The Washington Post is at it again. A profile on the Fort Totten neighborhood was published yesterday, but strangely it features residents who do not live in that neighborhood at all. ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) lives in Riggs Park and Robert Oliver lives in North Michigan Park. The writer could have reached out to the Fort Totten Civic Association to speak with actual residents or the actual commissioner for that neighborhood. Not sure if that happened though.
As indicated in the profile, the borders of the Fort Totten neighborhood are Riggs Road to the north, the metro tracks to the east, Hawaii Avenue to the south, and North Capitol Street to the west. People often confuse the neighborhood with nearby neighborhoods like Riggs Park and North Michigan Park. The development taking place is not in Fort Totten; it’s all in Riggs Park. And as is usually the case with these profile pieces, other information is wrong. I was featured in one such profile on Lamond-Riggs back in 2015, so I know sometimes the writer gets quotes wrong or the conversation will be steered in a certain direction and certain statements end up sounding a little ridiculous out of context. Nonetheless, check out what the Washington Post says about the Fort Totten neighborhood.
ANC 5A Special Meeting December 11, 2019 6:45 pm UDC-CC Backus 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE Agenda: (1) Lamond-Riggs Library Update; (2) Comprehensive Plan Update
ANCs have until January 31 to submit a resolution regarding the Office of Planning’s proposed amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. Many ANCs have had working groups or committees to address the proposed changes. Come out to hear how ANC 5A plans to take advantage of the opportunity to weigh in on the proposed changes. Also, if you missed the Lamond-Riggs Library design meeting last month, a member of the design team will be on hand to give an update.
In response to my October post, I was pleased to see so much interest related to the Civil War Defenses of Washington (CWDW) National Park Service (NPS) land in our community. I summarize the comments below and also describe what’s happened since. This is also a call for helping hands. Volunteers welcomed! Please note in the comments and send me an email on how you, your family, and your neighbors can help this project continue to gather steam.
Dusting Off the Plans
To know where we are going, we must look back to where we have been. The 2009 Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue Area Development Plan generally calls for connections, reactivation, and the creation of open spaces around us (see Implementation Table 4.3). It also calls for establishing additional recreational opportunities in the green spaces. Let’s achieve these goals already!
Funding is referenced coming from the District’s Capital Improvement Budget and Capital Space Plan, such as for “active recreation, such as … trails at the edges of the Fort Circle Park near residential areas.” The Capital Space Plan provides strategies for parks, particularly those in the city’s neighborhoods, to create a beautiful, high-quality, and unified system for the Nation’s Capital. I doubt funding is available anymore, but are there any volunteers out there to look into this possible revenue source?
Trees, Trees, and more Trees
I was glad to see I’m not the only tree hugger in the neighborhood. We can always use more trees. Folks seem to echo the point that, without shade trees at least on the perimeter of the park, the area can get too hot during certain times of the year and thus become unusable for many (see this heat island map published last year noting our community is one of the hottest spots in the city). Moreover, trees help combat the effects of climate change, cool the roads, help with stormwater management, provide new habitats for the other creatures around us, give shade for folks who are taking in a pick-up game, and beautify the surroundings making this a more pleasant and desirable place.
During a recent follow-up conversation, NPS acknowledged the community’s desire to have more trees along the edges to help combat the heat island effects and provide shade for park visitors. They still stressed the point that the large swath of open green space in the middle must be maintained in accordance with the management plan for these parklands. That said, they are going to consider the option to plant trees along the perimeter and step up the effort to replace known dead or dying trees.
As suggested, I also reached out to Casey Trees about this site. They noted not working much with CWDW parks before, but were thrilled we want to utilize the land more effectively, such as by adding trees. The likely next step is to submit a Community Tree Planting application so their arborists can take a look and see if moving forward is feasible. Any volunteers to submit the application?
Interestingly enough, roughly 30 new trees were recently planted along the perimeter of the park on the Galloway Street side from South Dakota Avenue to 11th Street NE. Trees were also planted on the perimeter of the park east of Sargent Road NE on Galloway and Gallatin streets. It is unclear to me if these tree plantings were a result of my discussions with NPS, but they are most welcomed nonetheless.
