Author Archives: nextstoprp

October 26: ANC 4B Monthly Public Meeting

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 4B

ANC 4B Regular Public Meeting
Monday, October 26, 2020, 7:00 p.m.

Virtual Meeting Details: 

For video participation via Zoom on a computer or mobile device, click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84214249196?pwd=c3E0bzJmMFpoQ1JwVWFtNmhsVkduUT09. Meeting ID: 842-1424-9196. Password: 964318. 

For voice-only participation on a telephone, dial (301) 715-8592. Meeting ID: 842-1424-9196. Password: 964318. 

To watch (but not participate) via YouTube: https://youtu.be/IJNG8qn514A. 

Agenda

1.        Call to Order & Roll Call  

2.        Administrative Items: 

A. Consideration and Approval of October Agenda 
B. Instructions regarding Participation in Virtual Meeting 
C. Approval of September Regular Public Meeting Minutes 
D. Treasurer’s Report & Quarterly Financial Report for Q4 2020 
E. Commissioner Updates (if applicable)

3.        Presentation: Tesfalem Aim and Yvonne Thelwell, District Department of Transportation, Rehabilitation of Eastern Avenue (Commissioner Bromaghim – 10 minute presentation; 10 minute discussion) 

4.        Presentation: Greg Matlesky, Bicycle Program Specialist, District Department of Transportation, Proposed Capital Bikeshare Station at Kansas Avenue and Longfellow Streets, NW (Commissioner Johnson – 5 minute presentation; 5 minute discussion) 

5.        Presentation: Julie Patton Lawson, Director, Mayor’s Office of the Clean City, Pilot Project re Residential Trash Disposal (Commissioner Brooks – 3 minute presentation; 3 minute discussion) 

6.        Presentation: Petra Development, Proposed Development at 6928 Maple Street, NW (Commissioner Bromaghim – 10 minute presentation; 10 minute discussion) 

7.        Reports:

A. Metropolitan Police Department, 4th District (3 minutes) 
B. Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon T. Todd (3 minutes) 
C. Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (3 minutes)  
D. Ward 4 State Board of Education Representative Frazier O’Leary (3 minutes) 

8.        Consent Calendar: 

Resolution 4B-20-1001: Supporting Proposed Capital Bikeshare Station at Kansas Avenue and Longfellow Streets, NW (Commissioner Johnson) 

Resolution 4B-20-1002: Encouraging Best Practices to Assure Broad Inclusivity and Robust Participation in DC Government Hearings (Commissioner Palmer and Commissioner Johnson) 

Letter to District Department of Transportation Regarding Improvements to Traffic Safety Assessment Process (Commissioner Palmer and Commissioner Yeats) 

Letter to District Department of Transportation Requesting Traffic Safety Improvements on Butternut Street, NW (Commissioner Palmer and Commissioner Yeats) 

Resolution 4B-20-1003: Requesting Installation of Speed Humps on 6th Street, NE, from Eastern Avenue, NE to Oneida Street, NE(Commissioner Brooks) 

Resolution 4B-20-1004: Requesting Traffic Calming for the 5700 – 5900 Blocks of Eastern Avenue, NE(Commissioner Huff)  

Resolution 4B-20-1005: Requesting Installation of Speed Humps on Dahlia Street, NW between Georgia Avenue, NW, and Piney Branch Road, NW (Commissioner Yeats)   

9.        Resolution 4B-20-1006:Establishing a Vision Zero Committee (Commissioner Yeats and Commissioner Brooks – 3 minute presentation; 3 minute discussion) 

10.     Resolution 4B-20-1007: Supporting and Providing Recommendations on B23-149, Fair Tenant Screening Act of 2019; B23-498, Intersectional Discrimination Protection Amendment Act of 2019; B23-195, Michael A. Stoops Anti-Discrimination Amendment Act of 2019 (Commissioner Palmer – 2 minute presentation; 2 minute discussion) 

11.     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. 

12.     Adjournment 

Next Regular Public Meeting: Monday, November 23, 2020, 7:00 p.m. 

