Art Place Construction Notice 3/6/2023
Author Archives: nextstoprp
March 6: LRCA Public Meeting
Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association Public Meeting
March 6, 2023
7:00 pm
March 2023 Meeting Agenda
1. Welcome/Invocation
2. Officers Report, Minutes, Treasurer Report
3. Updates from Elected Officials & PSA
4. LRCA Budget Review
5. LRCA Bylaws updates and review with The DC Bar Pro Bono Center
6. Green Space Development Project, LRCA Development Taskforce
7. Upcoming Changes to the District’s Medicaid Program & Restart of Medicaid Renewals – Danielle Lewis-Wright, LRCA Trustee/Chair, Health & Wellness Committee
8. Community Concerns/Closing
To view the meeting online, click the following link.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86390885790?pwd=dEhyNUpnWEZLdlhyN0g2OVJPN3B1dz09
Passcode: 917284
Dial into the meeting by phone
Call: 301-715-8592
Meeting ID: 863 9088 5790
Passcode: 917284
Read LRCA’s March 2023 Newsletter.
Become a member of LRCA. View map of LRCA’s boundaries.
T-Mobile at Art Place at Fort Totten Closed
A neighbor called me this morning to let me know that the signage for the T-Mobile located at 5210 South Dakota Avenue NE was being taken down and that fixtures were being moved out. The store opened in 2019. I have received confirmation that T-Mobile has closed that location. (Cannot say I am surprised by this news).
While awaiting confirmation, I came across a January 2023 press statement from T-Mobile about its retail strategy and the place of brick and mortar stores in that strategy. The company is closing many stores.
No word on a replacement yet.
Upcoming Public Hearings on Metro’s Proposed Budget/Survey Comments Due March 15
Metro is soliciting public input on its proposed FY24 budget. View details at wmata.com/budget. Provide input by completing a survey or by participating in an upcoming public hearing.
Take the survey
Take the survey, provide written comments, or upload documents here. The survey closes at 5:00 pm on March 15, 2023.
All public hearings will be streamed online on this page, YouTube.com/MetroForward or by calling 855-925-2801, meeting code 7756.
Ways to participate in public hearing:
- By video: Email speak@wmata.com by 5 p.m. the day before the public hearing.
- By phone: Dial 855-925-2801, enter meeting code 7756
- In-person: Register on-site, email speak@wmata.com or call 202-962-2511 by 5 p.m. the day before the public hearing.
All in-person public hearings will start at 6:00 p.m. Metro will host an Open House prior to in-person public hearings starting at 5:00 p.m. All locations are accessible via Metrorail or Metrobus.
| Monday, March 6, 2023 Metro Headquarters 300 7th Street SW Washington, DC 20024 Green Line Blue Line Orange Line Silver LineL’Enfant Plaza Metrobus routes: 32, 36, 52, 74, P6 | Tuesday, March 7, 2023 New Carrollton Metro Offices 4100 Garden City Dr Hyattsville, MD 20785 Orange Line Blue LineNew Carrollton Metrobus routes: B24, B27, F4, F6, G12, G14, F14, T14, T18 | Wednesday, March 8, 2023 Meridian High School 121 Mustang Alley Falls Church, VA 22043 Orange LineWest Falls Church Metrobus route: 28A | Friday, March 10, 2023 12 p.m. Virtual only |
According to Metro, the proposed budget aims to:
- Enhance safety through support of our police force, including new crisis intervention specialists
- Ensure more frequent & reliable service, including increased train service and a complete redesign of the bus network
- Create a more simplified & equitable fare system, including a low-income fare program
- Improve customer service and communications with a new integrated communications center
- Advance sustainability, including investments in our zero-emission bus program
- Continue capital improvements for a better Metro, including major construction and maintenance projects
It is worth taking a look at the proposals regarding fares and rail service and bus service. Note the yellow line proposal. Also note that the Metro for DC Amendment Act of 2021 listed under the bus service proposal is currently the subject of a funding tussle between the DC Council and the District’s Chief Financial Officer (see DCist article on subject).
Information below copied directly from Metro’s website.