Newly planted trees on Galloway Street NE
Newly planted trees on Gallatin Street NE
To Be Fit or Not to Be Fit
This NPS site is zoned for recreational purposes. And, to many, this means opportunities for exercise. Be it a walking or running path lined with markers, exercise equipment, and a designated field for sports and play for humans and our four-legged friends, we are ready to have fun! Any volunteers to organize a group yoga class or begin an annual Riggs Park v. North Michigan Park pick-up game, perhaps at the next Fort Circle Field Day?
NPS will not approve a designated dog park or install a water fountain (see this 1992 Washington Post story for other wishlist items which would not fly either, but hopefully we will have better neighborhood buy-in today). Other community suggestions are still possible. A walking trail could be installed, as it aligns with earlier NPS plans. But it’ll be costly, and the community would need to find the funding source (I’m looking at you, the District’s Capital Improvement Budget). For such a trail to be installed, environmental and geotechnical studies must be done, ensure it fits the historical and cultural aspects of the park, and professional designs must be obtained. The estimated cost would be around $250,000. The best option here would likely be having the District and local developers pony up the funds. With enough community support, this could be possible. It’s budget planning season after all.
Infrastructure
Perhaps those resources could be used elsewhere though. The pavilion area needs some TLC. Many neighbors noted its lack of accessibility and that it could be spruced up with picnic tables and natural shade. NPS indicated rehabbing the picnic and pavilion area is doable, including adding a grill. Some things could happen quickly, like bringing in some picnic tables, while others may take a couple years, such as renovating the picnic shelters and making them ADA compliant. NPS is currently in the process of requesting funding.
As for other infrastructure needs, such as lighting and sidewalk improvements, we likely need to reach out to the District’s Department of Transportation through 311 requests. Volunteers are welcomed to start submitting these requests today.
Historical markers
Historical markers for CWDW parks are on the way. NPS has submitted designs for approval from the Commission on Fine Arts. The Commission will discuss these interpretative signs at their upcoming spring 2020 meeting (renderings will be shared once available). I hope these markers add a nice piece of visual flair to the neighborhood.
Next steps
I feel like we are making progress. NPS is happy to partner with us, which does achieve one of the goals from the plans referenced earlier. One event NPS mentioned was teaming up with a group on the Maryland side already engaged with them for a spring clean-up event. And, since the community has expressed concerns related to trash in the park, perhaps additional resources could be provided to the South Dakota Ave Clean Team? I also spoke with a representative from the Cafritz Foundation and they expressed interest, general support, and a willingness to partner too. The Parks Main Street has some ideas too, and if they come to fruition, I think the community will enjoy them (yes, that is a teaser).
To reiterate though, I need your help. If we want resources to flow into this park, we need neighbors to stand up and volunteer their time. Would you consider attending a community meeting in January or February? We could bring NPS in, along with inviting local community groups, developers, and District government representatives. It would be great to hear your ideas in person. Raise your hand if you would attend, and I will put a meeting on the calendar.
DDOT Ward 4 Open House December 7, 2019 12:00 pm-2:00 pm Roosevelt High School (Gym) 4301 13th Street NW
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will host an Open House for residents in Ward 4 to learn about current and future safety improvement projects that are advancing Mayor Bowser’s Vision Zero and infrastructure goals.
Please join Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B for a Comprehensive Plan Working Session on Saturday, December 7, 2019, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Metropolitan Police Department’s 4th District Headquarters, 6001 Georgia Ave., NW.
The Comprehensive Plan is a lengthy, high-level document that sets a long-term vision for the District’s future growth and development. The DC Office of Planning has launched an effort to amend the Comprehensive Plan to ensure that it remains responsive to the needs of the community. (More here: https://planning.dc.gov/page/comprehensive-plan and here: https://plandc.dc.gov/page/overview-and-how-guide).
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions have until January 31, 2020 to submit community feedback to the DC Office of Planning regarding the proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan.
