Author Archives: nextstoprp

Street closures around Art Place coming soon – Plan accordingly

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

Street detour signs for Galloway, Hamilton, and 4th Street NE surrounding Art Place at Fort Totten are now up.  Road and alley closure signs and barriers are visible behind the chain link fence.  Plan accordingly.

  • Hamilton Street will be closed between South Dakota Avenue and 4th Street.  Pedestrians who are used to taking Hamilton to the metro station should plan to take Galloway Street.  Drivers will not be able to turn west onto Hamilton from South Dakota.  Galloway is the detour route.  Residents in the 500 & 600 blocks of Hamilton initially might see more traffic as drivers also detour east onto Hamilton.
  • 4th Street between Galloway & Hamilton will be closed to traffic.  Drivers can instead detour through the alley behind Aventine Fort Totten.
  • Drivers who are used to parking along Galloway, Hamilton, and 4th Street should make alternate plans.
  • Drivers who are accustomed to using Galloway and Hamilton as shortcuts to travel west of South Dakota probably will be better off avoiding the area altogether and taking Riggs Road instead.

The impending street closures are a good sign that construction is in fact finally starting.  According to Elevation DC, at last month’s Bisnow development event Jane Cafritz indicated construction would start this month.  She has been marketing the project heavily in recent weeks.  Construction is expected to take 30 months.

 

 

Draft moveDC plan released

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized

Remember attending all of those open houses for moveDC?  DDOT has released its draft moveDC plan.  An online survey is available and feedback on the draft plan will be accepted until July 6, 2014.

It is worth taking the time to look at the plan, which has laudable policy goals and big-ticket items that will affect how people travel throughout the city.  This post focuses on the items specific to the neighborhood.

Bicycle Element

The plan lists a number of bicycle elements relevant to the neighborhood.

  • Completion of the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT)
  • Cycle tracks on Missouri Avenue NW, New Hampshire Avenue NW, and South Dakota Avenue NE
  • Bicycle connection between Brookland and Columbia Heights
  • Completion of Prince George’s Connector from Gallatin Street NE to the Prince George’s County Line
  • The plan sets a goal that 75% of DC residents and 90% of DC employees be located within a quarter-mile of a CaBi station
  • Fort Totten metro station is listed as one area in which DDOT should concentrate to improve accommodations for bicyclists

However, in terms of priority, completion of the MBT from Fort Totten to the Maryland line is listed as Tier 1, while the Prince George’s Connector and South Dakota Avenue project are Tier 3.  The plan states prioritization is based on community/stakeholder support, existing commitments, and ensuring that investments are distributed across the city in service of current and future residents.

Transit Element

High-frequency bus service connecting Fort Totten and Friendship Heights is listed as a Tier 2 priority. Most of the Tier 1 priorites involve the streetcar.  The Takoma/Silver Spring line is listed as a Tier 2 priority.

Vehicular Element

New street crossings north of the Fort Totten tracks (Longfellow Street NE between 1st Street NE and 3rd Street NE; Sligo Mill Road between Oglethorpe Road NW and Chillum Place NE) are Tier 3 & 4 priorities, respectively.

Other elements include transportation demand management; parking and curbside management; and sustainability and livability.  Visit the moveDC site to read about all of the elements and the policy and implementation frameworks.  Comment by July 6, 2014.

June 10: Surplus hearing on Fort Totten Square south site property

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Square and tagged with ,

 

City-owned parcel subject of surplus hearing on SE corner of Riggs Rd & South Dakota Ave NE

City-owned parcel subject of surplus hearing on SE corner of Riggs Rd & South Dakota Ave NE

The mayor’s office is holding a public hearing to designate city-owned land on the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE surplus property in order to be sold to the Fort Totten Square developers for the second phase of the development.  Phase one of the development is well underway on the north side of Riggs.  The mayor’s office is required to solicit comments on designating the property “surplus,” which means that the land is not required for a public purpose.  The hearing will take place on Tuesday, June 10, 2014, at Riggs-Lasalle Recreation Center at 6:30 pm.

