Celebrate Land Conservation Day at Hellbender Brewing Company with:
Tree Tours
Live Music
Raffles & Games
BBQ Food Truck
Casey Trees Merch
And try the exclusive Casey Trees Serviceberry seasonal beer!
Tickets not required. Registration encouraged to help predict attendance. Also, there is a donation link in the event checkout to support Casey Trees.
Schedule
Event runs 2:00 pm-7:00pm.
Hellbender Beer Hall and outside patio open for the duration of the event, as well as BBQ food truck, raffles, partner tables, and several games all open 2-7pm. Exclusive seasonal Serviceberry beer brewed with berries picked from local Serviceberry trees. Proceeds from this beer support Casey Trees’ efforts to restore, enhance, and protect DC’s tree canopy.
Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker invites residents to join his next Monthly Public Safety Call on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.
Guests will be representatives from Ward 5’s three Police Districts (3D, 4D, and 5D).
Register to receive the meeting link at ward5.us/monthlycall. The meeting will be livestreamed on CM Parker’s YouTube channel. It will be recorded, and slides will be shared afterwards.
Individuals will be called on once acknowledged by the Chair.
Commissioners will be let into the meeting room first. Once they are all present, the residents will be let in.
AGENDA
I. Call Meeting to Order 6:45 pm
II. Quorum
III. Agenda Review/Acceptance
IV. Commission Business A. Election and Swearing in of the Secretary B. Secretary i. Minutes (May 2024) C. Treasurer i. 3rd Quarter Financial Report ii. Job Description D. Public Safety Committee Update from June 20th (Commissioner Cozart)
V. Commission Action Items/Updates A. Sahara Market (Ret B and CR) (5A02)
VI. Community Updates A. MPD B. Mayor’s Office C. Councilmember Parker’s office
VII. Reports & Presentations A. Dalando Baker (DDOT) South Dakota Ave Traffic Study- DDOT B. St. Anslam’s Abby School Development (5A02) C. Anne Welch (DDOT) Safety improvements on Fort Drive NE and Taylor Street NE from North Capitol Street NW to South Dakota Avenue NE.
For voice-only participation on a telephone, dial (301) 715-8592.
Meeting ID: 860 2004 6493. Passcode: 780988.
1. Call to Order & Roll Call
2. Administrative Items:
A. Instructions for Participation in Virtual Meeting
B. Consideration and Approval of June 2024 Regular Public Meeting Agenda
C. Approval of May 2024 Regular Public Meeting Minutes
D. Treasurer’s Report
3. Commissioner Updates
4. Community Concerns
*Please use the “Raise Hand” button via Zoom or *9 via telephone to speak during community concerns. The Commission will provide additional details regarding how to present community concerns via the virtual meeting at the start of the meeting. This is the time for questions or statements from members of the public about issues on the agenda or other areas of concern. Please limit your statement or question to one minute. You may also contact members of the Commission before and after Commission meetings.*
5. Reports:
A. Mayor’s Office on Community Relations and Services (3 minutes)
B. Barbara Rogers, Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (3 minutes)
C. Frazier O’Leary, Ward 4 State Board of Education (3 minutes)
D. Housing Justice Committee (2 minutes)
E. Vision Zero Committee (2 minutes)
F. Youth Advisory Committee (2 minutes)
G. Community Safety & Support Committee (2 minutes)
6. Presentation: Japer Bowles, Director, Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Affairs, Mission and Work of the Office (10-minute presentation; 10-minute discussion)
7. Presentation: Clover Barnes, Senior Deputy Director, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration (HAHSTA), District Department of Health, Mission of the Administration and Available Resources (10-minute presentation; 10-minute discussion)
8. Presentation: Sayra Molina, Transportation Specialist, Corridor Safety Projects Team, Traffic Engineering & Safety Division, District Department of Transportation, South Dakota Avenue Corridor Safety Project from Riggs Road, NE, to Bladensburg Road, NE