The December 7th meeting agenda is below.
Comprehensive Plan Working Session Saturday, December 7, 2019, 2:00 pm-4:00 pm MPD, 4th District Station, 6001 Georgia Avenue NW
ANC 5A Special Meeting December 11, 2019 6:45 pm UDC-CC Backus 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE Agenda: (1) Lamond-Riggs Library Update; (2) Comprehensive Plan Update
Neighborhood school LaSalle-Backus Education Campus received 4 stars on the latest DC School Report Card. The school received 3 stars last year. The improvement in the star rating comes on the heels of the school’s recognition as a leveler elementary school by the DC Policy Center. The Center describes a leveler school as one that meets the high targets for growth for their at-risk students. This is quite the turnaround for the school, which just 10 years ago was under restructuring for failure to make adequate yearly progress.
I remember when former principal Justin Ralston was installed at LaSalle in 2016 and he noted that residents and others thought of LaSalle as a failing school, but he did not view the school that way. The school has made steady improvements every year since. The school cycled through interim principals due to an incident at Roosevelt High School that resulted in Mr. Ralston’s abrupt installation as interim principal at that school in October 2018. Shelly Gray, who served as an assistant principal at LaSalle for several years, became the new permanent principal of LaSalle in June 2019.
Whittier Education Campus, which serves the Lamond community as well, also received 4 stars. The DC Policy Center recognized Whittier as a leveler middle school. Whittier and LaSalle are in the middle of phasing out their middle school grades.
On Tuesday, November 19, over 40 community members met at the Lamond-Riggs Library to attend the latest community engagement meeting on the new Lamond-Riggs Library design. DC Public Library Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan hosted the meeting and introduced the HGA architect team led by Peter Cook, Design Principal.
Mr. Reyes-Gavilan gave a brief summary of the project timeline. He stated that the Lamond-Riggs Library project began in fall 2017, has a projected closing of summer 2020, and will reopen by late 2021. He also thanked his team and the Lamond-Riggs Library Friends for the work done so far. Next, Mr. Cook spoke.
Mr. Cook cited that the community emphasized three elements which, in turn, drove the design process: Natural Light, Quiet Spaces, and Local History. Then, he touched upon the site and building considerations faced by his team. Although the current site looks spacious, it contains three setbacks (two at 15’ and one at 20’) that frame the building’s size to 11,800 square feet per floor. Based on these restrictions and a heritage tree on Jefferson Street NE, the current parking lot size and location was deemed optimal. The library entrance will be moved closer to Kennedy Street, shortening the walk to the parking lot. Also, the building contour was modified from a rectangle to a parallelogram, with children’s and adult/teen programming on the first and second floors, respectively. Lastly, the building will feature a ground-level front porch, second floor balcony facing Jefferson Street NE, and a stormwater garden at the rear.
The interior features a 100-seat, dividable meeting room and a smaller room supporting 12 to 20 occupants. Several study rooms are planned that support between four and six occupants. To address community history, Mr. Cook suggested the concept of a Heritage Wall that the community will develop. Before taking questions, Mr. Cook welcomed community input on the project.
The following are responses to audience questions:
The number of parking spaces remains the same, which is estimated at 11.
A bus stop at South Dakota Avenue and Kennedy Street NE was requested. WMATA makes the ultimate decision.
A bump-out at the intersection of South Dakota Avenue and Jefferson Street NE was requested. It will be looked into.
Food will be allowed in the library per current policy.
A room for the Lamond-Riggs Library Friends is allocated.
A request for more books in Chinese, Spanish and other languages was made.
The new library will meet the LEED Silver standard, but no green roof will be installed.
Additional artwork, including sculpture, is under consideration.
The interim library will be located at the Modern at Art Place, pending execution of a lease agreement.