Fare Proposals
This proposal will make our weekday Metrorail pricing easier to understand and improve the customer experience. Adjustments include:
- Eliminate peak and off-peak pricing on weekdays before 9:30 p.m.
- The base fare would lower from $2.25 to $2 to align with bus, weekend, & late-night service
- Late-night and weekend fares would stay the same at $2
- Maximum fares would increase from $6.00 to $6.50
- The seven-day short-trip pass would be adjusted to cover trips up to $4. The price would stay the same.
- Monthly unlimited pass options would reflect the $6.50 maximum fare adjustment.
Low-Income Fare Program
Our new Low-Income Fare Program would offer a 50% discount on Metrorail & Metrobus trips to eligible customers. This program would be accessible to customers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Rail Service Proposals
Our FY24 budget rail service proposal provides more trains to reduce travel times, expand destination access and grow ridership. Take a look at the details below.
Frequency Increases for Green and Yellow lines
- Opening until 9:30 p.m. – From every 10-12 min to every 6 min
- After 9:30 p.m. From every 15 min to every 10 min
- Yellow Line begins new service pattern. Terminal change from Greenbelt to Mt Vernon Sq; operating between Huntington and Mt Vernon Sq only
Frequency Increases for Orange line
- Opening until 9:30 p.m. – From every 12 min to every 10 min
- Weekday rush hour only (6:30-9:30 a.m., 3-7 p.m.). From every 10 min to every 7 ½ min
Red, Blue and Silver lines frequencies remain the same
- With this level of service, trains would arrive every 3-6 minutes in the downtown stations and every 8-12 minutes at stations served by a single line. After 9:30 p.m., trains would operate every 5-10 minutes downtown and every 10-15 minutes elsewhere.
Bus Service Proposals
We’re also working hard to expand access, advance equity and optimize bus routes for our Metrobus customers through these proposals.
- DC
- B2 Bladensburg Road-Anacostia
Increase Route B2 service to every 12 minutes between 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., 7 days a week, adding to Metro’s Frequent Service Network. - Metro for D.C. Amendment Act of 2021
- The Council of the District of Columbia passed the “Metro for DC Amendment Act of 2021” which includes:
- Free Metrobus trips for customers within the District of Columbia
- All-night Metrobus service every 20 minutes on the following routes: 32, 33, 52, 70, 90, A6, A8, B2, H4, S2, V2, W4, X2 – View Map
- B2 Bladensburg Road-Anacostia
- Maryland
- A12 Martin Luther King Jr. Highway | View Map
Add more service by splitting the A12 route into two routes, expanding to new connections to (BL) Downtown Largo and (OR) New Carrollton stations. Both routes would operate every 20 minutes from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., 7 days a week, and every 30 minutes otherwise.
- A12 Martin Luther King Jr. Highway | View Map
- Virginia
- 16G & 16H Columbia Pike | View Map
The proposed new 16M would combine the former 16G and 16H with a new connection to Crystal City station and would operate every 12 minutes from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week, and every 15-30 minutes otherwise. The western loop at Arlington Mill will be covered by Arlington Transit (ART). - 11Y Mt. Vernon Express | View Map
Reinstate the 11Y express route from Mt. Vernon to Potomac Park, replacing the 11C and DC3 shuttle. Would operate every 30 minutes, northbound in the AM peak and southbound in the PM peak. Express fare would be charged
- 16G & 16H Columbia Pike | View Map
March 4: ANC 5A09 Fort Circle Park Cleanup
From ANC Commissioner Zachary Ammerman (5A09)
Fort Circle Park Cleanup with ANC Commissioner Zachary Ammerman (5A09)
March 4, 2023
10:00 am-12:00 noon
Meet at the Galloway Street side of the Gallatin-Galloway pedestrian trail. Gloves, trash bags, and a limited number of trash grabbers provided.
Stay for five minutes or two hours, up to you. This is also a chance to talk to Commissioner Ammerman about neighborhood issues and concerns.
Sign up to receive Commissioner Ammerman’s ANC 5A09 updates at ANC5A09.com.
