ANC 5A held its public meeting on November 20, 2024. Commissioners present: Duvalier Malone (5A01); Karlus Cozart (5A02) – Parliamentarian; Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) – Vice Chair, Secretary; Gordon Fletcher (5A08) – Chair; Shelagh Bocoum (5A09) – Treasurer. ANC 5A06 and 5A07 are vacant.
Commission Business
The ANC approved a Fiscal Year 2025 budget. Chair Fletcher stated the annual report is due on December 1, 2024, so he is asking each commissioner to submit a list of activities in their respective single member district (SMD).
Husband/wife team Susan and William Webster want to open a wellness center/pharmacy that will be a medical marijuana dispensary at 4942 South Dakota Avenue NE (in the strip mall next to the McDonald’s). A representative from DC’s Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) attended the meeting. As discussed at the October ANC meeting, Jubileaf received a conditional license as a social equity applicant. The ABCA rep stated that the Websters have not submitted their location and other information necessary for ABCA to issue them a placard in order to have a hearing.
Jubileaf has a signed lease for their location, but they were mistaken about the steps needed to move forward. They have to submit their location information as a first step for ABCA to determine if the location is appropriate (not too close to schools, etc.). Until they submit all of the required information, there is nothing for the ANC to vote on because the ANC vote has to occur within a certain timeframe of the placard. ABCA does not accept early protests.
Commissioner Fletcher said the Jubileaf team attended his and Commissioner Bocoum’s joint SMD meeting on November 18. Apparently, at that meeting people asked Jubileaf for renderings, a security plan, community benefits, and property beautification plans. Commissioner Fletcher said he talked to the property owner who said that he was aware of Jubileaf’s beautification plans but clarified that he as the property owner had no plans to beautify the entire strip mall.
At the full ANC meeting, a resident asked if Jubileaf plans to deliver products (they would like to); if they checked for the number of halfway houses in the area (they have not); if they will accept cash/credit/debit (yes); if they will allow self-certification (likely); and if they will have pre-rolled smokes (maybe).
Residents asked the ABCA rep why a group of five individuals cannot protest a cannabis license application as they can with a liquor license application. The ABCA rep said that the DC Council wrote the law permitting just an ANC to be able to protest a cannabis license. She noted that there was a recent amendment to the law that now enable protests by a daycare center within 400 feet of a proposed location, an abutting property owner, or a property owner across the street from the proposed location. The standard for these groups to protest are whether the applicant is violating the law or if the application is in violation of traffic or pedestrian safety standards. She said in the Jubileaf matter, the ANC would be protesting under the same appropriateness standards for liquor licenses (real property values, peace/quiet, parking needs/vehicular & pedestrian safety, etc.).
The president of the North Michigan Park Civic Association meeting said she will have Jubileaf present at the civic association meeting on December 4.
Ward 5 Council Report (Oliver Stoute, Constituent Services Coordinator to CM Zachary Parker)
CM Parker and his team gave away turkeys on November 20. ERAP reopened on November 20. Councilmember Parker held a roundtable on DYRS on November 22.
Metro has finalized the Better Bus proposal. Review at betterbus.wmata.com.
DPR held a Ward 5 projects construction update on November 25.
The Ward 5 Senior Advisory Committee will meet on December 4 at Model Cities.
The Ward 5 holiday party will be on December 19 at Dock 5 at Union Market.
A resident asked if CM Parker could help Jubileaf find a different location in a “more commercial area” as opposed to a “more residential area.”
A resident asked if CM Parker’s office could do something about undocked bikes/scooters being left in alleys and on sidewalks (residents can submit a 311 request for dockless vehicle complaint to have the scooters/bikes picked up).
Commissioner Lucio said that Faith United Church had trouble getting turkeys for the giveaway planned for their mobile market, so she reached out to EYA. EYA gave the church enough money to give away 100 turkeys.
A resident asked if there have been any updates about Yu Ying’s discussion with DDOT about making certain streets one way. Commissioner Fletcher said he has not heard anything from Commissioner Tyeron Boston (5A05). The school sits in Commissioner Boston’s SMD. Commissioner Fletcher sits on the board of Yu Ying, so he recuses himself from ANC actions related to the school. The resident noted that Commissioner Boston has been absent for three straight meetings. She said she wrote her name in on the ballot (unclear if she registered to run as a write-in candidate).
A resident asked about the Providence campus. Commissioner Lucio repeated what she said at the last ANC meeting. The DC attorney general is still investigating the sale. Commissioner Lucio is working with CM Parker’s office to have money from the sale “earmarked” for the healthcare needs of Ward 5 residents. There will likely be an urgent care center. A resident asked about asbestos in the buildings on the campus. Commissioner Lucio said she would put the resident in touch with SHDPA, the District agency responsible for providing certificates of need to health care facilities in DC.