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, ANC 5A held its November meeting on November 13, 2019. Commissioners present: Frank Wilds (5A01); Grace Lewis (5A02); Chair Ronnie Edwards (5A05); Sandi Washington (5A07); Gordon Fletcher (5A08)
Ramdass Pharmacy was robbed of narcotics on Monday, November 4 around 2:30 am. Other pharmacies across the city were robbed the same week. Ramdass was robbed again at gunpoint on November 11 around 3:30 pm. T-Mobile on South Dakota Avenue has also been robbed a couple of times. Lt. Patrick Schaut said MPD has discussed security issues with both stores. For T-Mobile, Lt. Schaut said MPD has to go through corporate headquarters to obtain video and it is up to corporate headquarters what kind of security they want to have in their store.
There have been a couple of street robberies. As it is getting dark early, be aware of surroundings. Do not walk with phones out or earbuds in.
If you are doing online selling or buying and arranging for pickup of items, arrange to meet up at a police station. As holiday season approaches, have deliveries delivered to safe locations. Try not to have deliveries sitting unattended on the porch.
Councilmember McDuffie has two new staff members–Legislative Counsel Sandra Karpinsky and Committee Director Justin Roberts. Senior Advisor Silas Grant will be conducting a walkthrough of Commissioner Gordon Fletcher’s SMD (5A08) with Commissioner Fletcher, a Ward 5 MOCR, and DDOT on November 21 at 4:30 pm. Meet at the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street NE.
The councilmember’s holiday party/toy drive will be on December 12 at Dock 5 at Union Market.
Rocketship Charter School
On October 28, 2019, the DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) approved the opening of Rocketship’s third campus at 5450 Kennedy Street NE. Rocketship returned to the ANC to explain the kidnapping that occurred at its Rocketship RISE campus in Ward 8 on October 11. The incident was reported by Fox 5 DC.
Joyanna Smith, Rocketship DC Regional Director, stated that on October 11, Rocketship RISE Academy was holding parent-teacher conferences so the school was actually closed. Parents asked if care could be provided all day for parents who needed it, so Rocketship asked its before and aftercare provider Springboard to provide care for the day. Ms. Smith said that the school has two sets of doors, one at the entrance where visitors must be buzzed in. The second set is manned by a paid, off-duty police officer. A mother went to the school for her two sons. The alleged kidnapper walked in behind the mother and at the second set of doors, told the officer that he was with the mother and that she was the mother of his children. The officer believed him, did not ask for identification, and allowed him to enter. Then the alleged perpetrator went to the gym where the boys were playing and after playing with them for about 15 minutes, persuaded them to leave the gym with him. A Rocketship office manager saw the alleged perpetrator with the boys and suspected something was amiss and took the boys away from the man. Police were called and only then did anyone realize that the individual was a registered sex offender and that he should not have been on the property.
Rocketship terminated its relationship with Springboard as of November 8, 2019. Ms. Smith said she was not informed about the incident until several days after it happened and only a few days before DCPCSB’s October 28th meeting. She stated that probably the biggest failure was not alerting parents within 24 hours of the incident, so they are working to regain the trust of parents, which she said is a difficult process for everyone. They are also working on protocols to make sure everyone knows security procedures and each person’s role and responsibility, so that the communication gap between the school’s leadership and Rocketship leadership does not happen again.
There was protracted discussion among the commissioners led by Commissioner Frank Wilds (5A01) about whether the ANC should go on record with a vote on the school. This even though DCPCSB already held its public meeting and approved opening a third campus, and the ANC had several opportunities to take a vote and to submit comments before the new campus was approved and did not do so. Commissioner Wilds accused Commissioner Fletcher of “being on the take,” but offered no details on what that was supposed to mean. Commissioners Wilds, Grace Lewis (5A02), and Sandi Washington (5A07) voted in favor of taking a vote, with Commissioner Fletcher opposed. It was unclear how Chair Ronnie Edwards (5A05) voted. Chair Edwards stated the ANC will not have a December meeting, so it is unclear when exactly they plan to conduct this vote.
Construction on the interior of the new campus will continue throughout the winter months. Rocketship will continue to attend the ANC meetings to provide construction and other updates.