Tonight March 1: North Michigan Park Civic Association Meeting – McDonald’s & Proposed Gas Station on Agenda
(Ed. Note: Please note McDonald’s public space permit application is on the agenda as well as an update about the gasoline station proposed to be placed in front of the DC Mart/Z Burger.)
North Michigan Park Civic Association
Meeting Agenda
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
7:00 pm
Virtual Meeting
Meeting ID 882 7345 2110
Passcode 930240
Call In 1-301-715-8592
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88273452110?pwd=dmZ3R1liOTRKY1FyS3hlYlBqWnBWUT09
Unfortunately, no face-to-face meeting at the NMP Recreation Center – Recreation Center new hours of operation close at 8:00 pm
· Call to Order
· Opening Prayer – Silent
· Roll Call of Officers
Meeting Protocol
- Phone call should remain on mute unless asked to unmute.
- Respect others when speaking
- Respect our guest.
- Raise your hand if you have a question and wait to be acknowledged.
President’s Update
McDonald’s
Z Burger/4Mart – Gas Station
Guest Speaker
Zachary Park, Ward 5 Councilmember
Community Leader Reports
Carlos McKnight – Ward 5 Councilmembers Office
Q&A
Guest Speaker
Leila Batties – McDonald’s Update
Guest Speaker
Joel Lawson, Associate Director * DC Office of PlanningCommunity Leader Reports
Mayor’s Office – Christian Starghill / Christopher Ingram
Faith United Church
ANC Commissioners that represent NMP
5A02 – Karlus Cozart
5A03 – Emily Lucio
5A08 – Gordon Andrew Fletcher
5A09 – Zachary Ammerman
Coming Events in 2023
- February – Scholarship application begins (2 @ $1,000.00 scholarships) applications available at the Recreation Center email to individuals on NMPCA registered listserve
- May – Community Clean Up also with Bulk Trash pick up
- June – Scholarship Night
- June – Community Yard Sale
- June – August – Community Day (date unconfirmed)
- August – School Supplies and Backpack event
- September – Community Clean Up with Bulk Trash pick up
- November – Toy Drive
- December – Holiday Party
Adjourn
Ward 4 CM Janeese Lewis George Budget Request Letter
Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George has submitted her budget request letter to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. The mayor is expected to share her proposed budget with the DC Council on March 22.
CM Lewis George notes that her budget requests are informed by the neighborhood listening sessions she held over the past couple of months. Her requests are centered around three core themes:
- Investing in city services and infrastructure,
- Building safer and stronger communities, and
- Becoming a more equitable District.
The letter addresses a number of issues such as housing, facilities, support for seniors, behavorial health, and more. Read the full letter.
Items of note to Lamond-Riggs below, copied from the letter.
—
Restore programming at Fort Stevens, Lamond, and Petworth Recreation Centers. Over the past year DPR operating hours and programs were cut at several Ward 4 recreation centers, limiting social and recreational opportunities for our seniors and positive, healthy recreation outlets for our youth. Due to staffing challenges, experienced rec center staff were moved from sites where they have strong community ties. DPR must fund additional positions in FY24, offer competitive hiring incentives, and more actively promote the agency’s job openings so it can fully restore hours and programming.
$1 Million to fund the creation of a Riggs Park violence intervention team. I urge you to expand the footprint of the Cure the Streets program at the Office of the Attorney General by establishing a team to serve the Ward 4/Ward 5 Riggs Park neighborhood. Crew violence and turf battles are the primary drivers of violence in our community, including recent shootings and stabbings in Riggs Park. We must augment the capacity of violence interruption outreach to bring long-lasting resolutions to the feuds that plague Riggs-Lamond-Brightwood-Petworth.
Fund a WMATA bus route between Lamond-Riggs and Coolidge High School. Students in the Lamond and Riggs Park communities need safe – and soon to be free – routes to and from school. A new school-hours bus route dedicated to Coolidge High School’s eastern boundaries would help reduce truancy and keep kids from harm’s way of dangerous traffic.
