This week is DMV Black Restaurant Week. A number of restaurants in the DC area are offering discounts, including our own local coffee shop Culture Coffee Too, located at 300 Riggs Road NE. Check out the shop for special promotions.
This November marks Culture Coffee Too’s second anniversary. Stop by the Second Anniversary Exhibition on Friday, November 8, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm.
Culture Coffee Too Second Anniversary Exhibition: Disruptors in Color Opening Reception November 8, 2019 6:00 pm-9:00 pm 300 Riggs Road NE
Culture Coffee Too Second Anniversary Exhibition November 8
On Saturday, November 9, check out CCT’s Craft Show. Find crafts, jewelry, sweets, and more
Culture Coffee Too Craft Show November 9, 2019 10:00 am-3:00 pm 300 Riggs Road NE
On October 24, 2019, Meow Wolf, a Santa Fe-based arts and entertainment group, held a community meeting about its plans to open a new location here in the neighborhood in Riggs Park. Meow Wolf is planning locations in Denver and Las Vegas as well.
The meeting served as the company’s introduction to the community. It is challenging to articulate what exactly Meow Wolf is. Danika Padilla, Senior Director of Social Impact, started off by sharing the company’s origin story. It was started by a group of friends in 2008 as an artist collective who just wanted to make weird, interesting, immersive art, and that is what they offer. For example, for one exhibit, an artist who uses a wheelchair designed a space with low ceilings so that people could engage with the space from the perspective of someone in a wheelchair.
Since 2017, it has been a certified B-corporation, a certification for businesses that want to do social good. It is not a nonprofit organization. They describe their business as one with a triple bottom line focused on financial, social, and environmental well-being. Their website has a lot of information about their philanthropy, artist engagement, DIY Fund, and community support.
Han Sayles, Director of Artist Collaboration, spoke a bit about the artist engagement piece and how the company wants to know how it can serve the DC area artist landscape. They are very interested in providing a space for local artists to share their work and be paid fair compensation for their work.
They were also there to listen and find out how they can be a good neighbor. They have hired a local DC artist and resident, Jamal Gray, to serve as a community outreach liaison. They posed several questions to get the conversation started, listed below in no particular order:
In what ways can Meow Wolf support artists?
What inspires you about your community?
What is important to know about the community?
What do you enjoy doing for fun in your community?
How can Meow Wolf be a good neighbor?
What advice would you give to foster inclusivity and accessibility for local residents?
Are there local resources or groups that Meow Wolf should be aware of?
What are the challenges for new businesses coming into the area?
What else would you like Meow Wolf to know?
There were actually two sessions in the same evening; information presented at each was the same. I only attended the second session, so I am only sharing observations from that session. Besides providing feedback on these questions, audience members raised questions about a variety of topics. It was apparent that some people did not realize that Meow Wolf will be part of a much larger development, Art Place at Fort Totten. People asked what other retailers will be part of the development, stating their desire not to have chains. Meow Wolf has no control over that, but did state they have asked the Cafritz Foundation, which is developing the project, to prioritize local retailers. One resident raised a point about making the space environmentally green, considering the number of trees that will be cut down for the development itself. Meow Wolf talked about wanting to have a compost system. They also noted that in Santa Fe, 70% of the visitors are tourists, so for DC they really want to think about ways to incentivize using public transit to access the site.
There was a protracted discussion about gentrification and how some believe this project will be a gentrifying force in the community (gentrification being undefined). Meow Wolf noted that they prize community engagement, showing up and listenting to the unique needs of the community. To that end, they plan to have a community advisory group for the DC location just as they do for their other locations.
They are really interested in finding out how they can be helpful in the local DC area artist landscape. For example in Denver, with the community advisory group, Meow Wolf set a goal that 40% of the artists involved in that location be local artists, and they said they have reached that goal. The artists in the room asked about the boundaries of what is considered a local artist, to which Meow Wolf responded they are definitely looking at Baltimore and Richmond area artists for the DC location. The artist engagement page has a link for people to submit their portfolios if they are interested in being part of a launch event or showing in the space. Some had very specific questions about whether there would be space for music performances or live fire shows. Likely yes to the first question, not sure about the second.
On a personal note, as Art Place starts to build out arts-focused programming in the next phase, I think it would be really awesome for these organizations to provide an opportunity for young people to really explore. While I do believe everything is not for everybody and one thing cannot be all things to everyone, I do not think we should automatically discount certain spaces as off-limits or “not for us” for any particular group of people, whether that be seniors, youth, or people of color, especially if there is an opportunity to engage early on with the creators of the space. Building out a junior staff program for young people or even a work-study program for people of all ages would be really great for the neighborhood. The idea is to expose youth not just to the arts in terms of creating art, but also the many possible careers supporting the arts, such as teaching, fundraising, marketing, and program development. Meow Wolf noted in response to a question that the DC location will provide about 100 jobs, not just for artists but for positions that will support the building and maintenance of exhibits and programming. I also think arts programming provides a really great opportunity of fostering intergenerational interaction. The notion that all artists are young and that the space will only appeal to millenials is not accurate to me. Just my view.