Christopher Berg, Bicycle/Pedestrian Program Specialist, Active Transportation Branch, Planning and Sustainability Division, District Department of Transportation, Riggs Road, NE, Protected Bike Lanes (NOI 24-150 PSD) (10-minute presentation; 10-minute discussion)
9. Consent Calendar:
Resolution 4B-24-0601: Authorizing Commission Community Support and Outreach Expenditures (Commissioner Brooks, Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Yeats, and Commissioner Palmer)
Resolution 4B-24-0602: Supporting Application for Special Exceptions at 6629 Piney Branch Road, NW, for Rear Addition (BZA 21176) (Commissioner Palmer, Commissioner Brooks, Commissioner Yeats, and Commissioner Smith)
Resolution 4B-24-0603: Noting History of Requests and Calling for Installation of Speed Humps for East-West Roads (Commissioner Brooks, Commissioner Yeats, Commissioner Palmer, and Commissioner Smith)
Resolution 4B-24-0604: Noting Lengthy History of Requests and Calling for Additional Traffic Calming and Safety Infrastructure at the Intersection of Piney Branch Road, NW, and Dahlia Street, NW, and Around Takoma Elementary School (Commissioner Brooks, Commissioner Yeats, Commissioner Palmer, and Commissioner Smith)
10. Adjournment
ANC 4B is on recess and will not hold Regular Public Meetings in July and August.
The next ANC 4B Planning Meeting is scheduled for September 10 at 6:30 p.m.
The next ANC 4B Regular Public Meeting is scheduled for September 23 at 7:00 p.m.
The next ANC 4B Housing Justice Committee Meeting is scheduled for July 3 at 7:30 p.m.
The next ANC 4B Youth Advisory Committee Meeting has not yet been scheduled.
The next ANC 4B Vision Zero Committee Meeting has not yet been scheduled.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is soliciting public comment on the 90% design of the Riggs Road NE two-way cycletrack (NOI #24-150 PSD; 90% design plan). This is the proposed cycletrack on eastbound Riggs using part of the existing dedicated right-turn only lane between South Dakota Avenue and 1st Place NE. DDOT is reissuing the NOI for this project after it stalled last year. The project sits in ANC 5A09. Send comments to bike.lanes@dc.gov by July 23, 2024.
DDOT states:
DDOT proposes to reconfigure the 100 block of Riggs Road between First Place NE and South Dakota Ave NE to remove the curbside eastbound travel lane for 800 feet and convert that space to a two-way protected bike lane as shown in the attached plans.
The purpose of this change is to assist cyclists in crossing under the railroad tracks to reach the Metropolitan Branch Trail.
We are re-issuing this NOI at the 90% design stage to solicit public feedback through the ongoing development stages of this project.
Rendering of proposed cycletrack from NOI
It is worth looking at the 90% design plan for details. For example, DDOT expects that people on bikes will follow the pedestrian signal rather than having a separate bike signal. It looks like DDOT plans to install a yellow flex post in the cycletrack at the corner of 1st Pl & Riggs that will hopefully stop cars from entering the cyletrack. Plenty of other details to comment on.
Send comments to bike.lanes@dc.gov by July 23, 2024.
DDOT and Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker recently held two kickoff meetings for the South Dakota Avenue NE Corridor Safety Study. DDOT is looking at ways to address issues on South Dakota from Bladensburg Road NE to Riggs Road NE.
Let DDOT know what you think about what is needed along the corridor by completing this questionnaire and providing information on this public input map (where you can identify important changes you’d like to see at specific intersections like more visible crosswalks, better pedestrian accommodations, etc).
Councilmember Parker earmarked funds in the FY2024 budget for a road diet on the corridor:
“fund efforts to improve safety on the corridor in the short term, preferably by constructing a road diet on a segment of the corridor […] the Committee recommends that DDOT consider either the segment between Bladensburg Road and Monroe Street NE or the segment between Sargent Road NE and RiggsRoad NE.”
