Author Archives: nextstoprp

September 9, 2020 ANC 5A Special Meeting Recap: Hope & Joy Home Health Center; EYA Josephite Development; Pepco Rate Case; ANC Space at Art Place

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

On September 9, 2020, ANC 5A held a special public meeting. Commissioners present: 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)

Hope & Joy Home Health Care Agency

The owner of Hope and Joy Health & Allied Services, a home health center based in Laurel, Maryland is looking to open a location in DC, specifically in Ward 5. Ostensibly the purpose of appearing before the ANC was to request the Commission’s support for the business’s Certificate of Need application with the DC Department of Health State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA). The owner identified a home at 4328 Varnum Place NE that is currently being used for a catering business as a potential location. Because this home is zoned for residential use only, he would need a special exception to operate a business at the home. It is not clear if the homeowner currently resides in the home while the catering business is being operated, but if Hope & Joy’s owner were to obtain a special exception, no one would reside in the home and there would be four to five employees working out of the home. No clients would be served at the home.

The ANC voted (5-0-1) not to support Hope & Joy because the owner would ultimately be seeking to operate a business in a residential zone. Commissioner Claudia Barragan (5A06) abstained. The discussion was strange because the owner stated that it would actually be more affordable for him to lease an office suite rather than go through the zoning process to turn a residence into a business, so it was not clear why he was even approaching the ANC about this idea. At any rate, he is apparently committed to opening in Ward 5, so he is working with Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) to identify commercial space in Ward 5, including available space at Art Place at Fort Totten. He stated that he does not need to have a location identified for the Certificate of Need, but it would be useful and ultimately he would of course need to identify a location for SHPDA.

EYA Josephite Development

EYA is proceeding with a townhome development at the St. Joseph’s Josephite Seminary called Townhomes at Michigan Park near 12th Street and Allison Street NE, after the DC Court of Appeals affirmed the Zoning Commission’s approval of the project back in July of this year. That lawsuit by a nearby resident delayed the project for a few years. View EYA’s presentation to the ANC here.

The project will have roughly 80 three to four bedroom townhomes. Six of the homes will be reserved for families with income at or below 60 percent of area median income. The price of those homes will be in the $250,000 to $300,000 range. Four of the homes will be reserved for families with income at or below 80 percent of area median income. The price of those homes will be in the $350,000 to $400,000 range. There are other community benefits, including a permanent easement preserving some green space, public art, publicly accessible playground, training opportunities for Phelps High School students, money for a tax assistance fund, and an application for historic preservation of the seminary building, as well as pedestrian safety and traffic calming measures associated with the project. Residents will see a sales trailer at the site in the next couple of months. The first homes are anticipated to be completed by late 2021. If you have questions about the project, contact Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03).

Pepco Proposed Rate Increase

The DC Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC) gave a very detailed presentation on Pepco’s proposed multi-year rate increase application. The presentation is not available on the ANC website yet, but a helpful fact sheet from OPC on this issue is available on the OPC website. According to the fact sheet,

On August 11, 2020, OPC and all of the non-utility parties to the Pepco rate case proceeding (Formal Case No. 1156), filed a joint motion with the DC Public Service Commission (PSC) requesting that the PSC direct Pepco to withdraw its rate increase application, dismiss Pepco’s Multiyear Rate Plan (MRP) Enhanced Proposal, and grant additional consumer relief.

OPC Consumer Fact Sheet available at https://opc-dc.gov/images/pdf/OCF_PastPerformanceEvaluation.pdf

I will not attempt to explain OPC’s position in full; the fact sheet is a good explainer. OPC and the other non-utility parties argue that Pepco has not provided enough evidence to support its requested rate increase and that Pepco has used unreliable data.

The ANC voted unanimously to support OPC’s recommendation requesting that Pepco withdraw its proposed rate increase application and multi-year rate plan. A public hearing before the DC Public Service Commission is scheduled for September 29, 2020. Individuals may sign up to testify or submit comments for the public record. Instructions from OPC’s fact sheet:

• You can file comments with the PSC via this link:
https://edocket.dcpsc.org/public/public_comments or send an email to
PSC-CommissionSecretary@dc.gov. Please reference Formal Case No. 1156.
• You can speak at the virtual community hearing that the PSC will be holding on September 29. If you wish to testify, send an email to
PSC-CommissionSecretary@dc.gov by the close of business on September 22.