I think the bottom line is that with opening still a few years away in 2022, Meow Wolf is really interested in hearing how immediate community members see this space being part of the community. At 75,000 square feet, it is going to be a big space. If you are interested in providing feedback to the questions listed above or about anything else, email DC@MeowWolf.com.
The Walmart located at 310 Riggs Road NE is trying for a second time to get a license to sell beer and wine. The placard notifying the public of the store’s application for a Class B license with tasting permit was posted on October 25, 2019. The protest period ends December 9, 2019.
Recall from this post, we started going through this exercise last year. The ANC commissioner at that time held community meetings and ultimately decided to pursue a protest with the goal of getting a voluntary settlement agreement with the store. Walmart still needed to resolve a legal question about a regulatory provision requiring evidence of a certain amount of renovations at the store. It appears Walmart requested an advisory opinion on the matter from the Board, which it received in October 2018. Now that all of that is cleared up, Walmart is back to try again. There is now a different commissioner for that area, ANC Commissioner LaRoya Huff (4B09). It is unclear if the ANC will again pursue a protest in order to obtain a settlement agreement.
When I served as president of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA), I registered the organization with ABRA so that it would have its own standing and not necessarily have to rely on the ANC in ABRA license matters. So theoretically, LRCA could seek its own settlement agreement with the store if the organization meets certain requirements. Unclear if LRCA leadership plans to do anything. This issue might be discussed at LRCA’s meeting on November 4.
If you care about this issue, feel free to reach out to Commissioner Huff to let her know your views.
Google map image of KFC/Taco Bell at Riggs Road and 3rd Street NE
Chick-fil-A is apparently interested in opening a location in Riggs Park. The plan is to demo the KFC/Taco Bell located at 220 Riggs Road NE plus the former Dakota Liquor property next door to the KFC at 5510 3rd Street NE and reorient a new building on the site with a drive-thru. The developer attended the single member district meeting of ANC Commissioner Alison Brooks (4B08) earlier this month and provided renderings. (I have not received a copy of the renderings just yet). The developer will also apparently attend the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) meeting on November 4. No notice has been given about that meeting just yet, but my understanding is that the developer will be there, so if you are interested in learning more, you can attend Monday’s LRCA meeting at 7:00 pm at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus (501 Riggs Road NE).
Chick-fil-A is known for having drive-thrus that are a bit of a cluster, so hopefully they will work with DDOT on a foolproof plan for not backing up traffic on either Riggs Road, 3rd Street, or 2nd Street. Drivers have long engaged in hijinks, such as illegal U-turns, to enter the KFC drive-thru on 3rd Street. Walmart visitors also exit onto 3rd Street, adding to the traffic on that narrow road. And 3rd Street and 2nd Street form kind of a gnarly intersection just north of this location that residents have long asked DDOT to do something about because that intersection does not make sense for either motorists or pedestrians.
Google map satellite view of 2nd Street NE/3rd Street NE intersection
A CubeSmart opened at 5600 2nd Street NE within the past year. We know even more development is coming to that small corridor, as earlier this year in March, the Zoning Commission voted to approve a map amendment request for the properties located at 5642, 5648, and 5650 3rd Street NE to change the zoning designation for those properties to mixed-use. See this post for that story. No word just yet on the intended uses for those properties, but a Chick-fil-A at the corner of Riggs Road and 3rd Street NE will definitely change the game for this part of the community.
As most know by now, 4th Street NE between Ingraham and Kennedy streets is slated to be closed for development of Art Place at Fort Totten Block B. The DC Council must approve road closures. Accordingly, on November 7, the Council’s Committee of the Whole is scheduled to hold a hearing on a bill to close the street.
On October 15, 2019, Mayor Muriel Bowser released her administration’s Housing Equity Report with housing affordability goals by planning area. The District’s eight planning areas are contained in the District’s Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan). Just as this neighborhood sits in two wards, this neighborhood also sits in two planning areas–Upper Northeast and Rock Creek East. Most of the news focused on the mayor’s desire to add more affordable housing west of Rock Creek Park, but this neighborhood’s planning areas fall in the top four areas for housing production goals, 1,500 units for Rock Creek East and 1,350 units for Upper Northeast. Based on what is in the pipeline already though, the number of new housing units that our planning areas must produce–340 for Rock Creek East and 190 for Upper Northeast–is fairly low compared to what other areas must produce in order to meet the administration’s goals. The report explains the methodology used to get to the goals for each planning area on page 10. The report is a fairly high level report just to start the conversation. For updates, visit housing.dc.gov.