I also urge you to maintain level funding, at a minimum, for the following priorities:
- The Brightwood Park-Petworth Cure the Streets program, and all OAG Cure programs.
- All grants for Ward 4’s Main Streets: The Parks, Upper Georgia Avenue, Uptown,
Takoma, and Petworth. - $935,000 for the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children.
- All local and TANF funds for child care subsidies, dedicated and rollover funding for the
Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, and funds committed to strengthening early
childhood development through Healthy Steps and Healthy Futures.
Priority infrastructure projects for Ward 4 roadways and at School and Recreational Facilities.
The list below reflects new and outstanding maintenance, physical infrastructure, or small capital projects priorities. Many of these issues remain open work orders from my 2022 DPR summer readiness and DCPS back-to-school tours. Please contact my committee office for follow up and expected completion dates on these maintenance items:
- Coolidge High School track bathroom plumbing needs to be replaced
- Whittier Elementary School HVAC system replacements in old wing
- Lamond Recreation Center swing set requires a new installation
- Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center neighbors request a track be added around their fields; spray park renovations
- Move up funding for rehabilitating Eastern Avenue, NE between New Hampshire and Whittier
- Include funding for a new park and connected cycle tracks around the future Metropolitan Branch Trail Trailhead at Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue, NE
- Improve multimodal safety along South Dakota Avenue NE in Riggs Park/Fort Totten
Art Place Construction Notice 2/27/2023-3/4/2023
February 27: Ward 4 Youth Career Building Workshop
From Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George
Ward 4 Jobs Not Guns DC Youth Career Building Workshop: Roadmap to a Career
February 27, 2023
10:00 am-2:00 pm
Emery Heights Community Center
5801 Georgia Avenue NW
DC youth ages 17-24 are invited to the Ward 4 Jobs Not Guns DC Youth Career Building Workshop!
Presented by the DC Gun Violence Prevention Coalition & Ward 4 Council Member Janeese Lewis George.
Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker FY2024 Budget Request Letter
Last week, Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker sent his FY2024 budget request letter to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. The mayor will send her budget proposal to the DC Council on March 22.
In his message about his budget requests, CM Parker stated that the requests are reflective of his vision of healthy communities for Ward 5. He identified five components of a healthy community:
- Opportunity-rich and inclusive neighborhoods
- High quality education
- Rewarding work
- Healthy environment and access to good healthcare
- Responsive and just government
The letter addresses housing, education, facilities, violence prevention, transit and traffic safety, support for LGBTQIA+ residents, support for seniors, and more. Read CM Parker’s full letter.
Items of note to the Riggs Park neighborhood copied from the letter below.
Transfer District-owned Parcels in Riggs Park and Carver-Langston to DPR for New Recreational Facilities. Residents of Riggs Park and Carver-Langston have long-sought to use District-owned parcels for community-facing recreational purposes In Riggs Park, the Office of Planning proposed activating the southwest corner of the intersection of Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue NE with a park facility in the 2009 Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue Small Area Plan. In Carver Langston, residents have advocated for the city to use an empty corner lot at 19th and L streets NE for a community playground. On behalf of both communities, I ask that these properties be transferred to DPR and that planning processes begin to serve the recreational needs of residents.
Increase Frequent and Reliable Bus Service in Ward 5. One of the best investments the District can make in transportation equity is improving the frequency and reliability of bus service. Bus riders in the District are disproportionately likely to be low-income or persons of color. In addition to the service improvements that will accompany the Metro for D.C. Amendment Act of 2022 on the 80 and 92 routes, I request more frequent service on the G8, D8, and E4 routes to better connect our Brookland, Trinidad, Edgewood, Fort Totten, and Woodridge communities. Each of these routes already serves a substantial existing ridership, and connects Ward 5 residents to neighboring communities, local amenities, schools, and jobs. I also look forward to assisting the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in implementing its Bus Priority plan in Ward 5—particularly on North Capitol Street, Florida Avenue, Michigan Avenue, and Rhode Island Avenue.