Contact your Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner: ANC 4B01 Evan Yeats (4B01@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B02 Erin Palmer (4B02@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B03 Scot Knickerbocker (4B03@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B04 Brenda Parks (4B04@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B05 Perry Redd (4B05@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B06 Tiffani Nichole Johnson (4B06@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B07 Geoff Bromaghim (4B07@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B08 Alison Brooks (4B08@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B09 LaRoya Huff (4B09@anc.dc.gov) 

Final Riggs-LaSalle Playground Design

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation

On October 14, 2020, DC’s Department of Parks & Recreation and the Department of General Services shared the final design for the new Riggs-LaSalle Playground that will be located on the Nicholson Street NE side of the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. View the presentation here.

The playground will be ADA accessible with play structures for the 2 to 5 year old age group and for the 5 to 12 year old age group. New shade trees, low maintenance landscaping, and a four foot decorative fence will be installed.

We discussed the preliminary design in this blog post. A few updates from the preliminary design:

  • Confirmed drinking fountain with bottle filler
  • More benches (4, up from 2)
  • More swings (4, up from 3)
  • Night lighting
  • Security cameras
  • Reorientation of the playground layout

DPR will not create a direct walkway between the existing splash pad and the new playground as requested because they do not want children with wet slippery feet running onto the playground and potentially hurting themselves. As for security, DPR noted the agency will work with DGS to ensure that the playground is adequately maintained and safe.

The project will break ground in the next couple of weeks, with completion anticipated late 2020/early 2021. For questions, contact the project manager Peter Nohrden at peter.nohrden@dc.gov. The project website is https://dgs.dc.gov/riggs-lasalle.

Images from presentation

Riggs Park Featured in GGWash

Posted by nextstoprp in Riggs Park

Greater Greater Washington published a profile of the Riggs Park neighborhood written by a neighborhood resident. Similar to these blog posts, the piece discusses the neighborhood’s Civil War and industrial past. The piece goes on to highlight some of the neighborhood development in the pipeline, noting the neighborhood could become a destination of sorts in the future. Check it out.

Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center Crime By the Numbers

Posted by nextstoprp in Public Safety, Recreation

By David Kosub (Contributor)

Warranted or not, the subject of crime regularly seems to come up when discussing Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. This was definitely a point of debate amongst neighbors at the October 2020 meeting of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association as part of the discussion on the new playground. If you need to come up to speed on the new project, please read a detailed description here and my comments provided to the DC Department of Parks and Recreation. And, mark your calendars for October 14 for the next community meeting on the project.

I personally feel safe in Riggs Park and have no fear about taking my family to the current playground. From my viewpoint, detractors of the playground like to  say that the vast majority of crime—especially violent crime—that happens in Riggs Park centers around the recreation center. But, these are always anecdotes, and we all know that the plural of anecdotes is not data.

So, let’s actually look at some crime statistics pulled from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Crime Map to better understand the issue. In this post, I will show data provided when searching for all reported crimes within 1,000 feet from the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center over the past eight years. Note, data for 2020 are as of Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Also, keep in mind when looking at the data, that these numbers may or may not be directly linked to anything going on at the rec center, but specifically within a 1,000 foot radius.

Table 1 below shows the bigger picture of property crime and violent crime since 2012. No surprise, but property crimes outnumbered violent crimes each year. During this time, the total number of crimes trended up, peaked in 2017, then came down since then.

YearPropertyViolentGrand Total
2012909
201333639
2014371249
2015381856
201642951
2017451459
201837643
201926733
202018220
    
Table 1

Table 2 shows a breakdown of property crimes reported near the rec center. These include burglary, motor vehicle theft, theft from auto, and other types of theft. Theft from automobiles is definitely a problem near the rec center, but this is an issue citywide, not unique to Riggs Park. MPD raises this issue quite often at community meetings. Here is your PSA for the day, stop leaving valuables in your car already!

YearBurglaryMotor vehicle theftTheft from autoTheft/other
20121116
201348147
2014461413
2015471512
201610338
2017441819
201813276
201912167
202012114
Table 2

And, what about for violent crimes, such as assault with a deadly weapon, homicide, robbery, and Sexual abuse? Below are the numbers for your review in Table 3.