PROPOSED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATES
On October 15, the mayor and the Office of Planning (OP) also released proposed amendments to the Comp Plan. The DC Council recently approved the Framework element of the Comp Plan, which took over two years to get through the public process. OP has produced a number of helpful summaries of each element of the Comp Plan and a review tip guide. I strongly encourage people to at least look at the updates for our neighborhood’s planning areas, again those are Upper Northeast and Rock Creek East. The summary for Upper Northeast is here and the summary for Rock Creek East is here. It is not clear when the Council will hold a hearing on the rest of the proposed amendments to the plan.
OP is holding public meetings on the proposed updates. Ward 4’s is on November 19 at 6:00 pm at Roosevelt High School (4400 Iowa Avenue NW) and Ward 5’s is on November 23 at 10:00 am at Luke C. Moore High School (1001 Monroe Street NE). OP recommends that residents work with their ANC commissioners so that the ANC can incorporate feedback into an ANC resolution. OP will respond to feeback received from ANC resolutions. Send your comments to your ANC by December 20. Some residents are already asking OP to extend the comment period (including some at the last ANC 5A meeting), but so far there is no indication that the comment period will be extended.
OP’s suggestions for ANC review:
Review Area Elements and sections of the Generalized Policy Map (GPM) and Future Land Use Map (FLUM) that correspond with the ANC’s Planning Area
Review Citywide Element Summaries
Consider dividing up review across ANC or with ANC’s land use or zoning committee
Attend Ward meeting to hear feedback from your constituents.
OP will share with ANCs a summary of feedback received during the Ward meetings
Upload ANC Resolutions by January 31 onto the ANC portal at resolutions.anc.dc.gov
Riggs Road/South Dakota Avenue Area Development Plan Implementation
One nice thing about the proposed updates to each of our planning areas is the very clear priority on implementing elements of the Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue Area Development Plan, our neighborhood’s area development plan (sometimes referred to as our small area plan). This is important. The plan was approved by the DC Council in 2009. The most recent implementation report is from 2016. You can see there is still lots to be done, which makes sense given the amount of development we anticipate in the next two to three years. One big achievement we did get is the startup of a Main Street for the corridor. That has already yielded big dividends in the less than one year that it has officially been operating. There are other pieces of the area development plan independent of development that could use some attention though, especially regarding the neighborhood’s open spaces.
The disadvantage in this neighborhood’s stratification between two planning area is evident in the updates to the Comp Plan. It seems as if OP cannot figure out what to call this area neighborhood (understandable). That aside, the update to the Upper Northeast Element (pages 36-38) mentions the area development plan in addressing what it calls the Fort Totten metro station area, but the actual policy recommendations in the area development plan are included only in the Rock Creek East Element update (pages 40-42). I suppose this was done to avoid duplication, but I am not sure it makes sense. It is not clear why only some of the policy recommendations from the area development plan made it into the Comp Plan update, so I would recommend that all of them be incorporated. The Upper Northeast Element update also adds “high-density” housing, office, and retail uses for the Fort Totten station metro area (p. 37), which is not consistent at all with the area development plan or the proposed future land use map or generalized policy map. In addition, I would also recommend highlighting the recommendations in the moveDC plan for our neighborhood, which were developed in 2014 after the area development plan was created, and which I wrote about in this post.
I do recommend that residents become familiar with the area development plan. You can read the executive summary here and the recommendations here. When I served as president of Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) from summer 2017 to summer 2019, I always referenced the plan whenever we submitted comments regarding any development project in the neighborhood. When budget season rolled around, we would use that plan to advocate for targeted dollars for this neighborhood. Each year, we should be advocating for our elected officials (ANCs, Council, and mayor) to support funding to implement elements of the plan. This is one area where I think the Main Street can be especially useful. Elected officials come and go, but having a consistent entity dedicated to improving the corridor naturally lends itself to making sure the area development plan stays at the top of everyone’s agenda.
Implementation of the area development plan is one clear item that we can have our ANCs address in a resolution, highlighting particular areas of the plan that still need to be addressed.
OP also recommends priority in implementing recommendations of the Ward 5 Works Industrial Land Transformation Study. I wrote about that study in this post. As noted in that post, our neighborhood is more of a footnote in the report, but all areas of the city will be well-served by District officials actually taking steps to really address municipal planning, particularly for especially burdensome municipal functions. And certain recommendations for other areas of city could be useful for the land abutting the tracks in our neck of the woods from Fort Totten to Takoma. Given the focus on gaining statehood, it is really critical that District officials figure out how to house and carry out municipal functions in the District.