Re-envision New York Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, and Other Dangerous Ward 5 Corridors. During your third term as mayor, I hope you will look to the New York Avenue corridor in Ward 5 as the venue for a similarly ambitious project as the Frederick Douglass Bridge. The Office of Planning is already exploring how to embrace tens of thousands of new housing units on New York Avenue, and I believe that the time is ripe to pair that vision with a $70 million investment in FY24-FY25 to construct an off-street trail, dedicated transit lanes, and safer streetscape between Truxton Circle and Fort Lincoln. (I intend to engage with Ward 5 communities in WMATA’s bus network redesign to ensure that bus service is established on the New York Avenue corridor.) I also request that you designate $50 million in FY26-27 for the overhaul of Rhode Island Avenue between Bloomingdale and Woodridge to improve bus reliability and improve pedestrian, cyclist, and motorist safety on this dangerous corridor. Furthermore, I am eager to partner with DDOT to improve many other dangerous arterial corridors in Ward 5, including South Dakota and Michigan Avenues and the other Ward 5 high-injury corridors identified the 2022 update to the Vision Zero Plan. I request that you direct DDOT to leverage existing operational funds to improve safety on these corridors as expeditiously and aggressively as possible.
Invest in Ward 5’s Trail and Micromobility Network. According to the DC Sustainable Transportation Coalition, bicycle trips in Ward 5 increased by 36 percent between 2019 and 2022. To serve this growing need, I request that you continue to invest in Ward 5’s trail network by including in the Capital Improvement Plan for FY24:
• $4 million for a design/build contract for an on or off-street trail connection between the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) at Fort Totten and the Anacostia NW Branch trail via Fort Circle Park and/or Gallatin Street.
• $4 million for improvements to the Eckington and NoMa segments of the MBT to increase safety and connectivity on this high-use segment of the trail.
• $4 million for the design and build of the Arboretum trail connector to ensure that Carver-Langston and other Ward 5 residents will have access to the future Arboretum trail bridge and Anacostia trail network at times when the Arboretum is closed.
In addition, I request that DDOT use existing operational funds to deliver protected bike facilities on routes identified as bicycle priority in DDOT’s MoveDC mobility priority network.
<FN3>I am grateful that DDOT has committed to closing the 8th Street NE gap in the MBT and is moving forward with protected bike lanes on Mt. Olivet and 17th Streets NE and other Ward 5 projects. During our engagement process, Ward 5 residents emphasized the need for protected facilities on east-west routes that connect to the MBT as well as gaps in the protected network on Montana Avenue NE, Taylor and Harewood Streets NE, Florida Avenue NE/NW, and Lincoln Road NE.
February 27: ANC 4B Public Meeting (Virtual)
From ANC 4B
ANC 4B Regular Public Meeting
Monday, February 27, 2023, 7:00 p.m.
Virtual Meeting Details:
For video participation via Zoom on a computer or mobile device, click this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83287696066?pwd=RWpZaEkvK01hQXY1N3NHeVJpWkVBdz09.
For voice-only participation on a telephone, dial (301) 715-8592.
Meeting ID: 832 8769 6066. Passcode: 262224.
AGENDA
- Call to Order & Roll Call
- Administrative Items
- Instructions for Participation in Virtual Meeting
- Consideration and Approval of February Agenda
- Approval of January 2023 Regular Public Meeting Minutes
- Treasurer’s Report
- Commissioner Updates (if applicable)
- Community Concerns
- *Please use the “Raise Hand” button via Zoom or *9 via telephone to speak during community concerns. The Commission will provide additional details regarding how to present community concerns via the virtual meeting at the start of the meeting. This is the time for questions or statements from members of the public about issues on the agenda or other areas of concern. Please limit your statement or question to one minute. You may also contact members of the Commission before and after Commission meetings.