YearAssault w/dangerous weaponHomicideRobberySex abuse
20120000
20132031
20143090
201512060
20165220
201730110
20183111
20193040
20200020

Finally, when looking at the method used during some of the crimes, Table 4 below shows  the data for guns, knifes, and other methods. I’m not sure what all is encompassed in “other” here from MPD, and probably do not want to know…

YearGunKnifeOtherGrand Total
2012189
201323739
2014424349
201594756
2016724251
2017615259
2018413843
2019512733
202021820
Table 4

Overall, reported crimes appear to be trending downward in recent years near the rec center. This is also the case for Riggs Park as a whole (see this 2019 post for a decade’s worth of data). To me, this is something to commend and build upon. Moreover, the crime data do not justify to me a reason to fight a new playground coming to our neighborhood that will benefit families and children alike. That being said, one crime is too many of course. I am pleased to hear of residents taking action, providing crime-reduction plans, and working towards engaging folks in our community (yes, that is an overt plug for Tischa Cockrell running for ANC4B).

Take the MoveDC Transportation Plan Survey

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is updating moveDC, DC’s long-term transportation plan. The moveDC 2021 update will:

  • Streamline the goals, policies and strategies that guide transportation investments
  • Map mobility networks for bicycles, transit and freight to achieve mode shift goals
  • Address how recent, emerging and future mobility trends and innovations will shape our transportation system
  • Set metrics to track progress and measure success
  • Ensure equity is a key consideration in making transportation decisions
  • Engage with the community to develop a plan that reflects current values and meets federal requirements

Residents can participate in moveDC2021 in one of the following ways:  

                      *  Tuesday, October 20, 2020, 7:00 pm-8:00 pm
                    *  Thursday, October 22, 2020, 10:00 am-11:00 am  
                      *  Tuesday, October 27, 2020, 7:00 pm-8:00 pm  
                      *  Wednesday, October 28, 2020, 10:00am -11:00 am 

For more information about moveDC 2021, visit the plan website www.wemovedc.org.

Thoughts on Local Candidates for 2020 General Election

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 4B, ANC 5A
Image of drop box at UDC-CC Backus located at 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE. The drop box will open on October 5.

DC election ballots started arriving in mailboxes earlier this week. As noted in this post, residents have a number of ways to vote. Most ballot drop boxes placed around the city will open on Monday October 5. The most convenient ballot drop boxes to Riggs Park are at UDC-CC Backus (5171 South Dakota Avenue NE) and Lamond Recreation Center (20 Tuckerman Street NE). For all voting information, including ballot drop box and voting center locations, visit the DC Board of Elections website at https://www.dcboe.org.

Candidate Information Resources

Check out the nonpartisan DC League of Women Voters for candidate questionnaires at https://www.vote411.org/ballot. Type in your address and you will see candidate questionnaires for races that appear on your ballot, including the ANC race.

Also, as required by law, the DC Office of Campaign Finance held a debate of the At-Large DC Council candidates and the At-Large DC State Board of Education candidates. View the debates at http://2020dcdebates.com.

Update 10/6/2020: DCist has published a voter guide for the At-Large Council race, which includes a link to candidate questionnaires.

Update 10/12/2020: The Washington Post published a voter guide for the State Board of Education race and a voter guide for the At-Large Council race.

Update 10/15/2020: Washington City Paper published a voter guide for the At-Large Council race.

ANC Races

For the Riggs Park neighborhood, there are competitive races for ANC single member district (SMD) 5A08 and 4B09. For ANC 5A08, I recommend that residents support the incumbent commissioner Gordon Fletcher, who is running for reelection. His competitor Nestride Yumga’s main claim to fame is inviting Breitbart News to an event she organized at MPD’s Second District headquarters this past summer. At the event, Yumga, a Black woman, stated about Black individuals, “We have the most violent race in America.” I know sometimes people do not pay attention to ANC races, but we really do not need to have people who say ridiculous, racist things like this representing DC residents.