The Comp Plan has two maps, a Generalized Policy Map (GPM) and a Future Land Use Designation Map (FLUM). You can see the proposed GPM here. It is missing the Main Street for the South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road Corridor. (maybe there needs to be an official designation, not sure). You can see the proposed FLUM here. The FLUM is not a zoning map; it provides an understanding of how development decisions should be made. The FLUM has been the subject of much debate particularly in the litigation that has challenged a number of development projects across the District. For this neighborhood, the proposed FLUM is pretty much consistent with what is contained in the area development plan. A few amendments to highlight below.
McDonald’s & Faith United Church of Christ
The Office of Planning is recommending approval of change in the FLUM for the McDonald’s property on South Dakota Avenue and Delafield Street NE (Square 3786, Lots 1 and 801) from low density commercial to moderate density commercial (see p. 78 responding to submission 2081). This change was requested by Holland & Knight, which represents the owner of the McDonald’s. The owner has been a frequent visitor to ANC 5A about this change, which is the only reason I am mentioning this here. Just down the street from the McDonald’s, Faith United Church had requested a change in the zoning designation for its property from low density residential/commercial to medium density residential/commercial. OP is not recommending approval of that change (see p. 62 responding to submission 1066). Faith United has tried more than once to build affordable housing, particularly for seniors, on their three-acre parcel of land. These efforts have been rebuffed by North Michigan Park residents over traffic and parking concerns. I have heard several long-time North Michigan Park residents laud the fact that there are no apartment buildings in that neighborhood. It is an interesting thing to be proud of (as opposed to being fine with having a new drive-thru in that area), particularly as there is this discussion about affordable housing. Anyways, perhaps OP’s rejection of the change to the FLUM for the church’s parcel will stop the church from trying to add multifamily housing to its property for a long time. We will see.
1st Place NE & Riggs Road NE
Moving north, OP is recommending change in the FLUM for the western side of 1st Place NE at Riggs Road from Parks, Recreation, and Open Space to Medium Density Commercial/Medium Density Residential (see p. 114, submission 9946).
Recommendations
I am still looking at the specifics of our neighborhood’s planning area updates as well as the updates for the major policy areas (transportation, housing, infrastructure, etc.). So far, here are my recommendations just for our planning area updates:
Highlight the importance of implementing the neighborhood’s area development plan (with particular focus areas)
Incorporate all of the policy recommendations from the area development plan
Highlight important of Ward 5 Works Plan & to extent certain recommendations for other areas would be beneficial in our neighborhood (such as buffers and creative uses of industrial space), highlight those
Highlight importance of moveDC plan with recommendations for our neighborhood
Highlight importance of implementing the 2007 South Dakota Avenue Streetscape Study (Given that no District agency can find this study and that its status on the area development plan implementation report in 2016 is listed as future status, I am not sure this study has been implemented
The General Policy Map needs to reflect the Main Street for the South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road corridor
Be clear that the area around Fort Totten metro station is designated for either medium or moderate density, not high density, noting importance of mitigating impacts to specifically the Riggs Park neighborhood.
This is just my take. What do people think of the major policy themes of the elements for this neighborhood–Upper Northeast and Rock Creek East. What feedback do you have for our ANC commissioners for them to incorporate into an ANC resolution?
Remnants of an earthen fortification exists right in Riggs Park’s backyard. Constructed from the surrounding ground, it helped protect the District of Columbia from invasion from from Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Oh, how times have changed.
When going through the neighborhood today, we may not even give it a second thought. We may now only think of the area surrounding Fort Totten as a main transportation hub, an urban forest, and an open field adjacent to South Dakota Ave NE. But, could it be something more?
Originally known as the Fort Circle Parks, the Civil War Defenses of Washington (CWDW) (of which Fort Totten is a part) are a unique National Park System (NPS) asset located very close to home. In 2004, NPS released a plan to manage and preserve the circle of forts, with a particular focus to “preserve significant natural features, including substantial acreage of mature native hardwood forest, geologic and aquatic resources, and a diversity of important habitat for indigenous flora and fauna that are unusual in an urban setting and that contribute to the uniqueness of the nation’s capital.” In addition to natural preservation, it also called for enhancing knowledge on the forts’ cultural significance to the Civil War and encouraging recreation.
Let’s work as a community now to finally achieve these 15-year old goals for our slice of the CWDW. Following the enactment of the public lands package of bills earlier this spring, the District of Columbia and NPS can now enter into agreements to maintain and operate NPS properties in the District. See this post here for more.
With assistance from the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), I recently spoke with NPS about this issue, with a focus on reactivating the parcel of CWDW parkland bounded by Galloway Street, South Dakota Avenue, and Gallatin Street NE. Generally speaking, they appear willing to help, but we must work within the framework on the CWDW management plan. For instance, this area is zoned as “recreation” meaning open green space must be preserved, and “organized and informal recreational activities will be the primary use.” Thus, picnicking, pick-up games, community events, and the like are allowable, but things like playgrounds and water features which distract from the historical nature are not.
So, how would you like to use this space? Add your thoughts to the comments section or send me an email here. I’ll synthesize the ideas and share back in a follow-up post.