ANC Space at Art Place at Fort Totten

The ANC gave Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) the green light to proceed with securing a self-insured document from the Office of ANC so that ANC 5A can occupy space set aside for the ANC at the Modern at Art Place. Once that document is obtained, the ANC will apparently be able to use the space free of charge. Recall that there has been a multi-year conversation regarding this approved public benefit and who would be responsible for utilities and liability and such. To date, the space, which was completed in 2017, has remained unused. The commissioners now believe that they can in fact secure the required self-insured document and will decide later on how to best use the space for the ANC.

ANC 5A08 Public Safety Task Force

There was a bit of follow-up regarding the creation of a public safety task force for ANC 5A08. It sounded like orange hats have been purchased for that single member district (SMD). The idea of the orange hat is an old one; individuals wearing orange hats would walk around their neighborhoods promoting public safety. If you live in ANC 5A08 and would like more information, contact Commissioner Fletcher.

The next ANC meeting is scheduled for September 23, 2020.

September 6: Smokemade Meats & Eats at Hellbender Labor Day Weekend

Posted by nextstoprp in Main Street

Barbecue caterer Smokemade Meats & Eats will be popping up at Hellbender this Sunday, September 6 from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. You can also place pre-orders at https://smokemademeats.wixsite.com/laborday/online-ordering. Hellbender is located at 5788 2nd Street NE.

Hellbender has emerged as a nice avenue to getting different food options in the neighborhood. In a typical week, one can order local oysters from Sapidus Farms for pickup from Hellbender on Thursdays (order by Tuesday night). Timber Pizza usually makes an appearance one or two days during the weekend as it will do this Friday and Saturday. And usually Dolci Gelato pops up one or two days during the weekend as well. Occasionally, different food trucks will add a little variety to the usual weekly offerings.

If you are looking for something new to try for the Labor Day weekend, check out the offerings at Hellbender, and be sure to follow them on facebook to see food and beverage options each week.

September 9: ANC 5A Special Public Meeting

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

ANC 5A Special Public Meeting
September 9, 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) Hope and Joy Home Health Care Agency CON Request (Requires ANC Support)
2) EYA St. Josephite’s Development Update
3) ANC 5A Additional Office Space
4) Joint Motion Seeking Withdrawal of Pepco’s Rate Increase Request & Dismissal of Its Multiyear Rate Plan (Formal Case No. 1156)

November Election Information

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized

By Gavin Baker

Sharing information from the DC Board of Elections

Your ballot will come by mail: The Board of Elections will automatically mail all registered voters a ballot for the general election. You do not need to request an absentee ballot.

Check your registration: Confirm your registration to make sure your ballot goes to the right address. You can check your registration online. The Board of Elections also recently mailed postcards to registered voters. If the information on yours was correct, you’re all set. If you need to change anything on that postcard, fill it out, fold it, tape it and mail it back.

Register to vote: If you are not registered to vote, visit the DC Board of Elections website to find out how to register. You can also register or update your registration if you go to vote in-person, which is called “same-day registration.”

Vote by mail or ballot drop box: When you receive your ballot in the mail, you can fill it out and return it by mail. Read all the instructions carefully to make sure you fill out everything required and send it back by the deadline. If you prefer, instead of mailing it back, you can drop it in a secure ballot drop box. In Lamond-Riggs, there will be drop boxes at UDC-CC Backus (5171 South Dakota Avenue NE) and the Lamond Recreation Center (20 Tuckerman Street NE). Any voter can use any drop box location.

Voting in person and early voting: If you prefer to vote in person, you can visit a vote center on Election Day, November 3. The vote centers in Lamond-Riggs will be at UDC-CC Backus (5171 South Dakota Avenue NE), the Lamond Recreation Center (20 Tuckerman Street NE), and LaSalle-Backus Education Campus (501 Riggs Road NE).

You can also vote early starting October 27. The closest early voting sites to Lamond-Riggs will be at Ida B. Wells Middle School (405 Sheridan Street NW), Emery Heights Community Center (5801 Georgia Avenue NW), and Turkey Thicket Recreation Center (1100 Michigan Avenue NE).

For more information: Check with the DC Board of Elections for updates or if you have questions. Their website is https://www.dcboe.org and their phone number is (202) 727-2525. Remember that in-person lines and telephone wait times can be long on Election Day, so make your voting plan in advance if possible.

Workers needed: Looking to make some extra money and serve your community? The Board of Elections is hiring election day workers. If you’re 16 or older and a DC resident, you can be an election day worker! Apply online or find more information here.