For ANC 4B09, I recommend that residents support Tischa Cockrell. Ms. Cockrell is running against the incumbent commissioner LaRoya Huff. Both Ms. Cockrell and Ms. Huff serve on the board of the neighborhood civic association Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA), Ms. Cockrell as 1st Vice President and Ms. Huff as 2nd Vice President. Ms. Cockrell is the only person keeping the organization from devolving into complete chaos under the leadership of LRCA president, Rodney Foxworth. Ms. Huff ran on Mr. Foxworth’s slate and was elected along with almost the entirety of his slate for the LRCA board in May 2019. I have not been posting about LRCA matters much because it is just unfortunate how much of a spectacle it has become under Mr. Foxworth’s leadership and those who supported him.

At any rate, as most know, Ms. Huff is also the deputy director of constituent services for Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd. Councilmember Todd lost the Democratic primary earlier this year and will relinquish his council seat in January 2021. I have always found it curious that DC Council staffers can run for ANC, but they can. Ms. Huff is not the first and she will not be the last to do so, but there is a serious question of what can be attributed to Ms. Huff’s wearing her council staffer hat versus her ANC hat. And I am going to go ahead and say that much of what Ms. Huff has done in the neighborhood is the result of being a Ward 4 council staffer, so I question how much will be done once she is no longer in that role. The fact that for a time this year, residents were reaching out to me about issues in ANC 4B09 (and I live in Ward 5) because they were not receiving responses to messages sent to Ms. Huff’s ANC email address partially leads me to this conclusion.

That aside, I worked with Ms. Cockrell on neighborhood issues when I served as LRCA president from June 2017 to June 2019 and also prior to that when we were both pretty involved in neighborhood civic life. Barbara Rogers, Ms. Cockrell, and I planned the Riggs Park Day celebration in May 2018. Residents talked about having this celebration for at least nine years that I know of, wishing that a community day was held like it was in the past well before I moved into the neighborhood. The three of us decided we were going to plan it and we did it. It was a lot of work and took a lot of time, resources, and sheer willpower, and it ended up being a really wonderful community day.

Ms. Cockrell also recently started the Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center to support the neighborhood rec. Again, this is something that neighborhood residents talked about for a long long time and Ms. Cockrell took the initiative to actually get it started. So I recommend that residents in ANC 4B09 vote for someone who regularly checks email, takes inititative, stays informed about projects in the SMD, and informs residents about what is happening in the SMD by voting for Tischa Cockrell.

Ward 4 Council

Democratic candidate Janeese Lewis George and Statehood Green Party candidate Perry Redd are on the ballot for the Ward 4 Council seat.

Ward 4 State Board of Education

Incumbent Frazier O’Leary does not have a competitor for the Ward 4 SBOE seat.

At-Large State Board of Education

The At-Large State Board of Election race has six candidates on the ballot. View the OCF debate at http://2020dcdebates.com.

One of the candidates, Jacque Patterson, has a slight connection to Riggs Park. Mr. Patterson, who previously attempted to run for this seat but failed to get on the ballot in 2016, is tangentially responsible for Rocketship Charter School coming to the neighborhood. Mr. Patterson was the DC regional director for Rocketship Schools when Rocketship was supposed to open a Ward 5 campus in Brookland back in 2018. That effort failed, leaving families stranded after the school enrollment deadline. It was quite the debacle. Rocketship replaced Mr. Patterson with the current DC regional director Joyanna Smith. Ms. Smith is a familiar face at ANC 5A meetings because Rocketship ended up leasing space at Art Place at Fort Totten in Riggs Park for its Ward 5 campus.

At-Large Council

The At-Large DC Council race has 24 candidates on the ballot for two seats. Rick Murphee withdrew after the ballot printing deadline, so his name still appears on the ballot. To get a handle on the large number of candidates, check out the OCF debates. In addition, the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly held a well-moderated, two-part debate in September. View part one here and part two here.

Initiative 81

Initiative 81 seeks to make entheogens (think magic mushrooms and the like) the lowest of local law enforcement priorities. Who knows how much enforcement there actually is in DC, but nevertheless the issue is on the ballot. Find out more about the initative at https://decrimnaturedc.org/initiative-81. An organizer for the Initiative 81 campaign presented at ANC 4B’s September meeting. View that meeting here (at the 20:22 minute mark).

Happy Voting!