- Reports
- Sophia Tekola, Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (3 minutes)
- Barbara Rogers, Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (3 minutes)
- Frazier O’Leary, Ward 4 State Board of Education Representative (3 minutes)
- Housing Justice Committee (2 minutes)
- Vision Zero Committee (2 minutes)
- Community Safety & Support Committee (2 minutes)
- Presentation: Christopher Dyer, Community Engagement Manager, Department of Parks and Recreation, Discussion re: Programming and Roving Leaders Activities (20-minute presentation; 15-minute discussion)
- Presentation: Linda K. Harllee Harper, Director of Gun Violence Prevention, Office of the City Administrator, Discussion re: Building Blocks DC and Gun Violence Prevention Efforts (20- minute presentation; 15-minute discussion)
- Consent Calendar
- Resolution 4B-23-0201: Calling for Traffic Control & Traffic Safety Plans in Establishing and Siting New DC Schools (Commissioner Palmer, Commissioner Yeats & Commissioner Brooks)
- Letter: Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B Fiscal Year 2024 Housing Justice Budget Priorities (Commissioner Palmer, Commissioner Yeats, Commissioner Brooks, Commissioner Gilligan & Commissioner Smith)
- Adjournment
Next Regular Public Meeting: Monday, March 27, 2023, 7:00pm
Art Place Construction Notice 2/20/2023-2/25/2023
February 22: ANC 5A Public Meeting (Virtual)
Ed. Note: My understanding is that the ANC will be taking a vote on the matters listed under “Legal Matters.”
From ANC 5A
ANC 5A Meeting
Wednesday, February 22, 2022 at 6:45 pm
ANC 5A’s meeting will be held online only in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81870709297?pwd=WDRMMGpvaVVGSGc5amNSU003UDE0QT09
Meeting ID: 818 7070 9297
Passcode: 847136
Dial In: 301 715 8592
AGENDA ITEMS
I. Call Meeting to Order 6:45 pm
II. Quorum
III. Agenda Review/Acceptance
IV. Minutes (January 2023 and Emergency Meeting February 2023)
IV. Commission Business
A. Parliamentarian
B. Minutes for Approval (January Meeting and February Special Meeting 2023)
C. Treasurer: Cell Phones and Communication (Zoom account increase)
D. Legal Matters
1. 5A03: Mundo Verde Community Agreement
2. 5A08: McDonald’s Public Space Committee Application
3. 5A08: Z Burger/Convenience Store 4975 South Dakota Ave NE
4. 5A09: ANC 5A Satellite Office Space MOU
5. 5A09: Park development at the southwest corner of South Dakota and Riggs Road
E. Committee Formations
1. Public Safety
2. Social Media
3. Parks Task Force
4. Transportation
5. ANC Office
V. Community Updates
A. MPD
B. Mayor’s Office
C. Councilmember Parker’s office
VI. Reports & Presentations
A. Yu Ying Addition-Carlie Fisherow
B. Office of Campaign Finance-Natasha Alexander
C. Fort Totten Park-National Park Service
VII. Community Comment Period
VIII. Next Meeting: March 22, 2023
IX. Adjourn
Reminder: McDonald’s Public Space Permit Application Community Meeting Tonight
Reminder, tonight ANC Commissioners Gordon Fletcher (5A08) and Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) will hold a joint meeting to discuss McDonald’s public space permit application. The Zoning Commission approved McDonald’s rezoning request in order to build a drive-thru as a matter of right. Before McDonald’s can actually do that though, they need to get public space permits for the curb cuts necessary to operate a drive-thru. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is in charge of the public space permit process.
Meeting information
ANC 5A08 and 5A03 Joint Meeting on McDonald’s Public Space Committee Application
Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 7:00 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82747576285?pwd=SmJaZFl0U3VwNHkzNEVmRHU1YzE1UT09
Meeting ID: 827 4757 6285
Passcode: 826515
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 827 4757 6285
Passcode: 826515
The restaurant, located at 4950 South Dakota Avenue NE, was previously in ANC 5A03. Following redistricting, it is in ANC 5A08. Residents within 200 feet of the restaurant reside in both single member districts (update: according to Commissioner Lucio), so the commissioners are holding a joint meeting.
DDOT did not support the request for rezoning. DDOT does not have to approve McDonald’s application for public space permits to operate a drive-thru. DDOT has denied public space permits for operation of drive-thrus in other parts of the city in the past, so doing so here would not be unprecedented.