The mayor’s office will hold this public hearing and then present a package with a land disposition agreement to the council for the council’s approval.  The council will then hold its own hearing before deciding whether to declare the property surplus and approve the sale of the land.

The parcel, which is sometimes referred to as the Fort Totten Square south site, was the subject of a 2006 council resolution that provided for the sale of the land to Lowe Enterprise.  Lowe, which at that time was the sole developer of Fort Totten Square, owns a parcel adjacent to the city property and sought the city-owned land to make a more viable development.  The 2006 resolution provided for a number of conditions to the sale including:

  • The developer will develop a mixed-use project in accordance with a master plan.
  • The Mayor will retain design review over the master plan
  • The developer and the Mayor will agree to a profit participation program
  • The developer will abide by a First Source Agreement and execute an LSBDE MOU to contract with local, small businesses for at least 50% of the pre-construction and construction on the project
  • The developer will provide no less than 20% affordable units: 10% affordable to households earning 80% AMI or less; 5% to households earning 60% AMI or less, and 5% to households earning 30% AMI or less.

The sale was delayed by DDOT’s reconfiguration of the intersection.  In the interim, Lowe teamed up with JBG to develop Fort Totten Square and now the city is once again negotiating with the developers over the sale of the land.  If you have thoughts about the surplus designation, let the mayor’s office know at the June 10th hearing.  The record will be kept open for a period of time after the hearing for people to submit written comments.

Hearing notice

Hearing notice

Gym for Art Place at Fort Totten?

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

XSportsFitness has listed a location coming soon to Fort Totten, specifically at South Dakota Avenue & Galloway Street NE.  That of course is the location of the Art Place at Fort Totten development.  The website states that in addition to cardio equipment, the gym will offer a number of amenities such as group fitness classes, pool/whirlpool, sauna, basketball court, personal fitness training, tanning salon, and children’s play area. 

We know that the brokers for Art Place have been targeting a gym (the team has publicly stated interest in a gym and a gym has been pictured in all of the renderings).  We have seen businesses prematurely announce upcoming locations on their websites in the past only to backtrack (here’s looking at Carolina Kitchen/TKO Burger), but we are still posting this here since it is on the company’s website and the representative we spoke to on the phone confirmed that they are in the beginning stages of opening a gym in that location.  One more item to check off our neighborhood wishlist!

Art on 8th Summer Festivities

Posted by nextstoprp in Arts and tagged with

Art on 8th festivities have started for the summer.  Art on 8th is a co-presentation of Dance Place and Monroe Street Market, offering free arts events on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from May to October.  The festivities take place at venues close to the Brookland metro station, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the neighborhood.  Check out the free events for May and the rest of the summer.  Live jazz, a dance jam, and arts & crafts are on tap for this week.

ANC 5A meeting wrapup

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized

Guest post

On April 23, 2014, ANC 5A held its monthly community meeting at the Backus Campus of UDC’s Community College. The meeting included information on the following topics.

Auto-Related Crime Has Increased

MPD Officer Lucas reported on police activity in the Fourth District.  Year-to-date, there have been dramatic increases in the number of stolen autos and the number of incidents of theft from autos.

Officer Lucas reminded us of the steps that each of us can take to avoid becoming a victim of auto-related crimes. (Click here and here for auto crime-prevention tips.)

New Trash/Recycling Receptacles

Call 311 to arrange pickup of your old, unwanted trash and recycling receptacles

2015 Budget

The DC budget cycle for FY 2015 is in-progress, so public hearings on the budget are being conducted. This website has the 11-page public hearing schedule for DC’s “Fiscal Year 2015 Proposed Budget and Financial Plan.”

Bike Lanes

Commissioner Edwards said that DDOT is moving ahead with its plans for bike lanes this year. (See this list of “2014 Planned Bikeways” and this link for a map of those bikeways). These plans include bike lanes on Harewood Road between Michigan Avenue and Taylor Street, and on Fort Totten Drive between Bates Road and Rock Creek Church Road. If you need more information on the bike lanes or have comments, contact DDOT Bicycle Program Specialist Mike Goodno at mike.goodno@dc.gov or (202) 671-0681.