September 23, 2020 ANC 5A Meeting Recap: Flood Resources; Catholic University Updates; Providence Updates

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on September 23, 2020. Commissioners present: Frank Wilds (5A01), Grace Lewis – Parliamentarian (5A02), Emily Singer Lucio – Secretary (5A03), Ronnie Edwards – Chair (5A05), Claudia Barragan (5A06), Sandi Washington – Treasurer (5A07), Gordon Fletcher – Vice Chair (5A08)

Ward 5 Councilmember Report

Silas Grant, Senior Adviser to Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, noted Councilmember McDuffie recently introduced emergency legislation, the Local Business Enterprise Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2020, to close a loophole around certified business enterprises (CBEs).

For those impacted by flooding and sewer backup issues as a result of the storm on September 10, DC Water has a resource page at https://dcwater.com/storm-and-flooding-september-10-2020. DC Water has established a cleanup fund using two vendors. Residents who still need to dewater, clean, and sanitize their homes should contact the vendors directly: (1) Service Master at (703) 212-7000 or (2) ServePro at (703) 448-8444. DC Water will pay the vendor directly.

DC Homeland Security & Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) Flood Response

Clint Osborn with the DC HSEMA Hazard Mitigation Program has been assigned to work with the MOCRs to help residents affected by the September 10th flood. He outlined the steps affected residents should take:
(1) Any affected resident that still needs to clean and sanitize their home should immediately call the DC Water vendors noted above (Service Master or ServePro) for immediate dewatering and cleanup/sanitizing. Residents having trouble reaching the vendors can contact DC Water’s cleanup temp to help, but the fastest way to get service will be to contact the vendors directly. DC Water will pay the vendor directly up to $5,000.
(2) File a homeowners insurance claim even if the home may be uninsured or underinsured. Residents can contact DC’s Department of Insurance, Securities, & Banking (DISB) for assistance in addressing any policy concerns.
(3) File a claim with DC Water’s insurer at https://dcwater.com/claims.
(4) Apply for DC Water’s backwater preventer rebate program, which provides reimbursement up to $6,000 for installation of a backwater valve by a licensed plumber. Installing a backflow preventer is the best way to prevent sewer backflow into one’s home. DC Water has expanded the program to Edgewood and Riggs Park residents, but residents who live outside of these neighborhoods should still apply, as DC Water will determine eligibility for the program by address. All residents must apply for and be determined eligible for the program before installing a backflow valve in order to be reimbursed. Note: Even if you did not experience sewage backup in your home, if your address is eligible for the program, DC Water will reimburse you up to 90% (up to $6,000) for installation of a backwater valve, so all residents in the affected neighborhoods should consider applying.
(5) Any affected homeowner who has not done so already should participate in DC’s canvassing effort (see image below). Contact James Farley at (202) 738-2085. DC is assessing whether to make an application to FEMA for a disaster declaration in order to get more relief to affected homeowners. DC will need to meet certain thresholds, and the canvassing effort will help with the FEMA request.

Catholic University

Catholic University introduced their new public safety official, Kirk McLean, Associate Vice President for Public Safety & Emergency Management. He is a retired Prince George’s County law enforcement officer.

Catholic has a COVID-19 information page with information related to case numbers and reopening. Judith Biggs Garbuio, Vice President of Student Affairs at Catholic, stated classes are being offered primarily online. She noted 611 students are living on campus, consisting of a small number of first year and transfer students. Catholic does not know how many students returned to the DC area to off campus housing. Ms. Garbuio noted that some students had to return because their landlords would not let them out of their lease. When students enroll in spring classes in a couple of weeks, the university will have a better sense of where their students are living.

Catholic is conducting surveillance testing of student-athletes and symptomatic individuals. As of September 23, the university reported 73 off campus positive COVID-19 cases and 10 on campus positive COVID-19 cases. The university does not have any reported positive COVID-19 cases among faculty or staff since students began returning to campus on August 15. Most faculty are teaching classes remotely, and most staff have the option to telework until at least December 31, 2020.

Catholic recently sent communication to neighborhood residents asking them to contact the public safety line at (202) 319-5111 if residents see large student gatherings. Ms. Garbuio stated that they were made aware of one large student party off campus and those students were placed on threat of suspension.

Providence

View Providence’s presentation here.