Social Justice Charter School
As previously noted, Social Justice Charter School will operate a middle school at Rocketship’s new Riggs Park campus beginning in school year 2020-2021. Representatives of the Social Justice School returned to talk about their school model. Students have crews and learning is based on a social justice model for each class. Social Justice School representatives hold a community engagement event each month. This month’s event is a design competition at Lamond-Riggs Library on November 23 at 2:00 pm. The school anticipates having a hearing before the DCPCSB in February 2020 about the school’s facilities. A condition of the school’s conditional charter approval is that the school must show that it has a lease or title for a sufficient school facility by February 2020.
Miscellaneous
During the community concerns portion of the meeting, I stated that I believe the ANC should have some sort of code of conduct because Commissioner Wilds continued to behave in a very unprofessional, inappropriate manner. Aside from constantly haranguing Commissioner Fletcher as well as guests to the ANC, he has more than once yelled at me on public streets, making false statements. Even though he would often miss ANC meetings, he would be sure to come to LRCA meetings on a monthly basis when I was president simply to disrupt them by constantly yelling about long-settled issues. During one such meeting, he told the treasurer of LRCA at that time “to go back to Africa.” He told a white resident that she should move out of the neighborhood and that she would never be welcome here. He still refuses to apologize for his very inappropriate behavior. I noted this is the same man who constantly defends Jack Evans amidst Evans’s very clear ethics violations. Commissioner Wilds did not have any comments during the meeting after I made my statement. But right after the meeting, he stormed up to me, got right in my face, wagging his finger in my face, saying that I am “disgusting.” Neighbors, this is a near 80-year-old man who knows better and should be doing better and none of the commissioners remaining in the room stepped in to tell him to chill. The ANC really needs to do a better job of speaking up when commissioners are behaving inappropriately.
4. Approval of October Regular Public Meeting Minutes
5. Approval of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B Annual Report
6. Treasurer’s Report and Approval of Reimbursement of Expenses to ANC 4A
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. Community Concerns: 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.
9. Presentation: Tischa Cockrell, 1st Vice President, Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association & Terry Goings, Ward 4 Education Alliance, Rocketship PCS Riggs Campus (Commissioner Parks – 5 minute presentation; 5 minute discussion)
11. Presentation: Kevin A. Brown, Montage Development Group, Proposed Development at 225 Vine Street, NW (Commissioner Bromaghim – 5 minute presentation; 5 minute discussion)
12. Consent Calendar:
Resolution 4B-19-1101: Supporting Necessary Funding for Lighting and Pathway at Takoma Community Center (Commissioner Knickerbocker)
13. Resolution 4B-19-1102: Supporting Application for Alcoholic Beverage License for Walmart, 310 Riggs Road, NE (ABRA-109874) (Commissioner Huff – 3 minute presentation; 3 minute discussion)
19. Resolution 4B-19-1008: Resolution on Trinity Episcopal Church (BZA 20111) (Commissioner Yeats – 3 minute presentation; 3 minute discussion)
20. Adjournment
Please Note: Anyone in the audience may speak on any subject during “Community Concerns.” You may also contact members of the Commission before and after Commission meetings. Discussion on other agenda items will generally be limited to Commissioners. Finally, the meeting may not last beyond 9:00 p.m. unless extended by a two/thirds vote of the Commission.
Next Regular Public Meeting: Monday, January 27, 2019, 7:00 p.m., MPD, 4th District Station, 6001 Georgia Ave., NW
Weird. Yes. Sci-Fi novel come to life. Check. DIY. Thumps up. Space and time traveling. Naturally. Coming to Riggs Park. Woot woot. That’s right, the immersive art collective Meow Wolf is revving up and getting ready to meet us. In this edition of Next Stop Neighbors, we’ll get to know the man who is tasked with the job.
Jamal Gray is Meow Wolf’s liaison with the artists in DC and the community here. Our conversation weaves in and out from his Aquatic Gardening Roots in the District, the history of Meow Wolf, his philosophy to be “neighborhoodly,” social impacts, his artistic flare, and a full body slam for good measure. LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!