National Park Service Options; Comments Due May 2nd

The Commissioners passed a resolution in support of a direct path between Gallatin and Galloway Street, the option that the community agreed upon at the recent SMD 5A08 meeting on improvements to the NPS paths between Gallatin and Galloway Streets. Contact Commissioner Alston about wording of the resolution. Remember comments are due May 2nd on the project’s website.

New Charter School to Open on AFRH Campus This Fall

Golnar Abedin, Ph.D., is Executive Director/Principal of the Creative Minds International Public Charter School, currently located at 3224 16th Street NW in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

Dr. Abedin said that this fall, the school will open an additional facility, for pre-school through 5th-grade students, on the campus of the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH; aka the Old Soldiers’ Home).

After Dr. Abedin described the School’s programs and admissions policies, the ANC 5A Commission voted to pass a resolution in support of the School’s AFRH facility. (Note that the application period for Creative’s 2014-2015 school year closed in March.)

An April 2nd article in the Washington City Paper about the school’s additional facility also mentions other ways the AFRH campus could soon be open to non-AFRH residents.

Education Officials Discuss Plans

DC Councilmember David Catania and DC School Board President Mark Jones spoke about various initiatives in the DC public school system.

Councilmember Catania, who is Chair of the Council’s Committee on Education, described the Committee’s recent legislative efforts. President Jones announced that the Deputy Mayor for Education is holding a series of community meetings to get the public’s opinions on the proposals she has made to change school feeder patterns and boundaries.  (Greater Greater Education blog has a post discussing the boundary change process that also includes a link to an app created by Code for DC to help families determine how the proposed changes affect them.)

Also, President Jones described the School Board’s work on revisions to high school graduation requirements to ensure preparation for college or careers.

Former ANC5A Commissioner Rip Preston reminded us that a non-profit, community-based organization, the Ward 5 Council on Education, is working to improve the quality of education in Ward 5 schools.

DC Humanities Council Offers Grants; Proposal Deadline is May 9th

Natasha Brown, from the Humanities Council of Washington, DC, announced that proposals are due May 9th for applications for the DC Community Heritage Project (DCCHP) grant. This particular grant provides funding and support to community leaders interested in preserving the history, architecture, and collective memory of their neighborhoods. The Humanities Council has other community-based grant programs as well.

Architect Viewpoint on Fort Totten Square

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized

The Architectural Record has a nice article on Fort Totten Square with a few renderings (click link to see photos).  The architect, Hickok Cole, noted how the topography of the land was favorable to incorporating underground parking.  From the very beginning of the project, the architects stated they wanted to build something that was more modern for the neighborhood.  They accomplish that with several types of material on the Riggs Street facade, but they incorporate more brick veneer for the apartments on the 3rd Street side to blend in with the more residential feel of that street.  They also use more brick on the retail space at the corner of Chillum Place.

The developers noted they want to attract young people who want access to the city without paying downtown prices.  Judging from the renderings, the residents will be enjoy two beautiful courtyards with a pool and other amenities.  At the Fort Totten Square community meeting, someone did ask about neighborhood access to the pool.  The answer is to become friends one of the residents there.

On a personal note, I have never been crazy about the amount of blue branding incorporated into the design.  However, it will be a massive structure, so once we see it at scale, perhaps it will not seem as overwhelming.

Fort Totten Square view from 3rd & Riggs. Photo courtesy of JBG

Fort Totten Square view from 3rd & Riggs. Photo courtesy of JBG

Fort Totten Square courtyard. Photo courtesy of JBG

Fort Totten Square courtyard. Photo courtesy of JBG

Updates from SMD 5A08 Meeting: Art Place and Metro shortcuts

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten, Transportation and tagged with , ,

Art Place at Fort Totten

At last night’s SMD 5A08 meeting, we heard a few updates regarding Building A at Art Place at Fort Totten.  The construction team is waiting for final approval of the traffic control plan to start construction.  The entire site will need to be fenced off before they begin relocating the utilities underneath Hamilton Street NE, which will be permanently closed.  Once construction starts, there will be jersey barriers along the north side of Galloway Street NE so that pedestrians can access the metro station.  That means there will no longer be a parking lane for cars on the north side of Galloway.  The bus stops on both sides of Galloway should remain accessible during construction. 