Nicole Commodore, Director of Community Impact & Advocacy for Providence, noted Providence continues to work with DC on COVID-19 response. Providence is also willing to partner with organizations to provide masks to seniors in need.

Providence was recently selected and approved as the medical provider partner for the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind’s grant application for the DC Hope Community Grant.

Providence will have a free community flu shot clinic on October 7, 2020, from 9:30 am to 11:00 am and from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

DC’s State Health & Planning Development Agency (SHPDA) recently approved Providence’s certificate of need for a diagnostic and imaging center. The center will be housed in the old emergency center and is expected to open in spring 2021. The center will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

(One item not discussed was the DC Office of Attorney General’s recent communication regarding the OAG’s investigation of the closure of Providence Hospital. Read more at https://oag.dc.gov/blog/investigating-closure-providence-hospital.)

ANC 5A Website

The ANC is planning to revamp its website again. The current website is not user friendly or ADA compliant. Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) and Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) will spearhead the project. Look for a new website first quarter 2021.

ANC 5A08 Public Safety Task Force

ANC 5A08’s public safety task force held its first orange hat walk on September 16. If you are interested in participating in the 5A08 task force, reach out to Commissioner Fletcher.

Ward 5 Mutual Aid

The ANC informed the Ward 5 mutual aid organization that it needs to partner with a nonprofit organization in order to receive a grant from the ANC. The mutual aid organization will look at partnering with a couple of area churches.

DC Census 2020

There is still time to complete the census if you have not done so. Visit https://2020census.gov.

Miscellaneous

An update on Art Place at Fort Totten was originally on the agenda, but was removed by Commissioner Fletcher. He will provide an update at a future meeting.

At the request of a resident, the ANC will consider recording the meetings to make them publicly available to residents.

September 28: ANC 4B Monthly Public Meeting

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 4B

ANC 4B Regular Public Meeting
Monday, September 28, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
Virtual Meeting Details:

Virtual Meeting Details: 

For video participation via Zoom on a computer or mobile device, click this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84214249196?pwd=c3E0bzJmMFpoQ1JwVWFtNmhsVkduUT09. Meeting ID: 842-1424-9196. Password: 964318. 

For voice-only participation on a telephone, dial (301) 715-8592. Meeting ID: 842-1424-9196. Password: 964318. 

To watch (but not participate) via YouTube: https://youtu.be/kPF-3QiSqxk.

Agenda

1.        Call to Order & Roll Call  

2.        Administrative Items: 
A. Consideration and Approval of September Agenda 
B. Instructions regarding Participation in Virtual Meeting 
C. Approval of July Regular Public Meeting Minutes 
D. Treasurer’s Report & Approval of Budget for Fiscal Year 2021 
E. Commissioner Updates (if applicable) 

3.        Presentation: Lia Kuduk, Goodwill Ambassador and Community Organizer, Campaign to Decriminalize Nature DC, Initiative 81 (Commissioner Palmer – 5 minute presentation; 5 minute discussion) 

4.        Presentation: Paul Kihn, Deputy Mayor for Education, Public School Reopening (Commissioner Yeats – 10 minute presentation; 15 minute discussion) [invited] 

5.        Reports:A. Metropolitan Police Department, 4th District (3 minutes) B. Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon T. Todd (3 minutes) C. Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (3 minutes)  D. Ward 4 State Board of Education Representative Frazier O’Leary (3 minutes) 

6.        Consent Calendar: 

Resolution 4B-20-0901: Requesting Installation of Speed Humps and Additional Traffic Calming on Whittier Street, NW, between Blair Road, NW, and Piney Branch Road, NW (Commissioner Palmer & Commissioner Bromaghim)  

Resolution 4B-20-0902: Requesting Consideration of Speed Humps on 4th Street, NW, between Van Buren Street, NW, and Aspen Street, NW (Commissioner Palmer & Commissioner Bromaghim) 

Resolution 4B-20-0903: Requesting Speed Humps on Longfellow Street, NW, between Kansas Avenue, NW, and First Street, NW (Commissioner Brooks)  

Resolution 4B-20-0904: Requesting Speed Humps for the Unit Block of Sheridan Street, NE (Commissioner Bromaghim)  