As noted previously, counsel for McDonald’s stated that she believed that DDOT’s report was written the way it was during the rezoning process to indicate that DDOT would “put up a fight” during public space. That is why during the rezoning hearing, Zoning Commission Chair Anthony Hood said that he hoped that DDOT would not put up any roadblocks during public space.
McDonald’s is requesting the support of the North Michigan Park Civic Association (NMPCA) and ANC 5A for its public space application. NMPCA will support the application. The expectation is that ANC 5A will support the application given that the ANC supported the rezoning request. Commissioner Fletcher, who is now chair of the ANC, is of course getting pressure to support the public space application. But there are a lot of new commissioners and they do not have to support this application.
In my experience with public space applications, ANCs in this area typically do not get into the weeds about the application or even really notify residents about the application. They rarely ask questions. It is important to ask questions though, especially in a case like this one where there is a proposal for a drive-thru where none existed previously.
This meeting is an opportunity for residents to ask questions and let the commissioners know if you do not support the drive-thru or the public space application. My understanding is that the full ANC plans to take a vote on the application at the ANC meeting on February 22.
Culture Coffee Too Closing End of March
Culture Coffee Too will be closing its doors at 300 Riggs Road NE at the end of March after five years of providing a space for culture, coffee, and conversation in Riggs Park. Owner Veronica (Ms. V) Cooper opened the Riggs Park location after moving from a location on Kennedy Street NW. She stated in her closing note that she has enjoyed building community in Riggs Park over the last five years and now it is time to move on. Build community she did.
A couple of years ago, I wrote a letter in support of the coffee shop for an award. The words are fitting now as I think about how much I will miss Ms. V. I wrote then:
As the owner of Culture Coffee Too, a coffee shop and arts space in the Riggs Park neighborhood in Northeast Washington, DC, since 2017, Veronica Cooper has made it her business to make her business the cultural and community hub of the neighborhood.
Culture Coffee Too is the quintessential neighborhood small business sitting in the heart of the Riggs Park neighborhood’s commercial corridor. In the three years that Culture Coffee Too has been open, I have seen and been part of the overwhelmingly positive impact it has had on the community. When I served as president of the neighborhood civic association, I had the pleasure of speaking at the ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate Culture Coffee Too’s opening in 2017. In 2018, Ms. V spearheaded the Riggs Park Art Crawl, bringing art and patrons to neighborhood businesses in Riggs Park. Another successful art crawl followed in 2019, making the neighborhood a little brighter with placemaking murals at neighborhood businesses.
At the end of 2018, I helped start the neighborhood Main Street. The Parks Main Street supports the commercial corridors of the Riggs Park and Manor Park neighborhoods in Washington, DC. It was only fitting that we launched the Main Street at Culture Coffee Too, inviting neighborhood residents, business owners, and all those interested in seeing the commercial corridor of these neighborhoods thrive to join together to make it happen. With Culture Coffee Too, Ms. V. serves as a connector—connecting small business owners, connecting artists, connecting residents. Any time someone steps inside the shop for a cup of tea, a breakfast sandwich, or maybe a smoothie, taking in the artwork on the walls of that month’s featured artist, it is likely that person will leave having met someone new.
I have been told that the coffee shop may be replaced by a Wingstop, a fast food chicken restaurant. (More about this on-brand decision by JBG later.)
Culture Coffee Too will hold a closing party on March 18 at 7:00 pm. Until then, feel free to stop in to give Ms. V her flowers.
Congresswoman Norton Requests More Testing in Fort Totten Park at Request of ANC 5A Commissioner Zachary Ammerman
On his ANC website, ANC Commissioner Zachary Ammerman (5A09) has been detailing his efforts to work with the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to request that the National Park Service (NPS) do more extensive soil testing in Fort Totten Park. Congresswoman Norton sent a letter to NPS on February 7, 2023. WTOP also reported on Congresswoman Norton’s letter.