The architect mentioned one change that they are proposing to the residential parking.  As approved, the residential building is to have around 344 residential parking spaces in a structured garage.  The team proposes to reduce that amount by 80 spaces, dropping 1.5 floors of parking, to reduce costs.  That leaves around 264 spaces for 520 units.  The building will have 141 affordable units (of which 98 will be reserved for seniors), enough to relocate the residents of the Riggs Plaza apartments.  The residential apartment building is slated to have a senior work room/quiet area for seniors, rooftop pool and barbecue area, and fitness room.  In adidtion to retail tenants, Building A will have space for an ANC 5A office, and possibly a daycare center.  They are still working on executing leases with retailers.   

National Park Service Environment Study on Improvements to Paths between Gallatin and Galloway Street NE

The deadline to comment on the National Park Service options for improvements to the paths between Gallatin and Galloway is May 2, 2014.  Visit the project website by clicking here.  In addition to commenting on the specific options, individuals can share anything they wish about the paths.  The official from the NPS emphasized that this is an environmental study, so when they evaluate the comments, they will do so with an eye towards the impact any proposed action would have on the native plants and trees and experience of the park.  He also noted that the NPS does not yet have funding to implement any particular plan, but this environmental study is the first step in determining what they want to do and how much to budget for it.  Commissioner Angel Alston noted that there might be an opportunity for partnership to fund implementation and maintenance of any proposed plan.  The commissioner asks that people print out their comment so that the ANC has a record of the comments (a “print this page” tab will appear once a comment is submitted).  The ANC will vote on a recommendation at the next ANC 5A meeting.

Reminder: NPS will be at tonight’s ANC 5A meeting to discuss metro shortcuts from Gallatin to Galloway Street

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with ,
  • What:    ANC 5A monthly public meeting
  • When:   Tonight, March 26,2014 at 6:45 pm
  • Where:  UDC-CC, Backus, Room 129 (5171 South Dakota Ave NE)
  • Why:     The National Park Service is doing an environmental study on improvements to the shortcuts people are taking through the parkland between Gallatin and Galloway Streets to access the metro station and bus bays. NPS representatives will be at tonight’s meeting to discuss options.

Can’t make tonight’s meeting? Visit the project website and submit comments by May 2, 2014.

No bidders for Fort Totten metro development

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

The Washington Business Journal brings us news that there were no submissions to WMATA’s solicitation for joint development at Fort Totten metro station.  The solicitation to develop the large park-and-ride lot went out in November 2013.  Submissions were due March 7, 2014.  Stan Wall, WMATA’s director of real estate and station planning, presented on the project at an ANC meeting in January 2014.  From the WBJ article:

There were no submissions for Fort Totten. At that site, Metro offered a relatively small parcel and required the replacement of roughly 400 commuter parking spaces. The cost of the project would be more than the value of any new development, Wall said, but he expects interest to grow over time.
“It’s not quite ready but I think it’ll be back in a year or two,” he said of Fort Totten.

Essentially, the cost of replacing the 400 or so parking spaces alone is a pretty high financial barrier to development of the property right now.  In addition, potential developers were wary about the two developments already in the pipeline, Fort Totten Square (which will bring 345 apartments to the area) and Art Place at Fort Totten (which is estimated to bring close to 900 apartments).  Once Fort Totten Square is completed in spring 2015 and Art Place is further along, developers will be able to see more clearly the level of investment in the area.

It is not clear if any of this will impact DDOT’s accessibility project around the metro station.  While DDOT is coordinating with WMATA because some of the potential changes will affect WMATA’s property, DDOT’s project is completely separate from WMATA’s solicitation for joint development of the large parking lot.

 

 

Heads Up: Changes to metrobus routes effective March 30

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with

On March 30, 2014, a number of Metrobus routes will change.  For the immediate area:

Route 80 – North Capitol Street

  • Every other trip departing Fort Totten will end at McPherson Square at most times of the day on weekdays.
  • Near Potomac Park, southbound buses will use the Virginia Avenue underpass at 23rd Street and no longer serve stops on Virginia Avenue at 22nd and 25th Streets NW. Alternate bus stops are available along Virginia Avenue NW at 21st and 24th Streets NW.