As a start, NPS threw out the following suggestions. They previously approved a multi-purpose trail to be installed, but this will be a timely and costly endeavor, one for which funds are not available. They could reinstall and enhance the picnic area with new tables, trash cans, grills, roof features, and even a composting toilet. However, they noted that the community has raised concerns previously related to potentially nefarious and illicit activities when picnic tables used to be there (see this caught on camera footage).
Programming with NPS events is possible too. The 2004 plan calls for the activity center at Fort Dupont to be transformed into a center educating the community on the cultural history and natural resources within the CWDW. This center, according to the plan, will help “schools within walking distance of the fort sites to use these areas as local outdoor classrooms for cultural and environmental education.” Perhaps our local schools and library educational activities could benefit from this?
Wayfinding signage would be great to help passersby know more about this national park. Such signage could explain the landscape and its historical importance. The plan also indicates that “signs, site furniture, and interpretive materials [were to be purchased] as a way to make the [CWDW[ more visible.” When we spoke, NPS appeared amenable to this idea as the 2004 plan talks about how markers are helpful to create a consistent interpretation of the cultural significance of the CWDW.
I also would love to see more trees around the perimeter of the site. That said, I recognize the call for maintaining the character of the large swath of open space in the 2004 plan, but trees provide many tangible benefits to a community that I feel they cannot be overlooked. NPS was hesitant about planting more trees around the perimeter, but they did not completely shut the door on the idea.
Finally, the plan does recognize the “need for visitors to be safe while in the parks. NPS indicated the design for a paved trail between Galloway and Gallatin is underway and will share information upon its completion. Congresswoman Norton is also aware of this community concern (see here).
We have a great opportunity as a community to engage with this space. The Parks Main Street (on whose Board I serve), aims to revitalize the Riggs Park small business corridor. This could be facilitated through creating historical markers, hosting promotional events, and securing resources to beautify the visual character of the nearby parkland adjacent to the neighborhood. Perhaps since the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association approved the Community Benefits Agreement with EYA for the Fort Totten South project this past June, we could use future promised “funding [as noted in the agreement] to complete improvements or upgrades . . . following [in-kind design services and a minimum of three visioning sessions . . . [for the] activation of Fort Circle Park.” (Read more on this agreement here). Maybe ANC 5A could invite NPS to an upcoming meeting to hear directly from the community on this issue (building on Congresswoman Norton’s offer a couple weeks back to help bring NPS here for a community discussion). Call me a dreamer, but maybe all three could combine forces on this too. Either way, your ideas are welcomed in the comments section below or via email to me directly.
Artist Jay Hudson brings us another neighborhood mural – this one a “We are Riggs Park” statement on the side of Riggs Wine & Liquor. Funding for the mural was provided by The Parks Main Street, District Department of Small and Local Business Development, and Riggs Wine & Liquor owner John Yoo. Next up is restoration of the sign.
“We are Riggs Park” mural by Jay Hudson. Photo credit: Jay Hudson
Jay is well-known around the neighborhood. He installed a mural on the other side of the liquor store during the inaugural 2018 Riggs Park Art Crawl.
Mural at Riggs Wine & Liquor by Jay Hudson. Photo credit: Jay Hudson
He brought us this cool mural on the side of Hellbender Brewing Company’s building (though unfortunately that mural is no longer with us).
Mural at Hellbender by Jay Hudson. Photo credit: Jay Hudson
And he is the creator of the large mural inside of Culture Coffee Too.
Sharing from Meow Wolf. Note – due to space limitation, RSVP is highly encouraged:
Join Meow Wolf D.C. for two informal gatherings at the Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library! We want to hear from Fort Totten residents, community members, artists, students, and YOU about the challenges and opportunities the local arts community faces. You’ll also learn more about the ins and outs of Meow Wolf, hear about our upcoming DC project, and have the opportunity to ask questions and provide input.
We’re scheduled to open Meow Wolf D.C. in 2022 and we’re just getting started. Community Conversations will take place throughout the D.C. metro area throughout the coming years with more dates to be announced.
DATE Thursday, October 24
TIME There will be 2 sessions on October 24. Information presented will be the same Pick one to attend: 4:00pm – 5:30pm 6:00pm – 7:30pm
LOCATION Lamond-Riggs Library 5401 South Dakota Ave NE Washington, DC 20011
RSVP is not required, but helps us with planning. Kindly RSVP to DC@meowwolf.com Light refreshments will be provided.
If you frequent Culture Coffee Too, at some point you have probably seen Little Miss Sophia selling her candied apples and other treats. Check out this Washington Post feature by Courtland Milloy on Miss Sophia and her mentor Veronica “Ms. V.” Cooper, owner of Culture Coffee Too:
Sophia has a mentor — as all budding entrepreneurs should — who runs a coffeehouse in her Riggs Park neighborhood. Veronica Cooper, 68, is owner of Coffee Culture Too. She has a can-do attitude. When it comes to encountering obstacles, in business or life, she says, “You maneuver around them, or you go through them, and you get things done.”