Recall, NPS informed ANC 5A and the Ward 5 Council office in 2017 that the agency was conducting soil testing in an area on the west side of Fort Totten Park that had been used for staging by Metro to build the green line in the 1990s. NPS stated it was testing “out of an abundance of caution” after being informed that fill dirt used to rehabilitate the land was brought from the toxic WWI testing site at Spring Valley. NPS said then that they were not too concerned about Fort Totten Park because of the topography of the land and because the staging area where the dirt was brought and eventually removed was not near any waterways or pedestrian access points. NPS later informed the ANC and the Ward 5 council office of the results of that testing. NPS distributed a community engagement handout to the ANC 5A commissioners and Ward 5 Council office but residents did not receive a copy. NPS also later sent the commissioners and the Ward 5 Council office a copy of the report but that information was not passed along to residents.
Fast forward to 2020 when NPS began construction of a formal trail between Gallatin and Galloway Street west of South Dakota Avenue. This is an area of the park east of the station tracks. NPS halted construction after contractors found an unexploded WWI shell along the informal path. NPS contracted for soil testing.
At the time, I noted that it was strange that a WWI shell would be found in an eastern part of the park when the staging that NPS had been concerned about was in the western part of the park.
As this testing was underway, residents and I reached out to Congresswoman Norton’s office and NPS about our concerns both during a quarterly NPS town hall meeting and over email. Congresswoman Norton’s office never addressed the questions during the town hall meetings and simply forwarded the questions to NPS. NPS said that there was no evidence that soil from Spring Valley was brought to the area on the eastern side of the park. NPS said that the soil was confined to the western part of the park and had been removed. Residents and I inquired exactly which areas of the park would be tested. Testing was confined to just the area along the planned trail (full study). NPS restarted construction on the trail in July 2021 after “negative test results.” NPS halted construction again after encountering infrastructure for the green line tunnel. NPS is now supposed to be finishing up design for an alternative location.
Local media reported on the possible connection between the ordnance on the trail and the Spring Valley site in 2022. Congresswoman Norton issued a press release about her “concern” over this discovery and held a meeting with the US Army National Corps of Engineers, Metro, and NPS. NPS stated during meetings that the testing found no evidence of any other unexploded ordnances nearby and found no contamination of the soil beyond that expected of parks in urban areas. NPS stated they would do more test kits and “monitor the area.”
ANC Commissioner Ammerman put together a timeline of events and requested of Congresswoman Norton’s office that NPS conduct more extensive testing. We will see how NPS responds to Congresswoman Norton’s request. What is clear is that this whole thing could have been dealt with properly a long time ago.
Metro temporary bus shelter project at Fort Totten station
Catching up on posts.
Over the next several months, Metro will be replacing the bus shelters at Fort Totten Metro station. Metro is installing transition bus shelters as part of this process. These are temporary shelters wrapped in artistic images. The temporary shelters still have electronic bus arrival signs and there is a small bench in each shelter.
See more information about the transition bus shelter project at https://www.wmata.com/service/status/details/Bus-shelter-replacenment-project-jan2023.cfm and https://www.wmata.com/service/status/details/Metro-Transition-Shelter-Installation-Program.cfm.
Signage at the transition shelters explains that the artistic designs are based on hand-drawn renderings of the Metro system by employees of the architectural firm that designed the Metrorail system, including an individual named Gene Streett. See more about the images at https://www.wmata.com/initiatives/art-in-transit/ait-fort-totten.cfm.
February 15: Ward 4 Virtual Budget Forum/Listening Session
Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George rescheduled the virtual budget forum/listening session to Wednesday, February 15 at 7:00 pm. Register at https://janeeseward4.com/listen.
Art Place Construction Notice 2/13/2023-2/18/2023
February 16: ANC 5A08 and 5A03 Joint Meeting on McDonald’s Development – Public Space Committee Application
From ANC 5A
ANC 5A08 and 5A03 Joint Meeting on McDonald’s Public Space Committee Application
Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 7:00 pm
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82747576285?pwd=SmJaZFl0U3VwNHkzNEVmRHU1YzE1UT09
Meeting ID: 827 4757 6285
Passcode: 826515
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 827 4757 6285
Passcode: 826515
AGENDA ITEMS
McDonald’s Public Space Committee Application
Next Stop...Riggs Park 