Source: Washington, DC Economic Partnership
The Washington, DC Economic Partnership annually creates a DC Neighborhood Profile Report, which contains demographic information and points of interest of various DC neighborhoods. The 2015 report on 54 DC neighborhoods is now available online.
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.
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Councilmember McDuffie and the Department of Employment Services Invite you to a Job Fair: Ward 5 Construction Projects
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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.
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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.
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.
The February 25, 2015, ANC 5A meeting was a long one.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
This is the ice covered path on Galloway Street pedestrians are supposed to use
Once again, we are writing about the sidewalk path on Galloway Street by the Art Place at Fort Totten construction site. The north sidewalk on Galloway Street between South Dakota Avenue and 4th Street NE was closed for construction and jersey barriers were placed in the road to create a sidewalk path for pedestrians because there is not another sidewalk on the opposite side (south side) of the street.
The problem is that after winter storms, this path is not cleared in a timely manner. Because there is not another sidewalk, pedestrians either have to traverse an icy path or walk in the street. Doing either is dangerous. We had this same problem after January’s wintry weather and wrote about it then. We took pictures of the ice covered path around 6:05 pm Monday evening. Also notice in the pictures that several jersey barriers have been knocked down.
We submitted a 311 request yesterday to have the path cleared of ice, just as we did last month.
It strikes us that there might be a bigger problem requiring a better solution.
(1) On a broader level, perhaps the transportation management plan that developers are required to submit should also include plans for inclement weather if they are not already required to do so. DDOT has rules about closures of sidewalks for construction, which is why these jersey barriers were erected in the first place. Even in cases in which the sidewalk remains open during construction, there should still be something in the transportation management plan to ensure that developers clear the sidewalk in front of their projects.
With respect to this specific project, maybe a complete sidewalk structure needs to be constructed on the north side of Galloway rather than just having the jersey barriers in place since it appears they can be knocked down easily and the construction team has made no effort to upright them to form a complete path, nor has the construction team made efforts to diligently clear the path after winter storms. We emailed the construction team and developers both last month and yesterday evening regarding the condition of the path after submitting 311 requests.
If this is something that needs to be worked out between the developers and the District in terms of who is responsible for clearing the path and making sure the jersey barriers actually form a complete barrier, we hope that there is a mechanism to do so. We do not know the best solution; we are just thinking out loud about what might help.
(2) DDOT, WMATA, and the National Park Service should work together to implement the recommendations in the Fort Totten metro accessibility study (pdf) completed in 2011. One of the recommendations was constructing a sidewalk on the south side of Galloway Street between South Dakota Avenue and 4th Street. We know there have been conversations between DDOT and the Park Service to figure out how much land belongs to the District in order to construct a sidewalk. We do not know the status of that project or this study as a whole, as we understand funding is always an issue, but this should certainly be a priority for the District as Galloway is a primary access route to a metro station with three lines and several buses.
Construction is anticipated to last another three years. We really should not have to deal with this issue every winter. We hope that the mayor’s office, DDOT, and the developers together can find a workable solution to this problem.
There is one week left to comment on the National Park Service’s environmental assessment of construction of a formal path between Gallatin and Galloway Street NE to improve access to Fort Totten metro station. Currently, no funding plan exists to construct a path. However, it is an easier sell if 100 comments are received as opposed to 25. Let neighbors who do not use computers know how they can comment or invite them over to use yours. Comments do not have to be elaborate. Just let the Park Service know where you stand on having a formal path to get to the metro station.
Ways to comment:
Rock Creek Park
Attn: Fort Totten-North Michigan Park Pedestrian Access Improvements EA
3545 Williamsburg Lane, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
Comments must be submitted or postmarked by February 19, 2015.
The new Takoma location of Busboys and Poets restaurant (235 Carroll Street NW) opens to the public in a soft opening on February 15, 2015. The restaurant will be open for dinner 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm during its soft open. For more information about the theme of this location, read the Washington Post’s feature.
On April 28, 2015, Ward 4 residents will elect a new councilmember in a special election. As of February 6, slightly more than a dozen candidates are listed on the DC Board of Elections’ website. February 9 marked the end of the challenge period to petitions submitted by candidates to appear on the ballot. One challenge to candidate Brandon Todd’s petitions was submitted. The DC Board of Elections has until March 2 to decide the validity of the challenge.
A Petworth resident has set up a “Ward 4 Candidates Information” website that is not affiliated with any particular campaign. There you can find information submitted by the candidates as well as a calendar of events related to the election, such as meet and greets and forums. You can also submit questions that you would like the candidates to answer.