Most agree speeding is a problem on South Dakota. There is a relatively low volume of vehicles during off-peak hours, which makes the wide road ripe for speeding. There are too many crashes and near misses. People feel unsafe crossing the street. Too many pedestrians have been injured or killed walking along the corridor. People want to be able to safely walk and bike to points along the corridor. Everyone wants the situation to be addressed. The question is how to get there.
Project Scope
DDOT is going to study the entire corridor, examine three concepts for a road diet, select one concept, and design and build the concept on one portion of the corridor. DDOT plans to start construction on the southern end (near Bladensburg) because they state that is where there is highest need.
DDOT is looking at three options for the corridor.
Option One: 3 lanes with full-time parking
Option one would have three lanes with parking on each side of the street.
Maintains one lane in each direction
Uses curbside space for full-time parking
Center space can be left turn lanes or pedestrian islands depending on needs
(Currently, no parking is allowed on South Dakota except for limited parking on the west side of South Dakota between Galloway and Ingraham (soon extending to Kennedy). A couple of churches closer to the southern end of the corridor use a lane for parking on Sundays.)
Option Two: 3 lanes with parking and two-way protected bike lanes
Option two would have three lanes with parking and a two-way protected bike lane:
Maintains one travel lane in each direction
Uses curbside on one curb face for protected bike lanes
Uses opposite curb for parking
Center space can be left turn lanes or pedestrian islands depending on need
Option Three: 3 lanes with protected bike lanes in each direction
Option three would have three lanes with protected bike lanes in each direction.
Maintains one lane in each direction
Uses curbside space for protected bike lanes
Center space can be left turn lanes or pedestrian islands depending on needs
Project Timeline
DDOT plans to gather data, explore concepts, and gather input before holding a second round of public meetings in fall 2024, having a third round of public meetings in winter 2024/2025, beginning work on design plans in spring 2025, and finally starting construction just on the southern end in summer 2025.
Ways to Give Input
Let DDOT know what you think about what is needed along the corridor by completing this questionnaire and providing information on this public input map (where you can identify important changes you’d like to see at specific intersections like more visible crosswalks, better pedestrian accommodations, etc).
Though DDOT is going to focus the limited construction money on the southern end of the corridor, please take the time provide input to DDOT about neighborhood issues through this public engagement effort.
(I am going to exercise restraint from getting too soapboxy about how it would have been amazing if our city agencies would have required safe street design while the streets have been torn up for all of the development plus the city’s own street reconfiguration on the northern end of the corridor the past several years. Would have been amazing if our planning agency did not greenlight a new drive-thru on South Dakota on the northern end. Please complete the surveys & advocate for funding to complete the entire corridor.)
Aldi is anticipating opening at 5300 South Dakota Avenue NE (at Kennedy Street) around October 2024. They have applied for a new class B Full-Service Grocery store license with a Tasting Permit Endorsement to sell beer and wine for off-premises consumption. Hours of beer/wine sales would be Sunday through Saturday 9am – 8pm.
The ABCA protest petition deadline is July 8, 2024. The roll call hearing date is July 29, 2024. The protest hearing date is September 18, 2024, at 1:30 pm.
The store sits in ANC 5A09. ANC Commissioner Shelagh Bocoum (5A09) will discuss the application at her single member district meeting on June 17, 2024.
ANC 5A just cancelled the special meeting scheduled for tonight.
From ANC 5A:
Please note, this meeting for tonight has been canceled. The election noted below will be conducted at our regular public meeting on June 26, 2024.
—
[Ed. Note: A couple of months ago, the ANC decided that Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03), who had been installed as vice chair at the beginning of the year, would also take on the secretary role for the ANC. I have been told that this special meeting is for the ANC to follow the proper procedures to make her secretary role official.]