Riggs Park Home on HGTV

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized

Catching up on some older news. Earlier this month, Riggs Park had a cameo on an episode of House Hunters on HGTV. An engaged couple looking for more space looked at three homes during the episode. Residents might notice the second home is near the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. The caption on the home says it is in Queens Chapel area (probably because that is what Google maps calls part of the neighborhood), but the house hunter calls the neighborhood Riggs Park. Check it out.

(h/t Gavin Baker)

ANC 4B Housing Justice Committee – Riggs Park Residents Apply!

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 4B

I am reposting Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B’s call for applicants for the Commission’s new Housing Justice Committee. The chair of the committee wants to make sure that the committee is representative of the entire ANC. To that end, they are especially interested in receiving applications from residents in Riggs Park on the Ward 4 side of the community (Single Member Districts 4B08 and 4B09).

The resolution establishing the committee describes the committee’s work as follows:

The Committee’s work shall include (1) considering proposed developments within the Commission’s boundaries for purposes of determining how best to maximize affordable housing, including deeply affordable housing; (2) analyzing and providing feedback on proposed legislation and policy affecting affordable housing and homelessness with a goal of increasing and expanding deeply affordable housing; and (3) hosting and supporting educational events on topics related to affordable housing and homelessness.

Below is the initial call for applications with information about how to apply. The application deadline is August 31, 2020.

—

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B in February approved a Resolution establishing a Housing Justice Committee. You can read the Resolution here: https://resolutions.anc.dc.gov/ViewResolution.aspx?Id=yN25GigcNTp/LrkMj/yPmA==.

The Commission is seeking applicants for Committee membership. You must be a resident or businessowner within the Commission’s boundaries to be a member. Check if you reside within the Commission’s boundaries here: https://anc4b.com/about-the-anc/.

If you are interested in serving as a member of the Committee, please send a statement of interest, including any relevant experience, by August 31. The Commission will not be monitoring responses to the listservs. Please send any statements of interest directly to the Chair of the Committee, Commissioner Erin Palmer (4B02), at 4B02@anc.dc.gov. 

Comment on Proposed Playground

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation

By David Kosub

Below is what I shared with the Department of Parks and Recreation regarding my comments on the new playground proposed for the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. I encourage other community members to directly share their feedback with Peter.Nohrden@dc.gov. Feel free and share your thoughts in the comments section too.

—

Good day Mr. Nohrden,

Thank you for meeting with members of the larger Lamond-Riggs community on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, to discuss the plans for the new playground located at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. I appreciated hearing about the plans under consideration and your willingness to encompass feedback from the community. As noted in the Upper Northeast element of the District’s Comprehensive Plan, “…much of Upper Northeast is starved for public parkland. More active recreational areas, playgrounds, athletic fields, and traditional neighborhood parks are needed.” So, this community discussion and project are welcomed.

I support the new playground project. Anything that gets our kids and families outside, playing in the fresh air, the better in my opinion. As requested during the meeting, please find below some additional thoughts for consideration.

·        Link the new playground with the existing splash park and other amenities in the existing play space. A safe passage between the two sites will be a vast improvement to ensure children and families do not need to dodge vehicles in the parking lot just because they want to play.

·        Install as much native landscaping as possible, with minimal sod grass, at the site, including markers indicating what plant species are present. This could make for a great learning tool informing the community about the flora all around them. More information about the landscaping plan in future meetings would be appreciated.

·        Clearly display the hours of operation for the playground on a visually appealing sign

·        Prefer the swing set over the zipline as it would allow more opportunities for children to play

·        Ensure the design of the new playground is one that is aesthetically pleasing and blends into the natural environment and neighborhood whenever and wherever possible. This could include choosing earth tone colors, public art, using building materials which are more environmentally friendly and long-lasting, as well as removal of unsightly existing structures and tall chain-linked fencing.