You might have noticed the big sign on The Modern at Art Place on Galloway Street announcing that a new daycare center called Love & Care Child Development Center will be opening soon. I called the number on the sign and they said they anticipate opening in January 2020, but it is possible I did not hear them correctly. At any rate, they are currently accepting reservations for children 6 weeks to 3 years old. Call (866) 987-0667 for more information.
You know the museum is coming. You heard the development plans were approved. And, you still have questions. Well, in this edition of Next Stop Neighbors, Mark Mumm with Explore! Children’s Museum joins us and shares his insights into what’s to come for the project to be located between on South Dakota Avenue NE between Ingraham and Kennedy streets.
We’ll hear about the vision for the museum, projects to engage the community (such as their pop up festival on Saturday, August 24), and potential collaborations with other artistic endeavors. Want to hear how Explore! differs from the National Children’s Museum. Perhaps how local children learn about the solar system? Or even what a Mobile Outreach Manager does? We’ll explore all of that and more in this conversation.
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:
August 5-30, 2019 DPR Toy Drive Lamond Recreation Center 20 Tuckerman Street NE DPR is collecting toys for children at Children’s Hospital. Drop off toys at the rec during the month of August.
Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Yard Sale 8:00 am-3:00 pm Link to map of participating homes. If you are interested in participating, email LRCAYARDSALE@gmail.com Rain date: August 18, 2019
All Hands on Tech 11:00 am-2:00 pm Lamond-Riggs Library 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE Free tech support for DC residents
SAVE THE DATE: Explore! August Community Festival August 24, 10:00 am-1:30 pm at The Modern (400 Galloway Street NE). Free RSVP on eventbrite
August 6, 2019 National Building Musuem Ward 4 Day 9:00 am-11:00 am National Building Museum 401 F Street NW Bring photo ID with zip code
MPD 4th District National Night Out 5:00 pm-9:00 pm Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center 501 Riggs Road NE
August 9, 2019 Fridays at Fort Totten Concert Series: The JoGo Band 6:00 pm-8:00 pm South Dakota Avenue & Galloway Street NE Bring a lawn chair for seating. Sponsored by The Modern at Art Place & On Tap Magazine
August 10, 2019 Bertie Backus Farmstand 10:00 am-2:00 pm UDC-CC Backus 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE
We previously reported that in fall 2020, Rocketship plans to open a new campus at 5450 3rd Street NE (near 3rd Street and Kennedy Street NE near Fort Totten metro station). Over the weekend, flyers were distributed to nearby homes with information on upcoming community engagement meetings. The first is tomorrow July 30 at Lamond-Riggs Library at 5:30 pm. If you have any questions about plans for the new school, these meetings would be a good opportunity to meet the leadership and have your questions answered.
July 30, 2019 5:30 pm-7:00 pm Lamond-Riggs Library 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE
August 1, 2019 6:00 pm-7:30 pm Culture Coffee Too 300 Riggs Road NE
August 8, 2019 6:00 pm-7:30 pm Library Tavern 5420 3rd Street NW
August 9, 2019 5:30 pm-7:00 pm North Michigan Park Recreation Center 1333 Emerson Street NE
Fridays at Fort Totten Concert Series South Dakota Avenue & Galloway Street NE 6:00 pm-8:00 pm Music by Pebble to Pearl (funk, rock, blues) Food by CapMac food truck Bring a lawn chair for seating. Sponsored by The Modern at Art Place & On Tap Magazine.
July 13
Bertie Backus Farmstand UDC-CC Backus 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE 10:00 am-2:00 pm
Veronica Cooper has become a strong force in Riggs Park, bringing us all together for coffee, cocktails, conversation, and community. In this edition of Next Stop Neighbors, we venture into Culture Coffee Too, located at 300 Riggs Road NE, and meet Ms. V. We’ll hear about the concept behind her local small business, what’s next, and her fondness for the student dancers from the Davis Center who performed outside Culture Coffee at the 2nd Annual Riggs Park Art Crawl. And, do you know what she did before starting the coffee shop? Maybe what her favorite thing to make for her customers? The story behind the table in the photo? Well, you will know that and more after listening to our conversation. Cheers!
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:
Like many other families starting off with their first home, one of the reasons my family set our sights to purchase here in Riggs Park was its affordability in comparison to other neighborhoods across the city. Now, after being here for a couple years, I have wondered how home sales have changed over time for our little community tucked away in upper northeast Washington D.C. That meant I needed some data, and we all know I love me some numbers. (See here on Fort Totten metro ridership, here on crime, and here on the 2018 elections results).