Save the Date for March 2: The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association plans to hold a candidate forum with all of the candidates at the LaSalle-Backus Education Campus.
From the Washington Business Journal permit report:
314 Riggs Road NE: Convert a shell tenant space into an 18-seat, 1,490-square-foot Subway restaurant.
In our last post, we shared an interview with True Turtle, the developer of the newly constructed green homes located at 5516 and 5520 4th Street NE. To celebrate their first ground-up project, they are hosting a celebration event with new neighborhood brewery Hellbender Brewing Company.
The Hellbent on Sustainability: GREEN HOME TOUR & BEER TASTING
WHEN: Saturday, February 7th 1-4pm
WHERE: 5516 and 5520 4th St NE DC 20011
METRO: 10 min stroll from Ft. Totten Metro (Red/Green)
IT’S A CELEBRATION OF SUSTAINABILITY!
True Turtle is celebrating the completion of their latest project with a sustainability learning opportunity two-fer: Learning tours of the green homes and a free beer tasting from DC’s newest brewer Hellbender brewery!
True Turtle www.trueturtle.com is a DC focused sustainable real estate developer focusing on bringing LEED Platinum, net zero energy homes to the District. Our latest project is near and dear to our hearts: two new construction LEED Platinum row homes. Come check them out!
Hellbender http://www.hellbenderbrewingcompany.com is DC’s newest brewery. This sustainable brewer opened its doors just last year here in Ward 4. Come show them some DC love and learn about their brewing techniques …you might find your new favorite beer!
LEARNING EVENTS
2pm Green building guided tour Tanya Topolewski LEED H, ASLA, CPHC/CPHB Owner, True Turtle
3pm Sustainable craft beer presentation Patrick Mullane, Co-Founder Hellbender Brewing Co
1-4pm Self Guided tours Through extensive signage and displays, learn what it took to create higher quality homes that provide better air quality, ultra energy and water efficiency, sustainable landscapes and better for the planet finishes.
TRY OUT A FEW SELECT BREWS, COMPLIMENTS OF HELLBENDER and VISIT THE BREWERY!
Free beer tasting! Plus, if you like what you sampled the brewery’s tasting room is open from 1-6pm!
5788 2nd Street, NE DC 20011 (Just a two minute drive or 10 minute walk)
MORE INFO ON THE HOMES and SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
http://www.mrishomes.com/homes-for-sale/5520-4TH-NE-WASHINGTON-DC-20011-138988483
From South Dakota Avenue, it is hard to miss the banners announcing two new green homes in the neighborhood, located at 5516 and 5520 4th Street NE. We got in touch with the developer, Tanya Topolewski of True Turtle, who was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.
True Turtle is a sustainable real estate developer. We build exclusively high performance “green” homes. To True Turtle, a sustainable home is a higher quality home designed and built to provide better air quality, better ventilation, and ultra high energy and water efficiency. Our homes use low environmental impact materials and have landscapes that bring back birds and bees. In summary, we provide a “green done for you” home that is more comfortable and healthier to live in while being less costly to operate and maintain.
Our offices are located in Ward 4 (Takoma DC) and we have done multiple highly sustainable LEED Platinum gut renovations in Petworth.
It was a combination of factors. As a developer, I was familiar with the area as I look at a lot of property. I knew it to be full of solid mostly smaller attached homes in stable neighborhoods. These are things that are attractive to buyers. At the time, the South Dakota/Riggs intersection was under reconstruction and the JBG development was only just beginning. However, knowing more development was on its way was compelling to my choosing to develop here. Of course, the proximity of the property to the Metro was crucial. Putting these factors together, it looked to me like Riggs Park was going to finally start to turn the corner from being off the beaten path to becoming a new “place”.
I did not do an extensive amount of research before I made my decision. Had I done so, I would have uncovered a lot of background information on Art Place, and Ft. Totten Square Phase II (which is potentially going to be built directly behind my properties). Now that I know of these developments, I’m very excited for the residents of Riggs Park. I think the addition of walkable retail and real public civic places will be another milestone in bringing newcomers together with long standing residents. Many times people think of development in negative terms, in my opinion, I think that for Riggs Park it will be transformative in a very good way.
For True Turtle, a sustainable or “green” house means high quality construction creating a healthier, more comfortable home. I’ve highlighted a few specific features of the homes below. However, I think it’s important to note that many of the ‘features’ of our homes are now hidden behind drywall. Fortunately, through the LEED process everything behind the drywall has been inspected, tested and/or verified by an independent 3rd party. This additional level of quality control is the value of having a green building certification such as LEED.