·        Ensure all playground materials are not toxic and hazardous (i.e. avoiding lead based materials and poured-in-place rubber surfaces)

·        Establish a relationship with the nearby school and recreation center to enhance the environmental quality, accessibility, maintenance, appearance, usefulness, and  “park-like” character of the site above what currently exists (see Policy 4.1.3 of the Parks and Open Space element of the District’s Comprehensive Plan)  

For your reference, the desire and need for a new playground has been a topic of interest in the community for many years. I personally have heard the issue raised at various community meetings, directly to city officials (go to 42 minutes in the recording of this LRCA meeting with Mayor Bowser in February 2018), and while chatting with neighbors. Moreover, the 2009 Small Area Development plan for our neighborhood called for more active recreation, such as playgrounds or trails. Though that specific recommendation was to work with the U.S. National Park Service, it is quite applicable for working with the District’s Department of Parks and Recreation too. As a testament to the community’s interest, below is a sampling of what was shared on our public neighborhood listserv in support of the new playground:

* * * * *

Again, I appreciate your willingness to work with the Riggs Park community on this project to ensure we have the best playground possible that meets the community’s needs. To paraphrase from the 2004 Play D.C. master plan,

Our legacy of parks provides an extraordinary foundation and we owe it not only to our predecessors, but to our current and future residents to capitalize on and fully realize our rich heritage. We must continually invest in, and improve our existing parks and recreation centers citywide to provide quality and equity of service…we must strengthen the connections between parks and neighborhoods, and residents and their communities.

I encourage the Department of Parks and Recreation to send updates on this project, including future meeting announcements, directly to the neighborhood list serv to ensure as many residents are made aware as possible. Emails may be sent to lamond-riggs-community@googlegroups.com. I’m also willing to forward messages directly to the group on your behalf.

Thank you

David Kosub

Riggs-LaSalle Playground Meeting Recap

Posted by nextstoprp in Public Safety, Recreation

On August 19, 2020, the DC Department of Parks & Recreation and Department of General Services held an initial community meeting about a new playground that will be built at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. The rec center is located at 501 Riggs Road NE at the corner of Nicholson Street NE. The playground would be built on the Nicholson Street side of the rec.

The project website is https://dgs.dc.gov/riggs-lasalle. The presentation has not been placed on the website just yet, but a resident kindly passed along screenshots that I have placed below. (Update: The presentation is now on the project website at https://dgs.dc.gov/riggs-lasalle). If you have an interest in this project, please send comments to the project manager Peter Nohrden at peter.nohrden@dc.gov. Officials hope to start construction in fall 2020 with completion anticipated late 2020/early 2021. They have asked that people send comments in the next two weeks, so please send comments as soon as possible.

I suggest that people take pictures of things at other playgrounds that they really like and send that with their comments. This new playground will be limited by space and budget. The footprint they are working with is only 5,000 square feet, so there is not a ton of space for a vast array of playground equipment. The budget is only $550,000. The rec would really need (and could benefit from) a full redesign and layout to really have a larger, cohesive play space, and that is just not going to happen at this point.

Features of the proposed playground

  • A play area for 2 to 5 year olds and a play area for 5 to 12 year olds. There is an Option A and an Option B for both so let officials know if you feel strongly about either option.
  • New signage
  • Shade trees and low maintenance landscaping
  • A couple of benches oriented towards the play structures so that parents/guardians can keep an eye on their children and socialize
  • Swing set with one toddler swing and two regular size swings
  • Optional drinking fountain with bottle filler
  • The playground would be ADA accessible
  • The playground would be open 7 days/week and open to the public during school hours

A few suggestions raised during the community meeting

Some initial comments from residents who attended the meeting:

  • Connect the new playground to the existing playground with a pathway
  • Connect the new playground to the existing splash pad so that children do not have to cross an active driveway to go back and forth between the two
  • Keep the existing playground open to the community. The existing playground is open to the community during non-school hours when school is in session.
  • Supplement the existing playground with different items at the new playground so that children have more play structures.
  • Remove or relocate the shipping containers on the field to increase the amount of space for a playground. These containers apparently have been used to store equipment for the football team, but it is not clear if the team needs that storage space. The project team is discussing that with the rec center staff.
  • Remove the batting cages to increase the amount of space for a playground. Some residents seem to believe that the batting cages are not used. I believe they are used by baseball/softball teams, but I do not know for sure. Other residents stated they would like the batting cages to remain.
  • Have more sitting areas for parents/guardians
  • Include the drinking fountain
  • Several residents expressed a desire for a walking path/track at the rec. DPR officials noted this is a longstanding desire, but noted the layout of the field make installation of a walking track difficult and doing a a full scale redesign of the field is cost-prohibitive at this time.
  • Have a security plan in place

A few concerns & a little background

One of the big concerns that came up even before the meeting and one that has existed with the existing playground is safety. I mentioned in this post that the community worked for several years to get the existing playground opened back up to the community. It was finally reopened in June/July 2019. I did not go into all of the drama of getting that playground reopened.