I reached out to Harrison Beacher to help me address this burning data desire. He is a managing partner with the Coalition Properties Group and Keller Williams Capital Properties. Not only is he a former homeowner and current property owner in Riggs Park, he previously served on the board of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) and is familiar with the neighborhood. His company also donated funds to defray costs to print the monthly LRCA newsletter too. Mr. Beacher and his lead buyer specialist Isaiah Hazward, ran a couple reports from the multiple listing service on home sales for me and I’d like to share some of the findings here with the community.
As shown in Figure 1, home sales in Riggs Park have steadily climbed from 88 properties in 2014 to 108 in 2018. The vast majority of homes sold in 2018 ranged in age from 60 to 72 years, with five less than 45 years old and two that were 75 years old (data not shown).
Figure 1 shows a line graph of properties sold in Riggs Park from 2014 to 2018
As of mid-June 2019, 47 homes were sold this year in Riggs Park. This is a slower pace than in 2018, with 7.8 homes sold per month on average in 2019 compared to 9 homes per month in 2018. A follow-up post will be shared after the final 2019 numbers are available.
Moving on, Figure 2 displays average (blue line) and median (orange line) closed sale prices for homes in our neighborhood between 2014 and 2019. Averages represent total closed sale prices for all properties divided by the total number of properties. Median closed sale prices are also shown to get a sense of home sales without potential outlier property sales skewing the overall distribution.
We can see that average home sold prices have risen from $342,000 in 2014 to $505,000 in 2019. Median sold prices also rose from $339,000 to $508,000 over the same time period. Mr. Beacher noted to me that “the overall pricing trends really do tell the story of how attractive our . . . single-family homes are in the DC housing landscape.” He went on to add that “we are still below the city median price of around $575,000.”
Figure 2 shows a line graph depicting average (blue line) or median (orange line) sold price in Riggs Park from 2014 to 2019.
Finally, the table below shows the lowest and highest sold price for properties in Riggs Park between 2014 and 2018 as well as by mid-June 2019.
Year
Low
High
2014
$200,000
$519,900
2015
$223,500
$650,000
2016
$275,000
$750,000
2017
$249,000
$759,000
2018
$287,000
$930,000
2019
$300,000
$840,000
Mr. Beacher informed me that the homogenous nature of our housing stock further highlights the “value opportunity” of our neighborhood. This stock represents primarily single family, 3 bedroom semi-detached homes. He added that “median sold price for attached, 3 bedroom townhomes in DC was approximately $662,000 in 2018 and [is] $697,000 in 2019 to date. Simply put, we have a lot of the type of homes that buyers in DC want, at a great value opportunity compared to the same kind of house in the majority of the rest of the city.”
Art met life, or at least neighbors and businesses in upper Northeast Washington D.C., as artists and artisans created art to depict local small businesses and engage the community at the 2nd Annual Riggs Park Art Crawl. Originally created and sponsored last year by Veronica “Ms. V.” Cooper, owner of local small business Culture Coffee Too, and muralist and creative director Jay Hudson, this year, The Parks Main Street and Culture Coffee Too partnered on the event, held on June 14 and 15, 2019.
The Parks Main Street, formerly known as the South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road Main Street, is the newest member of the District’s Main Street program aimed at retaining, revitalizing and recruiting small businesses in traditional historic business districts across the city. The Parks Main Street is a community-based organization that utilizes public-private partnerships and community volunteers to build on neighborhood assets and implement strategies to support and improve the business corridors in the Riggs Park and Manor Park neighborhoods.
The 2019 event kicked off on Friday June 14 with artisans stationed at Culture Coffee Too presenting their creations, such as jewelry, for sale. In the evening, a lively discussion was held during an artist panel at the Bilingual School located on Riggs Road NE.
On Saturday June 15, live painting by artists was a howling success under the gaze of the silver wolf sculpture located at the intersection of South Dakota Ave NE and Ingraham St NE.
Sculpture at the Modern at Art Place
This is where the Modern at Art Place apartment community resides and is also the future site of the famed arts collective Meow Wolf, a children’s museum, and a Family Entertainment Zone. In addition to this site, painters were stationed at a total of 10 participating small businesses in the Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue NE corridor. When the paint dried, the muralists then handed off their completed masterpieces to the small business who inspired them, which we can also enjoy as a community for a long time to come.
Let’s meet
some of the artists who shared their art and views about the Art Crawl now.
Nessar Jahanbin
Artist Nessar Jahabin creating a piece for T-Mobile
“I like painting natural and organic imagery,” says Nessar Jahanbin, also known as JAH One. He created a flower bud suspended in a dewdrop to represent the T-Mobile Store at 5210 South Dakota Avenue NE. Using the company’s logo colors and a creative vibe inspired by graffiti street artists, the muralist deftly free formed the image, twisting and turning aerosol spray paint cans with a finesse usually reserved for paintbrushes.