Welcome to Next
Stop Neighbors where we get an opportunity to hear the voices behind the faces
and places in Lamond-Riggs and the surrounding communities. Through this
podcast series, you will meet some friendly neighbors and hear their
perspectives on the community through civil, casual conversations. From the
small business owner who just opened up, to the non-profit organization trying
to make a difference, to the community leader describing their vision for the
neighborhood, and the resident around the corner who has lived here for 50
years, we all have a story to tell. We welcome recommendations and, better yet,
your own 10-minute interviews too!
Can’t get
enough Next Stop Neighbors? Check out these past conversations for more:
Lamond-Riggs Library Community Meeting: Design of the New Library November 19, 2019 7:00 PM Lamond-Riggs Library 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE
Join your friends and neighbors for the next meeting about the new Lamond-Riggs Library. The design team will share the latest designs and gather your feedback. Learn more about the project at dclibrary.org/newlamondriggs.
I finally got my hands on renderings for the Chick-fil-A planned to replace the KFC/Taco Bell at 220 Riggs Road NE, courtesy of ANC Commissioner Alison Brooks (4B08). Also, a neighbor sent me a Reuters article entitled, “U.S. restaurants remove dining rooms to speed off-site food frenzy.” It describes the use of so-called “dark kitchens” and the real estate and labor cost savings that result from providing service only via drive-thru or pickup windows for mobile orders:
The newest Chopt Creative Salad Co location, which opened Tuesday in New York, is unlike any of the chain’s other 61 sites. It has no cash registers or tables for customers.
Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A Inc has similar sites in Nashville and Louisville, where customers order and prepay online with the option for delivery or pickup.
Chick-fil-A is also trying something different, opening three pilot “delivery kitchens” this year – in Chicago, Los Angeles and near San Francisco. The latter is run by delivery platform DoorDash Inc.
At those sites, the chicken chain shares kitchens with other restaurants to prepare food for delivery only.
Off-premise digital orders are a major growth area for fast-food and fast-casual chains. More are turning to these so-called dark, virtual or ghost kitchens, which can also save labor and real estate costs.
Unclear if that is what is going on for the location planned for this neighborhood, which will be drive-thru only with a walk-up window. But as I mentioned before, 2,600 square feet is more than enough space to have interior seating, so surely the decision not to include interior seating is a business cost decision, not one based on “room.” And if that space is not being used for interior seating, then what is it being used for. Plenty of businesses have figured out how to streamline mobile order and pickup while also providing standard in-person ordering and dining. This is a by-right project, but ANC 4B should find out exactly what Chick-fil-A is planning for this location.
Edit: Media also report on Chick-fil-A’s recent change in charitable donation priorities.
Blog contributor David Kosub did a nice job of explaining why swapping fast-food for fast-food at a major intersection in the neighborhood represents not much of an opportunity in this post. Here are my thoughts on Chick-fil-A that I originally started composing as a way too long comment to his post.
1. Make community engagement useful. Chick-fil-A representatives are scheduled to attend ANC 4B’s meeting on November 25. I hope they bring at least a basic one-pager/fact sheet with an overview of the project, the process, timeline for when certain steps of the process will take place, construction plans, and answers to questions already asked by residents that can be posted on 4B’s website so that everyone is on the same page. This is basic community engagement and even though this is a by-right project, Chick-fil-A should want to be a good neighbor and there should still be a basic level of engagement.
2. Make the public space permit process useful. We have been told that the only public comment process required for this project is DDOT’s public space permit process. ANC 4B will have an opportunity to comment on Chick-fil-A’s application once that is submitted. I really hope DDOT and the development team have some fantastic ideas about how to manage accessing this corner location. As David mentioned in his post, I do think there is also an opportunity to make this space as attractive as possible for that corner, especially if Chick-fil-A is going to be leasing this space for many years. The existing KFC building is not an eyesore to me, but if the Chick-fil-A team is going to knock down two buildings (one of which is an eyesore) and put up an entirely new one, might as well make this corner as visually appealing as possible. For example, they could do a lot with native landscaping to deal with stormwater runoff. How they design the outdoor seating and the exterior of the building, having adequate trash receptacles, placement and containment of their dumpster, all those are things that I hope they are prepared to address. And I do hope The Parks Main Street will present some ideas to Chick-fil-A for this part of the process.