The existing playground had been closed to the public for at least 8 years that I know of, but I am pretty sure it was closed for a longer period of time. The official reason we were given for its closure to the public was that it belonged to the school next door, LaSalle-Backus Education Campus. I served as president of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) from June 2017 to June 2019. We held a public meeting in February 2018 with members of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Cabinet. I asked parents to attend that meeting to ask the mayor about opening the playground to the public. In response to questions, the mayor stated that it should be open and that she did not know why it was closed. We let DC officials know that we were pretty sure the playground belonged to DPR not DCPS. [Note: At the same time, we were also working to get funding for a new playground because there was not a playground open to the public in the neighborhood at all. We did get a commitment for funding.]

There was a scramble with DPR, DGS, and DCPS doing research, and they eventually determined that the playground actually belonged to DPR and that the school had first right of use. The school would have exclusive use during school hours, and the school would be responsible for cleaning and maintenance of the playground during school hours. During non-school hours and on the weekends, the playground would be open to the public and DGS would be responsible for cleaning and maintenance. In order to open the playground to the public, DGS had to install an ADA ramp and a second entrance. So all of that was done and the playground was reopened to the public last summer.

Unofficially, many residents believe the playground was closed for so long because of safety reasons. I spoke with MPD officers who stated that they thought the playground was in a poor location, basically sitting in a valley behind a tall chain link fence, making it difficult for officers patrolling to see the playground from Riggs Road. DPR officials have said the same. Likewise, the playground could not be seen by officers patrolling on Nicholson Street because the playground sits behind the rec center. The playground was built years before the rec center. When the rec center was built, it was constructed with its back side facing the playground. That layout made it difficult for rec center staff to monitor the playground. As part of the reopening, DGS installed cameras on the back side of the building.

But really the issue is that the playground has been around for decades, so it was there during the crack epidemic. All sorts of things took place on the playground and kids were returning to school finding things they should not be finding on a playground. There are hot blocks in the neighborhood. Over time, the area around the rec became one of the hot spots. One would think people would not do antisocial, anti-community things around an elementary school and community recreation center that community residents lobbied to have built, but here we are.

So now the current president of LRCA, Rodney Foxworth, is objecting to a new playground on the pretense of public safety concerns and that “the community” was not notified. Public safety is a legitimate concern, but it is also a concern that exists regardless of whether this new playground gets built, as I noted above. The new playground would face Nicholson Street and would be visible from the street. DPR reached out to the ANC commissioner for that area ANC Commissioner LaRoya Huff (4B09) to do a site visit and talk about plans for the playground. Ms. Huff is also a current officer on the board of the LRCA. She is also a staffer for Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd.

I will go ahead and say it. One of the frustrating things about this conversation for me is that the loudest voices citing public safety concerns and problems with “process” are the ones who love to talk about how long they have lived in the neighborhood and they love to behave in an unwelcome manner to anyone who was not raised in the neighborhood or who moved into the neighborhood in the last 10 years. The people engaging in anti-community behavior near the rec are not strangers. They are people that long-time residents know. They grew up here. They are friends and relatives of long-time neighbors.

This notion that we should not have anything in this neighborhood because it will just get messed up is a hopelessness and fiction that I just cannot abide. Yes, we need to have a plan in place for making sure the playground stays clean and the equipment is not destroyed. That plan should already be in place for the existing playground. Yes, we should be realistic about the fact that prior to COVID-19, certain people liked to congregate in front of the rec and on the side of the building out of view of the cameras and engage in anti-community behavior. We should also tell the truth that they were permitted to do so. We do not actually have to just shrug and say welp when we see our own neighbors using a community space in ways making it difficult for that space to be used for its intended use, but that is what has been happening. We do not actually have to just shrug and say welp when long-time neighbors know the people responsible for the few shootings that have happened near the rec.

Last summer a few residents (not the loudest voices) and a DC government employee started a program working with some of the youth who would hang out at the rec, and that program was very promising. That is the type of work that we should be championing and expanding. There is a new Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Rec that is in the process of standing up. Once that organization is fully stood up, hopefully it will be an avenue to support this community space. Bottom line, I hope that as neighbors we actually do the work and work together to have the community we want.

Remember to send any comments about the proposed playground to Peter Nohrden at peter.nohrden@dc.gov.