I. Call Meeting to Order 6:00 pm II. Quorum III. Agenda Review/Acceptance IV. Commission Business A. Special Election VIII. Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 26, 2024 IX. Adjourn
Topic: ANC 5A Special Meeting Time: Jun 12, 2024 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
As part of its bus network redesign, Metro is looking to consolidate some of its bus stops. View the full list of bus stops that Metro is proposing to eliminate: Metro Bus Stop Consolidation Report (May 2024). Metro states:
Metro used our Board adopted Service Guidelines, which provide guidelines of the average number of bus stops per mile for different kinds of service. We focused on stops that were about 660 feet apart or less and then assessed ridership at the stop and the availability of safe access for customers. For stops that were close together with low ridership or without safe pedestrian access were considered for consolidation.
Share your input with Metro
In this post, we discussed some of the neighborhood impacts of the 2025 Network Proposal. Residents should also comment on the proposed elimination of bus stops. Remember to provide input to Metro at https://betterbus.wmata.com/share by 5:00 pm on July 15, 2024.
Proposed Bus Stop Consolidation Neighborhood Impacts
Virtual Public Hearing Tuesday, June 18, 2024, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Meeting Code: 490 122 856#
Virtual Public Hearing Monday, June 24, 2024, 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Meeting Code: 787 960 816#
Metro is holding popup events about the 2025 Network Proposal around the region.
Pop-Up @ Rhode Island Ave Metro Station Monday, June 17, 2024 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. Rhode Island Ave Metro Station 919 Rhode Island Ave NE Washington DC 20018
Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker cohosted a virtual Ward 5 meeting on June 3.
Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is cohosting a meeting with Metro on June 27 at 6:30 pm at Coolidge High School.
Every Wednesday, Qualia popup selling fresh, locally roasted beans along with hot and cold brew and a selection of pastries from their partners, RavenHook Bakehouse.
[Ed. Note: A couple of months ago, the ANC decided that Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03), who had been installed as vice chair at the beginning of the year, would also take on the secretary role for the ANC. I have been told that this special meeting is for the ANC to follow the proper procedures to make her secretary role official.]
I. Call Meeting to Order 6:00 pm II. Quorum III. Agenda Review/Acceptance IV. Commission Business A. Special Election VIII. Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 26, 2024 IX. Adjourn
Topic: ANC 5A Special Meeting Time: Jun 12, 2024 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Ward 5 Family Biking for a bike ride with pride. Ride from North Michigan Park Rec Center to Metrobar. Enjoy tropical drink special for adult riders, crafts and fun for kids.
Beginning June 5, 2024, find Qualia Coffee at Hellbender Brewery every Wednesday, 8:00 am-12:00 noon. Selling fresh, locally roasted beans along with hot and cold brew.
The June 2024 LRCA Community meeting will be held on Monday, June 3, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM EST. Doors open at 5:45 PM.
This IN-PERSON meeting is scheduled to take place at the Lillian J. Huff Neighborhood Library, Meeting Room 1, located at 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20011.
The seats for ANC 5A06 and 5A07 are officially vacant for the rest of the year. By law, if a vacancy occurs within six months of a general election, nominating petitions may not be made available and the seat will remain vacant for the remainder of the term. These two seats have been vacant for several months now. There are quite a few things happening in particularly ANC 5A07, so the rest of the ANC and the chair will have to pick up the slack and stay on top of things in these areas.
Not too early for people to start thinking about running for ANC in the fall!
ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on May 22, 2024. Commissioners present: Duvalier Malone (5A01); Karlus Cozart (5A02) – Parliamentarian; Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) – Vice Chair & Secretary; Diego Rojas (5A04); Gordon Fletcher (5A08) – Chair; Shelagh Bocoum (5A09) – Treasurer. ANC 5A06 & 5A07 are vacant.
Commission Business
The ANC voted to approve spending $90 to get video recordings of the ANC meetings off zoom and onto the ANC website. Commissioner Cozart voted no.