Route 60 – Fort Totten-Petworth

  • A new schedule will reflect trip time adjustments.
  • Time between buses during weekday, midday hours will increase to every 45 minutes to improve on-time performance.

View other bus route changes on Metro’s website.

 

Comments due May 2nd on improvements to metro shortcuts between Gallatin and Galloway Street NE

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation and tagged with ,

The National Park Service has posted online documents related to potential improvements to the paths between Gallatin Street and Galloway Street NE that North Michigan Park residents use as shortcuts to access Fort Totten metro station.  The documents can be found on the NPS Planning, Environment, & Public Comment website (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/rocr) under the project title Prepare Environmental Assessment for Improving Fort Totten-North Michigan Park Pedestrian Access and clicking on “Document List”.  The comment period closes May 2, 2014.  There are a few ways to submit comments:

  • At ANC 5A’s meeting on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, at 6:30 pm at UDC-CC (Backus), Room 129
  • Electronically through the project portal site by clicking on the “Open For Comment” link
  • Fax to (202) 895-6015
  • Mail (postmarked by May 2, 2014) or Hand deliver to:

Superintendent

Rock Creek Park

Fort Totten North Michigan Park Pedestrian Access Improvements Environmental Assessment

3545 Williamsburg Lane NW

Washington, DC 20008-1207

The NPS is proposing four options:

(1) No Action:  The NPS notes current management is in effect, mowing the unofficial trail from South Dakota Avenue to Galloway Street.  Under this proposed option, there would be no NPS maintenance of the trail between Galloway and Gallatin at 6th Place NE.  The temporary light towers would not remain.

(2) Improve Street Side Pedestrian Access: The NPS proposes to fence the project area to protect park resources. Possibly construct a sidewalk on the north side of Gallatin Street (DDOT is already considering constructing a sidewalk on the south side of Galloway).  Possibly install lighting around the perimeter of the project area.

(3) Provide a direct path to provide the greatest unobstructed line-of-sight as possible from the beginning to the end of the trail. The NPS could formalize one of the existing short trails that residents currently use and could also provide trail lighting.

(4) Construct a trail system with amenities that allows for unobstructed line-of-sight.  Amenities could include benches, lighting, and picnic tables.  The area could be cleared of invasive plants, resulting in appearance similar to the park areas east of South Dakota Ave.

Below is the document handed out at the March 19, 2014, meeting.

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Fort Totten Square Walmart now expected to open April 2015

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Square and tagged with

On March 20, 2014, the Lamond Riggs Citizens Association and Lamond Riggs Library hosted a community meeting on Fort Totten Square.  There is not much new to report, except that the opening for Walmart and the other retail is now April 2015 (previously the developers said December 2014).  Residential move-ins are expected around February/March 2015.  Walmart’s anticipated operating hours are 6:00 am to midnight.  Walmart representative Nina Albert stated the company will hold information sessions for people to meet management and learn success tips before applying for jobs.  Ms. Albert emphasized that the company is very interested in hiring from the local community.  In addition, Walmart will work with DC’s Department of Small and Local Business Development to publicize at the appropriate time a prebid conference for subcontractors.  In response to questions about selling beer and wine, Ms. Albert mentioned there is a Ward 4 moratorium on alcohol sales and asked for the community’s help in securing an exception so that the store can sell beer and wine.

We previously mentioned that JBG’s retail arm has a brochure marketing the project with a Subway and Carolina Kitchen.  JBG has executed a lease with Subway.  However, the developer is still working on securing a lease with Carolina Kitchen and continues to anticipate securing a sit-down restaurant for this first phase.  JBG is also actively working to secure a coffee shop for the project.  In response to comments about having more upscale retail choices, the development team solicited community recommendations, stating if anyone has contacts for restaurant, coffee shop, or retail operators who have a good track record to let them know.

Fort Totten Square Fact Sheet

Fort Totten Square Fact Sheet