Resolution 4B-20-0905: Supporting the Provision of DHCD Funding for 218 Vine Street, NW (Commissioner Bromaghim)  

Resolution 4B-20-0906: Urging the DC Council to Ban the Use of Gay Panic and Trans Panic Defense in Court Cases (Commissioner Yeats) 

7.        Resolution 4B-20-0907: Supporting Traffic Calming on 3rd Street, NE (Commissioner Brooks & Commissioner Huff – 2 minute presentation; 2 minute discussion) 

8.        Resolution 4B-20-0908: Addressing Pedestrian Safety Measures and Signage at Walmart Supercenter, 310 Riggs Road, NE (Commissioner Huff – 2 minute presentation; 2 minute discussion) 

9.        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. 

10.     Adjournment 

Next Regular Public Meeting: Monday, October 26, 2020, 7:00 p.m. 

Contact your Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner: ANC 4B01 Evan Yeats (4B01@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B02 Erin Palmer (4B02@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B03 Scot Knickerbocker (4B03@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B04 Brenda Parks (4B04@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B05 Perry Redd (4B05@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B06 Tiffani Nichole Johnson (4B06@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B07 Geoff Bromaghim (4B07@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B08 Alison Brooks (4B08@anc.dc.gov); ANC 4B09 LaRoya Huff (4B09@anc.dc.gov) 

Pepco Capital Grid 3-Week Look Ahead 9/21/2020

Posted by nextstoprp in Environment

Pepco has provided a three-week look ahead of the areas of the Captial Grid Project that Pepco contractor’s DCI/Meade and JM Utility Construction are working, starting the week of September 21, 2020. The work zones include Riggs Road NE, Eastern Avenue NE, and New Hampshire Avenue NW. Parking restrictions are in effect in the work zones Monday through Saturday, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.

For more information about the project, visit pepco.com/CapitalGrid. For questions, email Ann Walters at ann@robinsonpr.com or call/text at 202-680-8533. Virtual Office hours are on Tuesdays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturdays, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at https://meetingsamer17.webex.com/meet/ann

Pepco Capital Grid Riggs Road/Eastern Avenue NE Presentation

Posted by nextstoprp in Environment

On September 17, 2020, Pepco held a virtual meeting on the Riggs Road/Eastern Avenue NE portion of the Capital Grid Project. The presentation is here.

A few things to highlight:

  • The permitted work hours are 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Signs will be posted where cars should not be parked in the work zone.
  • The neighborhood’s community relations coordinator is Ann Walters. Ms. Walters will hold virtual office hours on Tuesdays from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. You can attend the virtual office hours by logging into webex, Meeting ID number 1263329849. She can also be reached by phone at (202) 680-8533 and by email at ann@robinsonpr.com.
  • There is also a dedicated number for the project – (833) CAP-GRID (277-4743). The project website is www.pepco.com/capitalgrid and an interactive website is available at www.capitalgrid.net.
  • If you use metrobus, probably best to keep an eye out for detours and delays.

September 23: ANC 5A Monthly Public Meeting (Virtual)

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

ANC 5A Public Meeting
September 23, 2020
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81006714937?pwd=U2NRNVo1QXFaZHhCSUpwbENydjZPQT09

Meeting ID: 810 0671 4937
Passcode: 903231

Call in Number: 1 301 715 8592 

All residents will be muted.  Individuals will be called on once acknowledged by the Chair.

Agenda Items

  1. Catholic University of America COVID Plan and progress and Introduction of new Public Safety Director
  2. ANC 5A08 Cafritz Project Update

September 16: DC Water Flood Townhall

Posted by nextstoprp in Environment

From Ward 5 Councilmember McDuffie’s facebook page:

DC Water has requested that all residents who experienced damage from last Thursday’s storm file a damage claim. For information on how to file a claim for damages visit www.dcwater.com/claims or contact Barbara Mitchell at barbara.mitchell@dcwater.com or 202-320-5299.

Information on how to apply for the backwater valve program can be found on DC Water’s website at dcwater.com/backwatervalves.