Trained in the fine arts and a painter since childhood, this was Nessar’s first year participating in the Riggs Park Art Crawl. His T-Mobile inspired piece paid homage to the environment and graffiti street artists like Jay Hudson.
“It’s important to remind people about the artwork that comes from graffiti,” he says of the art form. “People appreciate murals but look down on street graffiti because what they generally see are tags and letters written on walls. They never get to see the beautiful art hidden away in places under bridges, or understand there is no way I could have done this (mural) without learning graffiti.”
Painting
letters with spray paint and then learning to manipulate their shapes and textures
to create new images inspires Nessar’s career as a muralist who shares stories and history on city walls.
“We live
in a society where people want instant gratification,” he says. “But spray
painting takes time” to record the times of our lives.
Orange Clockwork
Piece created by artist Orange Clockwork for Shining Stars Pediatric Dentistry
The mocking feline from Alice in Wonderland found a place on South Dakota Avenue during the 2nd Annual Riggs Park Art Crawl. “When I got here they told me the business I was to represent was the dentist office,” Shining Stars Pediatric Dentistry, located at 435 Ingraham Street NE.
The camera-shy
aerosol artist calling himself “Orange Clockwork” says he focused on “creating a kid friendly street
scape, something with a big smile,” to present the message “stay fresh,” adding
stars to make it pop. “That’s how I came up with the Cheshire Cat.”
J’nell Jordan
Artist J’nell Jordan working on a piece for Ramdass Pharmacy
“I love people and figurative work; a smile, body language,” says artist J’nell Jordan, a newcomer to the Art Crawl thanks to muralist Jay Hudson, who helped recruit the participating artists.
Painting for more than a decade, the Northern Virginia
native said she moved to the District five years ago after studying art at Adelphi
University in New York. She represented Ramdass
Pharmacy, located at 475 Ingraham Street NE, creating a piece
depicting a child clutching a lollipop and the hand of an adult to convey her
message of a friendly, neighborhood community. Learn more about Dr. Ramdass and
his pharmacy by listening to a podcast here
with David Kosub, Vice Chair of The Parks Main Street.
“It’s nice to do something in your own neighborhood and have
art uplift the businesses and get people involved.”
Matt Riegner
Artist Matt Riegner in front of his piece for the Modern at Art Place
“Originally
I had some grandiose ideas” of how to interpret the Modern
at Art Place apartment
community, says muralist Matt Riegner. See how grandiose
his work can be. Eventually the elegant simplicity of the building’s logo won
out, inspiring Matt to create a bold, abstract art piece.
“The arts scene in DC has blossomed and grown dramatically
over the past 10 years,” he says. “It comes and goes with who is in office,
idea exchanges, and social media.”
Recruited by Jay Hudson for the project, Matt said he has worked on
projects with the legendary street artist for the past seven years.
“The arts draw attention. Attention brings money. Money
brings development,” he mused. “I think DC has done a good job of defining the
District’s art culture. They’re using the arts in a constructive way that I
think people can appreciate and engage.”
Rhythm Bowers
Artist Rhythm Bowers working on her piece for Riggs Dry Cleaner
Even mystical, purple-hued, fairylike beings need their garments dry-cleaned. At least that’s the playful message Rhythm Bowers, a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, wanted to communicate while painting her animated street art outside Riggs Dry Cleaner at 5585 South Dakota Avenue NE.
“The Art
Crawl has been amazing,” she said of her debut experience with the second annual
event. “I’ve been wanting to paint outside and do something like this for a
while.”
“I feel it
will give my work more publicity and, hopefully, bring my pop culture style
into the city. It’s nice seeing art in
the city that has an animated style, like the art I create.”
Will Watson
Artist Will Watson in front of his work for Riggs Wine & Liquor
“I didn’t
know how to represent a liquor store in a positive light, admits Will
Watson
The recent graduate of a MFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art represented Riggs Wine & Liquor at 5581 South Dakota Avenue NE. He rose to the challenge, using spray paint to create an image of friendship and celebration.
“I wanted
to show something that wouldn’t encourage alcohol abuse but light heartedness
and fun, with a diverse group of colors. Cheers to friends,” says Will. “I hope
the work ends up in a place where people can look at it and smile.”
The young artist says his first time participating in the Art Crawl resulted from his patronage of the Art Crawl’s co-sponsor, Culture Coffee Too.
“I come to Culture Coffee Too often for lunch. I overheard Jay Hudson and [Edwin
Washington, (the Executive Director of The
Parks Main Street)] planning this event and I slipped them my business card.”
*Joann Stevens is a board member of The Parks Main Street. Edwin Washington is the executive director of The Parks Main Street. To learn about sponsorship and engagement opportunities, contact Edwin Washington at (202) 774-5542 or info@theparksmainstreet.org.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 