This was Commissioner Fletcher’s last ANC meeting. Unless there are any special meetings before the end of the year, the next ANC meeting with be in January 2025.
The December 2024 LRCA Community meeting will be held on Monday, December 2, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM EST.
This in-person meeting will be a Holiday Social at the Lillian J. Huff Neighborhood Library, Meeting Room 1, located at 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20011. No formal speakers, just a chance to connect with neighbors, enjoy music, and food, and join in the fun with ugly sweater and festive sweater/hat contests.
Please bring an unwrapped toy for a student in need to the meeting. If you can’t make it, there will be a collection box at the library until December 16.
Students can earn community service hours by assisting with the distribution of the LRCA monthly newsletter. If you are interested, please reach out to LRCA President Barbara Rogers at Barbara@lrcadc.org or call 202-904-1027.
Update 12/6/2024: The Ward 5 Holiday Party has been cancelled due to schedule conflict.
Ward 5 Holiday Party December 19, 2024 6:00 pm-8:30 pm Dock 5 at Union Market 1309 5th Street NE
Councilmember Zachary Parker will host the Ward 5 Holiday Party on December 19 from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. at Dock 5 at Union Market. Bring an unwrapped, unopened toy to contribute to the holiday toy drive.
This year’s Ward 5 Awards Ceremony will also take place at the Ward 5 Holiday Party. Nominate a deserving neighbor by December 13: Ward 5 Awards 2024 Nomination Form.
From DC Department of Housing and Community Development
The DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is hosting citywide Housing Listening Sessions to provide information on the District’s housing resources and programs and so residents can share their housing needs and concerns. DHCD is hosting the Ward 4 Housing Listening Session on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at 5:30 pm at Lamond-Riggs Library (5401 South Dakota Avenue NE). For more information and registration, visit Ward 4 Housing Listening Session.
DHCD’s Ward 4 Housing Listening Session
Tuesday, November 26, 2024 5:30 pm Lamond-Riggs Library 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE
In the redesign, Metro continues to propose eliminating several neighborhood bus stops, as discussed in this post. But Metro now proposes to retain the stop at Chillum Place & Eastern Avenue NE that was originally slated for removal.
Bus Stop
Route
Plan
South Dakota Ave & 8th St NE
80
Remove
Galloway St & South Dakota Ave NE
80, E2, F6
Remove
Riggs Rd & Rock Creek Church NE
60, 64, E4, K2, K6
Remove
Riggs Rd & Blair Rd NE
60, 64, E4, K2, K6
Remove
Chillum Pl & Eastern Ave NE
E4
Retain
New Hampshire Ave & Longfellow St NE
K6
Remove
Nicholson St & Riggs Rd NE
E4
Remove
New Hampshire Ave & Oneida St NE
K6
Remove
New Hampshire Ave & Quackenbos St NE
K6
Remove
I am personally annoyed about the planned removal of the stop at South Dakota and Galloway. Riggs Park residents will have to either walk up the steep dirt hill to the stop at Galloway & 4th or walk to the stop at South Dakota & Farragut and stand at a stop on a narrow sidewalk without a bench or shelter. Alas.
(Yesterday, Councilmember Zachary Parker sent a letter to Metro leadership with some initial concerns about some of the proposed stop removals in Ward 5. The letter mentions the stops at Riggs/Rock Creek Church and Riggs/Blair).
New Naming Convention
Metro is moving forward with the new naming convention. Routes are named based on the following criteria:
The first character represents general area:
D or C (District of Columbia, with D generally corresponding to routes serving Downtown and C with Crosstown routes)
M (Montgomery)
P (Prince George’s)
A (Arlington and Alexandria)
F (Fairfax County, City of Fairfax, and Falls Church)
The second character represents a number that clusters routes along the same corridor or in the same neighborhood
The third character distinguishes it from other routes in that cluster; an X represents limited-stop service
Neighborhood Bus Route Crosswalk: Existing Route –> Approximate Proposed Route
E2 –> C71 Fort Totten – Union Station via Ivy City E4 –> C81 Sibley Hospital – Fort Totten 80 –> D30 Fort Totten – Federal Triangle via North Capitol Street 64 –> D44 Fort Totten – Federal Triangle via 11 Street NW K2 –> C77 Takoma – Fort Totten K6, K9 –> M60 White Oak Medical Center – Fort Totten via New Hampshire Avenue K6, K9 –> M6X White Oak FDA – Fort Totten R1, R2 –> P15 Riggs Road – Adelphi via Riggs Road) R1, R2 –> P16 White Oak Medical Center – Fort Totten via Riggs Road F6 –> P32 Fort Totten – Greenbelt F6 –> P35 Fort Totten – New Carrollton K2 –> P42 Takoma – New Carrollton
Route Changes
Neighbor Gavin and I took a quick look at some of the final route changes for the neighborhood. A few differ from what Metro proposed earlier this year. Entirely possible missed some things or got something wrong. Metro made some tweaks to the Maryland lines that serve Fort Totten station, but I did not look super closely at them.