Some highlights:
Exceptional air quality…special HVAC equipment (an ERV) delivers fresh air throughout the home 24/7. This air is highly filtered through MERV11 filters that remove up to 100% of particulates depending upon size. Our mechanical equipment is tested by third party inspectors to ensure that things like bath fans and kitchen exhausts actually work to remove excess moisture, not just make noise.
Exceptionally energy efficient…our super insulated skin provides up to twice the amount of insulation required by code. 5516 and 5520 4th St have R78 roofs (R38 is required) and fully insulated basement walls and floors (no sub slab insulation is required by code at all). Needless to say, these homes are easy to heat and cool, with minimal hot and cold areas, even with the large windows!
Virtually draft free…our homes are designed and built with a special air tight layer that wraps the home and focuses on air tight connections at doors and windows. A virtually draft free home is comfy and snug…no matter how cold or hot outside.
Highly water efficient…we’ve already installed low flow toilets, faucets and showerheads. Our clothes washer and dishwasher are the highest performing Energy Star models we can afford. This all adds up to lower water bills.
We use no or low toxicity finishes…We seek out and use special finishes for our paints, floor finishes and special wood finishes that have either no or low levels of harsh or toxic chemicals. This limits offgassing to protect your family’s health.
We use low environmental impact finishes…our palette of finishes include: Richlite countertops which are exceptionally durable compressed paper with a non-toxic binder, rapidly renewable pressed bamboo flooring and FSC bamboo backsplashes and kitchen details. All these products can be reused and/or recycled.
Provide habitat for birds, bees and butterflies…our landscape is exclusively native plants that will provide drought tolerant exterior beauty for native flora and fauna.
Near net zero energy if solar panels are installed…no, there are no solar panels on the home. Why? Because we as a developer do not qualify for many of the incentives that homeowners do and they do not fit into our budget. We’ve made it easy to install them however, we’ve pre-installed conduit for them, pushed all roof penetrations to the edges to leave space for them and left space in the electrical panel. If solar is installed, these homes are modeled to be near net zero energy.
This is only a partial list of what we do to make our sustainable home higher quality, more comfortable homes to live in. Our website (www.trueturtle.com) has many more details about this project and our past projects.
LEED Platinum is the highest level of LEED certification attainable. 5516 and 5520 4th St. are on track to achieve LEED Platinum. All of our projects have been LEED Platinum (or higher). We have never missed achieving Platinum and I don’t forsee any problems arising with 4th St. either.
If you are wondering what “higher than LEED Platinum” is, we built DC’s first gut rehab net zero energy home in Petworth. Net zero meaning that the home produced as much energy as it captures from the solar PV system. This is a goal we have for all of our homes, but the cost of solar is prohibitive as we do not qualify for many of the incentives. Irrespective, for any home we build, if solar is added they are usually what is called “near net zero”…which is pretty darn good.
You get the technical answer to this question…so hold on for some geek!
Since we typically do gut renovations. Building new construction meant we had to use a new type of building envelope. Meaning we built different kinds of exterior walls, roofs and floors than we normally do. We ended up with continuous, connected, super insulated walls, roofs and subslab insulation. This is technically challenging to do and something we cannot do on our gut renovations. It was a change for us and we learned a lot doing it.
Of course, the largest challenge had nothing to do with sustainability…it had to do with building on a large slope! Once we found the right contractor to deal with the site work, things went swimmingly.
Of course! Our next project will be a ground up four unit building in Edgewood/Brookland. In addition to LEED Platinum, it is planned to be built to the Passive House standard. Passive House is a green building standard whose main focus is energy use. A Passive House uses just 10% of the energy of a code built home. They are so energy efficient that people joke they can be heated with a hair dryer…and depending on the climate that’s actually true!
OUR NEW WEBSITE: www.trueturtle.com
We have a brand new website that we’ve just brought on line (full disclosure: it’s not 100% done). It includes large amounts of information about how we build our homes sustainably, how sustainably built homes are higher quality homes, our past projects and a little about us.
OPEN HOUSES: We’re open about every other Sunday…people are welcome to just drop in. We love neighbors!
LISTINGS: Some people are interested in
http://www.mrishomes.com/homes-for-sale/5520-4TH-NE-WASHINGTON-DC-20011-138988483
SPECIAL TOURS BY REQUEST We are often asked to give special tours of our homes to local green organizations and other interested groups. We’d be happy to give special tours while we still own them…because once they are sold, we can’t! People should just reach out and ask.
