairs for Verizon, attended to address the widespread phone outage that occurred in late 2014. He also shared that Verizon is in the middle of its 10 year, three-phase FIOS deployment plan. Deployment is based on central office service area. This neighborhood is served by the Brookland central office, with deployment scheduled for the final phase to be completed by 2019. He also noted that multi-unit buildings require a separate agreement. Even after FIOS service is deployed to an area, a resident in a multi-unit building cannot call Verizon for FIOS service unless that building has a FIOS agreement with Verizon. If residents have any issues they would like Verizon to address, he can assist at (202) 515-2580.

Introduction of Director of African-American Affairs

Rahman Branch, the newly appointed Director of African-American Affairs, introduced himself to the community. Branch is a former principal of Ballou High School. He shared that the purpose of this newly created office is to advocate on behalf of concerns of African-American residents in the District.  He highlighted the mayor’s budget transparency initiative, inviting residents to participate in the budget engagement forums.

Potomac Preparatory Public Charter School

Melody Giles, Parent Engagement Events Coordinator for Potomac Preparatory Public Charter School (4401 8th Street NE), invited commissioners to the school as part of the conditions for the school to obtain its new charter.  Giles shared that the school (formerly Potomac Lighthouse) has new management and changed its curriculum from arts and fusion to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math).

Report from Councilmember McDuffie’s Office

Councilmember McDuffie recently hired another constituent services coordinator, Wesley Dawson. For any concerns, he can be reached at (202) 727-8274 or wdawson@dccouncil.us.

Councilmember McDuffie’s Deputy Chief of Staff Ronan Gulstone shared a number of opportunities to testify before the council regarding metro safety issues.  Find out more on the councilmember’s website.

Gulstone also shared the transition plan for the Dorothy I Height Community Academy Public Charter School (CAPCS), which had its charter revoked by the DC Public Charter School Board. CAPCS has four schools, one located at 33 Riggs Road NE (Keene campus). According to a letter from the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME), DC Bilingual Public Charter School will relocate to the Keene campus and accept a limited number of Keene students. That announcement set off a protracted discussion of the District’s process for handling traditional public school buildings and charter schools and the perceived lack of communication to or consideration for the affected ANC. Commissioner Sandi Washington noted DC Bilingual was one of the charter schools vying for the Mamie D. Lee school building (110 Gallatin Street NE), which was awarded by the outgoing DME to Bridges and Briya Public Charter School in December 2014. ANC 5A formally opposed that selection. Gulstone stated Councilmember McDuffie has worked with the commission to have its concerns articulated to the DME.

Miscellaneous items

Arcadia Food will have a mobile market at Providence Hospital every Friday, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, during the months of May to October to provide healthy food for residents at an affordable price.

The commissioners briefly mentioned that WMATA presented on the joint development proposal for the park-and-ride lot at Fort Totten metro station at ANC 5A’s executive committee meeting. Two proposals were submitted for the joint development; a developer will be selected soon.

March 21: Save the date for public open house on the MBT

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with

We anticipate there will be a meeting in ANC 5A, but in the meantime save the date for March 21 in ANC 4B.  The meeting will be open to everyone.

A message from the MBT Facebook page:

DDOT and ANC4B will host a public open house on Saturday, March 21 to discuss the preliminary design trail from Ft. Totten to Takoma. 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the 4th District police station at Georgia and Peabody, NW. More details to come.

 

Update on Fort Totten section of the MBT

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with

WashCycle provides an update on the Fort Totten section of the MBT:

DDOT is planning to have a public meeting some time this spring at which they will present the preliminary design of the Metropolitan Branch Trail’s Fort Totten Section. This is the section in the Takoma and Brookland neighborhoods, from Bates Road at the trash transfer station to the Maryland boundary at Eastern Avenue. They hope to have a draft 30% design completed by this summer and a final version of that completed by the end of the year. That would allow for a final design to be funded in FY 2016 and construction in 2017.

Speaking of clearing sidewalks

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation

Developers are not the only offenders when it comes to not clearing sidewalks after wintry weather.  District government tends to be a big offender.  See this picture we took on Monday evening of the sidewalk in front of the DOES building on Hamilton Street.

Hamilton Street sidewalk in front of DOES building

Hamilton Street sidewalk in front of DOES building

Around the corner on South Dakota Avenue, the sidewalk has been cleared in front of UDC-CC, but for some strange reason, the sidewalk on Hamilton is a problem.

Absentee property owners are also offenders.  There is a corner house being renovated on Hamilton Street and the owner never clears the sidewalk. Further up Hamilton Street is a group house with one diligent tenant who clears the walk when he is around, but if he is not, the others in the house do not do so. It might be too much to ask neighbors to clear the sidewalk for an absentee owner, but maybe that is the neighborly thing to do.

Generally though, people have been pretty good about clearing the sidewalks and helping each other out.