3. Provide traffic mitigation measures. At the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) meeting on November 4, the Chick-Fil-A representatives noted that there will be a dual lane for ordering, which they say will allow the location to accommodate more cars on the lot and minimize the number of cars in the street. But I am guessing there will still be lots of cars idling in the street. We know that Chick-fil-A is just very popular and people are completely willing to wait in long drive-thru lines for their food (no judgment, just fact). A traffic study still needs to be done, but I would like to know what other mitigation measures they will take, such as utilizing traffic control officers if that becomes necessary or staff to walk the lines to speed up the order process.
4. Have interior seating. They could not answer the question of how much of the buildable lot (the KFC plus the former Dakota Liquor building next door) they are using for the building itself. As noted, the new building will be approximately 2,600 square feet, which is a fairly decent size for an operation that is not planned to have interior seating. I am not sure how big the current KFC is, but I am really curious about why they say there is no room for interior seating. For comparison the Five Guys at Fort Totten Square, which does have interior seating, is roughly 2,200 square feet. I suspect the decision has more to do with staffing decisions and construction and business financing than “room,” but that is just speculation on my part. I do think having a little bit of interior seating would be better and make this a more walkable location, especially if they really do keep the number of parking spaces minimal at nine or less. I am curious how many public restrooms there will be. To me, what would be even better is if they built a location like the one in downtown Silver Spring. Of course I have to acknowledge that there are large parking garages in downtown Silver Spring for people to park, which we do not have in this neighborhood. And of course they are attracted to this location precisely because it already has a drive-thru so they do not have to jump through hoops to put one in. Still, parking and interior seating do not have to go hand-in-hand and this location should have interior seating.
5. Support the community and support local. The Chick-fil-A representatives are likely aware of the reputation of its owners, who support anti-LGBTQ causes. The representatives made a point of noting that while Chick-fil-A corporate is responsible for leasing, purchasing equipment, and building out each restaurant, each Chick-fil-A has its own operator who is responsible for hiring and who decides what kinds of groups to support. This distinction between the corporate owner and the franchise operator is a point that has been made before in response to protest. This distinction of course might not matter to some, but if Chick-fil-A does get this location off the ground, people should not be shy in recommending how this location can support community groups.
6. This could be a good opportunity for the neighborhood, maybe. Objectively speaking, Chick-fil-A is probably a higher quality fast food restaurant than KFC/Taco Bell (don’t @ me). When you look at the Vibrant Retail Streets Initiative that was done for this neigborhood in 2015, Streetsense and DC’s Office of Planning stated that for a neighborhood like this one with a few long-term businesses and an untested retail market with a slew of new development on the way, the goal should be to continually seek to upgrade retail options to get to the retail that we really desire (see Part I: Market Analysis; Part II: Retail Attraction; Part III: Start at Step One). For example, a Subway may become a Panera Bread (just an example for the Subway lovers out there). So from that perspective, having a Chick-fil-A replace a KFC/Taco Bell would be moving in the direction of “better” for the neighborhood, especially if the Chick-fil-A has interior seating, and might be a good way of proving the market for more desirable retailers.
That said, as an aside, I am a little curious what other retailers, particularly food and beverage retailers, have approached or been approached by this particular property owner (and others in the neighborhood). I know that this is not the first time Chick-fil-A has shown interest in this particular location, so when I hear things like XYZ retailer is not interested in the neighborhood or the other myriad excuses for not having a sit-down restaurant, I do suspect something else is going on, like seeking a lease rate that is kind of ridiculous. I believe The Parks Main Street is working on a strategy for retail attraction so that it is not done haphazardly and residents do not feel like things are just being dropped on the neighborhood with no regard to impact because they are by-right projects (like a 117,000 square Walmart or a planned Chick-fil-A drive-thru with no interior seating at a major intersection).