DC Water will host a Virtual Town Hall to discuss flooding on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 6:30 pm. The meeting can be accessed via the link and telephone number below.
Microsoft Teams http://bit.ly/FloodingTownHall
Telephone (855)-756-7520 Ext. 66560

https://www.dcwater.com/whats-going-on/news/dc-water-host-virtual-town-hall-residents-impacted-september-10-extreme-flooding

DC Water General Manager David L. Gadis and senior members of the authority are inviting all residents who were impacted by the historic flooding on September 10 to participate in a live community meeting to discuss the event, opportunities for assistance and future prevention. Mr. Gadis will explain how the storms overwhelmed the sewer system and discuss DC Water’s new initiative to expand the installation of backwater valves, among other topics.

The meeting is aimed primarily at residents who live along the most heavily impacted areas of the flood but all DC residents are invited to participate in the call.

Who:           Virtual Town Hall to Discuss Flooding

When:         September 16, 2020, 6:30 pm.
        
Where:        Microsoft Teams: www.dcwater.com/flooding-town-hall

                    Telephone: (855)-756-7520 Ext. 66560 

Media may participate in the call but questions are reserved for residents with concerns or questions about the flooding. 

For more information, please visit www.dcwater.com/September10Flooding.

UDC-CC Backus Bioretention Project

Posted by nextstoprp in Education, Environment
UDC-CC Backus campus, corner of South Dakota Avenue and Hamilton Street NE

UDC is apparently installing a bioretention and cistern system at UDC-CC Backus in the grassy area of the campus on the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Hamilton Street NE. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. That will be a big improvement for that corner area. I always that it would be a nice spot for a demonstration native plant garden, so it is nice to hear that it will hold a bioretention system to help with stormwater runoff. Now we just need UDC to paint the fence, replace the dead trees on the Galloway Street side, and install native landscaping around the campus and things will be looking much better.

September 17: Pepco Capital Grid Project Virtual Community Meeting; Other Construction Work

Posted by nextstoprp in Environment, Neighborhood Development, Transportation
Pepco mailer on Capital Grid Project

Pepco Capitol Grid Riggs Road/Eastern Avenue NE
Virtual Community Meeting
September 17, 2020
6:30 pm-8:00 pm

Join Virtually (to view the presentation): 
https://tinyurl.com/CapitalGridMeetingSept17

Join by Phone (to hear presentation only):
1-443-529-0267; Conference ID – 396 316 663#

Topics of discussion will include:

  • Construction updates
  • Construction timelines
  • Neighborhood impacts

The subject of so many community meetings over the past few years, Pepco’s Capital Grid project has finally made its way to Riggs Road NE. Road work to place transmission cables underground along Riggs Road has commenced. Drivers will encounter lane closures in the work zone. You can view an interactive map of the project at https://capitalgrid.net.

Please pack some patience and pay attention to the flaggers. I have seen drivers become impatient and proceed driving contrary to instructions to stop. Needless to say, that is dangerous. Your best bet is to avoid Riggs Road NE if you can.

Other Construction Work

Site construction has started at the Riggs Park Place townhome development on the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE. The construction entrance is located on South Dakota Avenue, so you will see flaggers in that area directing traffic to stop to allow construction trucks to enter and exit the site.

There will be occasional lane closures on both sides of South Dakota Avenue.

Finally, there is road work taking place all over the city these days, so probably best to give yourself a few extra mintues to get wherever you need to go.

Neighborhood Home Flooding Resources

Posted by nextstoprp in Environment

According to news reports, some neighborhood residents experienced flooding/sewage issues as a result of the recent storm that dumped a large amount of rain in a short period of time on Thursday, September 10. Homes affected were in the 600-700 blocks of Nicholson Street NE, 600 block of Kensington Place NE, and 5800 block of 8th Street NE.

For many years, there has always been flooding around South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street and Gallatin Street NE after flash storms, but South Dakota Avenue NE between Kennedy Street NE and Farragut Place NE looked like a small river after this most recent storm.

If you experienced flooding/sewage issues, please reach out to Ward 4 MOCR KeShawn Harris at keshawn.harris@dc.gov.

Below are a letter from Mayor Muriel Bowser to affected residents and contact information for residents to report flood/sewer issues as a result of the September 10th storm.