Reminder-August 19: Riggs-LaSalle Playground Community Meeting

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation

Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center Playground Community Meeting
August 19, 2020
6:00 pm-7:00 pm
Hosted by DC Department of Parks & Recreation and
Department of General Services

Join via webex
https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=mb76d0d2b3f3d31d92fb183b30edee2f3

Join by phone
650-479-3208 Call-in toll number (US/Canada)
202-860-2110 United States Toll (Washington D.C.)
Attendee access code 360 353 07

Around the Neighborhood

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development

Lamond-Riggs Library

View of fenced-off Lamond-Riggs Library at 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE awaiting demolition and rebuild. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the interim library at 395 Ingraham Street NE has not opened. Please visit the library’s website at https://www.dclibrary.org/ for the latest information on which locations are open, what services are available, hours, and virtual offerings.

Art Place at Fort Totten Phase Two

Raze of former Riggs Plaza Apartments on 4th Street NE between Ingraham and Kennedy Street. Photo credit: Robert Oliver

Rocketship Public Charter School

View of exterior renovation of warehouses at 5450 Kennedy Street NE for Rocketship Public Charter School. Photo Credit: Robert Oliver

Riggs Park Place

View of Riggs Park Place signage from South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE. Preconstruction meeting took place on August 14. Expect to see more activity in next couple of weeks. Photo credit: Tom Budinger.

Metropolitan Branch Trail Brookland to Fort Totten Extension

View of MBT construction from 1st Place NE. Photo credit: Deborah Grimstead

North Michigan Park-Fort Totten Metro Path

View of fenced-off path from Galloway Street NE

August 19: Riggs-LaSalle Rec Center Playground Community Meeting

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation

As previously noted, a new playground will be built at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center on the Nicholson Street NE side of the center. There will be a virtual community meeting on August 19, 2020. Please plan to attend to learn about the scope of the project and timeline and to get your questions answered.

Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center Playground Community Meeting
August 19, 2020
6:00 pm-7:00 pm
Hosted by DC Department of Parks & Recreation

Join via webex
https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=mb76d0d2b3f3d31d92fb183b30edee2f3

Join by phone
650-479-3208 Call-in toll number (US/Canada)
202-860-2110 United States Toll (Washington D.C.)
Attendee access code 360 353 07

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B – Housing Justice Committee – Call for Applicants

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 4B

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B in February approved a Resolution establishing a Housing Justice Committee. You can read the Resolution here: https://resolutions.anc.dc.gov/ViewResolution.aspx?Id=yN25GigcNTp/LrkMj/yPmA==.

The Commission is seeking applicants for Committee membership. You must be a resident or businessowner within the Commission’s boundaries to be a member. Check if you reside within the Commission’s boundaries here: https://anc4b.com/about-the-anc/.

If you are interested in serving as a member of the Committee, please send a statement of interest, including any relevant experience, by August 31. The Commission will not be monitoring responses to the listservs. Please send any statements of interest directly to the Chair of the Committee, Commissioner Erin Palmer (4B02), at 4B02@anc.dc.gov. 

North Michigan Park-Fort Totten Metro Station Trail Fenced Off

Posted by nextstoprp in Transportation
View of trail under construction from Galloway Street NE

As expected, the National Park Service has completely fenced off the path that was under construction between Gallatin and Galloway Street NE to formally connect North Michigan Park to Fort Totten Metro Station. NPS is still assessing next steps after finding an unexploded ordnance shortly after construction began. NPS expected construction to take no more than 120 days, but this latest development makes the timeline unclear.

Roving Utility Pole Inspection Team

Posted by nextstoprp in Environment

By Robert Oliver (Contributor)

Image: Roving utility pole inspection team

Neighbors, do not be alarmed if you see a white utility vehicle and individuals in safety vests and hardhats prowling your alley. They are a roving inspection team responsible for evaluating the sturdiness of the wooden utility poles. A repair team will follow and perform the work needed based upon the information collected. This may include wrapping the pole in a steel mesh, according to one of the utility team members.

Fort Circle Park & Eastern Avenue Trail Included in Regional Plan

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation, Transportation
Image of neighborhood portion of National Capital Trail Network. Source: https://www.mwcog.org/maps/map-listing/national-capital-trail

Neighbor Gavin Baker sent me an article from DCist regarding the approval of the National Capital Trail Network. Last week, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, an arm of the regional Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, approved the trail network via a board resolution. The plan includes a paved trail near/through Fort Circle Park, connecting to the Metropolitan Branch Trail near Fort Totten, and a trail along Eastern Avenue. The Fort Circle Park trail (named as a part of the Met Branch Trail) was previously included in the District Department of Transportation’s moveDC plan. The resolution calls for annual progress reports and priorization for funding for the trail network.