These are just my thoughts on how we can help the ANC help us try to maximize what little opportunity may exist as we go through this process. I do hope people will provide constructive feedback to ANC 4B as we move forward.
Registration is open for the 2020 visitor parking pass program. If you live on a block zoned for residential permit parking, visit https://vpp.ddot.dc.gov/vpp to obtain your pass.
At the November Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) meeting and as we first read about here, we learned that Chick-fil-A will likely be replacing the KFC-Taco Bell at the corner of 3rd Street NE and Riggs Road NE. The 23-minute audio from the meeting is available here (apologies for the poor sound quality).
Representatives from Chick-fil-A informed us they seek to create a 2,600 square foot facility at 220 Riggs Rd NE, with a drive-through and pedestrian walk-up order option. There may be nine or ten parking spaces, bike racks, and outside seating, but no indoor seating due to a claim of insufficient room available.
If there is one thing this community seems to agree on, it is the desire and need for quality sit-down restaurant options in the neighborhood. Though fast food joints can barely be considered a restaurant in my book, it is disheartening that we would lose one that currently has indoor seating for one that does not. It is also unclear how often patrons would opt for outdoor seating, especially in times of inclement weather.
As I stated at the meeting, I believe replacing fast food with fast food is not much of an opportunity for this neighborhood. In the 2009 Area Development Plan for the South Dakota Avenue NE and Riggs Road NE corridor, it refers to the existing KFC-Taco Bell as an “opportunity site” for future development. Opportunities exist, as the plan notes, to have future development set back from the street allowing for a visually strong corner to be created with aesthetically unified, pedestrian-friendly, street-facing retail. Furthermore, as the plan goes on to say, future development should consider accommodating aesthetic “landmark elements,” such as public art, open space, and vegetation, to “truly create a sense of place and assist with reestablishing the intersection as the heart of the neighborhood.” Call me a cynic, but somehow having another fast food option at this busy intersection does not rise to the Area Development Plan’s aspirations.
Naturally, traffic was a touch point at the meeting. The developers are proposing replacing some existing curb cuts to help with traffic on Riggs Road and on 3rd Street, allowing one way in and one way out of the site. Their traffic engineers are studying traffic patterns and also recognized the issues with illegal U-turns on Riggs Road and on 3rd Street and with Walmart drivers exiting onto 3rd Street. When completed, they will share findings with the Distrist Department of Transportation Public Space Committee. Proximity to metro was mentioned as a positive, but I assume that the vast amount of patrons will be driving, not taking metro to come here from some other part of the city for their waffle fry fix.
The complete process including DDOT agency review, ANC4B presentation, community engagement, and public comment is expected to take nine months. Of note, a hearing with the Board of Zoning Adjustment is not needed as this is a by-right project, which involves simply replacing one fast food restaurant with another. There is a chance the Chick-fil-A representatives will be present at the November or December LRCA Development Task Force meeting, but the chairs of that committee (one of whom is the LRCA president) have not shared any specific details yet.
Beyond the discussion at the meeting, a 2019 retail market analysis encouraged The Parks Main Street (on whose Board I serve) to continue attracting new small local businesses to enliven Riggs Park. It also reinforced the notion that “there is un-tapped demand for sit-down restaurants…and available space for arts, flex, and community uses.”
As this fast food location evolves from one chain to another, I hope the developers will be willing to work with The Parks Main Street in designing a visually appealing streetscape (if such a thing is doable for a drive-through fast food joint) that both beautifies the neighborhood and is one that current and future residents can enjoy. If done well, perhaps this may incentivize an actual locally-based sit-down restaurant to set up shop in Riggs Park too.
All this said, and putting the values and politics of Chick-fil-A corporate owners aside for the moment, I will remain open to hearing what the developers have to say. We should also continue making our voices heard to ensure the community’s concerns are addressed as this process moves forward.
Check out the latest feature from NBC Washington on Little Miss Sophia, a 10-year-old Riggs Park resident with her own sweets business, and Veronica “Ms. V” Cooper, owner of Culture Coffee Too in Riggs Park.