ANC Public Safety Committee Update
Commissioner Cozart, who is heading up the ANC’s public safety meeting, stated the ANC will tentatively schedule a public safety summit on June 20, 2024, at 6:45 pm. Commissioner Cozart said he has invitations out to the DC Office of Attorney General, DC Department of Youth & Rehabilitation Services, and Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker.
Ward 5 Mayor Office Report(Ward 5 MOCR Anthony Black)
The Giant Barbecue Battle will be in September. Reach out to him for tickets.
Mr. Black has Ward days on Tuesday and Fridays when he can meet residents and commissioners around the ward to discuss any issues.
Mayor Bowser FY2025 Budget Presentation(Phil Thomas, Director, Office of the Clean City)
Director of the Mayor’s Office of the Clean City stated the mayor’s FY 2025 budget has three core principles: (1) public safety; (2) public education; (3) downtown investments.
Ward 5 Council Report(Carlos McKnight, Constituent Services Coordinator for Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker)
The Council is in the middle of budget season and is looking to reverse some of Mayor Bowser’s propsoed cuts.
Metro is installing permanent bus shelters at Fort Totten and Brookland stations
Metro is redesigning its bus network.
DDOT will be holding kickoff meetings for the South Dakota Avenue corridor safety project on May 30 (virtual) and June 1 (in person).
DDOT Riggs Road NE Cycletrack; Taylor Street Bike Lane Project (Christopher Berg, DDOT Bicycle/Pedestrian Program Specialist; Michael Alvino, DDOT Active Transportation Branch Manager)
DDOT plans to reissue a Notice of Intent (NOI) to install a two-way cycletrack on the south side of Riggs Road NE between South Dakota Avenue and 1st Place NE. The goal is to install the cycletrack this year.
In response to questions, Mr. Alvino noted that DDOT is aware of the need for an additional curb cut on 1st Place NE. He also noted that DDOT is still working with National Park Service on a multi-use path on Galloway Street NE near Fort Totten station.
The Taylor Street NE bike plan project is in the planning phase.
As noted, DDOT will hold two kickoff meetings for the South Dakota Avenue corridor safety project.
Food & Friends Expansion & Curb Cut Request (Carrie Stolzfus, Executive Director, & Casey Dyson, Director Government Affairs and External Relations)
Food & Friends wants to expand their building at 219 Riggs Road NE in order to serve more individuals. They state that in order to do so, they will need to expand towards South Dakota Avenue. They have submitted an application to DC’s Public Space Committee for what they are calling a conceptual curb cut on South Dakota Avenue NE between Riggs Road and Kennedy Street. They gave a brief presentation to the ANC to request the ANC’s support of the curb cut. The ANC did not take a vote at the meeting.
When DDOT eliminated the slip lanes on South Dakota Avenue way back when, a contiguous parcel of land was created in front of Food & Friends. That parcel of District-owned land is slated for park space so that is why Food & Friends say they are now looking to expand towards South Dakota. Because of the property lines, Food & Friends would need a bit of public space for a driveway that they want to install (in addition to the curb cut) to access this planned addition.
(I asked if Food & Friends could share information from their public space application, such as vehicle count. It was a bit hard to follow from the presentation exactly what the plans are for having two separate vehicle entrances).
Commissioner Bocoum (5A09) stated she will arrange a meeting with Food & Friends and stakeholders about the expansion and driveway plan before the ANC takes a vote on the public space application.
Miscellaneous
I mentioned that Social Justice School has applied to relocate to 333 Kennedy Street NE (as noted in this post). A DC Public Charter School Board hearing was held on May 20, 2024. The school notified Chair Fletcher but the commissioner for the area, Commissioner Bocoum, was not aware and the ANC did not participate. Councilmember Parker submitted a letter in support of the relocation in advance of the hearing.
The ANC received notification Aldi’s application to obtain a beer/wine license.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 