Metro prepared a handy response summary providing a bit of rationale for some of their decisions.
Service on Riggs Road/Chillum Place/Nicholson Street/Eastern Avenue NE(E2 –>C71)
Metro is moving forward with chopping the upper NE/NW route E4 crosstown loop to Riggs Park. Seems planners could not quite figure out what to do about service between Fort Totten station and Eastern Avenue NE, despite the several comments asking them to keep at least one crosstown loop to Riggs Park so that people can actually travel crosstown and get to locations like grocery stores, schools, library, and their homes without having to transfer buses.
Previously Metro proposed adding the eastern tail of the current loop to a route that would go out to Maryland. In the final plan, Metro goes in a completely different direction by putting the eastern tail onto route C71, a route most similar to existing route E2 that runs between Fort Totten and Union Station via Ivy City. Looks like the route will no longer travel down Gallatin Street NE. Instead, the route will service South Dakota, Riggs, Chillum Place, Eastern, and Nicholson.
Service 7 days/week. Frequency 20-30 weekdays; 30 minutes on weekends.
There will be just one upper NE/NW crosstown loop serving Fort Totten station. Route C81 will serve locations between Fort Totten station and Sibley Hospital. There will no longer be direct crosstown service to Friendship Heights station.
Service 7 days/week. Frequency of 20 minutes most of the time.
Metro previously proposed eliminating route K2 between Takoma and Fort Totten station. The final plan adopts new route C77, which will be similar to existing route K2.
Route C77 will run only on weekdays during rush hour. Frequency of 20 minutes.
Some Thoughts
This network redesign was a hefty task. I appreciate the level of outreach that Metro conducted and the various online tools developed to help make sense of all of the proposed changes and provide feedback. I also appreciated the comment/response summary documents. It is clear how much work went into collecting and analyzing all of the feedback and coming up with a final plan designed to meet several objectives. So while I would like to think of the bus as my personal chauffeur, I get that there have to be adjustments and tradeoffs.
Hopefully sooner rather than later, Metro will be able to enjoy a more sensible funding structure, and we can get a visionary network that the city and region deserve. On the Metrorail side, looking forward to the purple line in opening in a few years. Also, Metro is talking publicly about possibly restoring some yellow service to Fort Totten station.
In the meantime, Metro will be preparing to implement the bus network changes in summer 2025.
On December 4, 2024, the DC Council Committee on Recreation & Community Affairs will hold a roundtable regarding DC’s park system and challenges and opportunities for collaboration with the National Park Service.
Requests to provide oral testimony must be made by 5:00 pm on November 26, 2024. Individuals may provide oral testimony in person or virtually. For more details and to register to testify, visit the hearing page.
Written testimony will be accepted until 5:00 pm on December 11, 2024.
On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Councilmember Matt Frumin will hold a public roundtable to discuss matters pertaining to the District of Columbia’s park system and collaboration among DC government agencies and the National Park Service (NPS). Subjects for discussion include equitable use of, and access to, locally and federally managed parks in the District, and the current state of collaboration among local agencies and the NPS.
For voice-only participation on a telephone, dial (301) 715-8592.
Meeting ID: 813 9512 1997.
1. Call to Order & Roll Call
2. Administrative Items:
A. Instructions for Participation in Virtual Meeting
B. Consideration and Approval of November 2024 Regular Public Meeting Agenda
C. Approval of October 2024 Regular Public Meeting Minutes
D. Treasurer’s Report
E. Approval of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B Annual Report 2024 and Recognition of Student Art Submission Winners
F. Welcome and Introduction to Student Intern – Denzel Robinson (Office of Industry Engagement’s 2024-25 Advanced Internship Program)
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. Commander Nikki Lavenhouse, Metropolitan Police Department, Fourth District (3 minutes)
B. Yamileth Escobar, Mayor’s Office on Community Relations and Services (3 minutes)
C. Barbara Rogers, Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (3 minutes)
D. Frazier O’Leary, Ward 4 State Board of Education (3 minutes)
E. Housing Justice Committee (2 minutes)
F. Vision Zero Committee (2 minutes)
G. Youth Advisory Committee (2 minutes)
H. Community Safety & Support Committee (2 minutes)
6. Presentation: Casey Dyson, Government Relations and Public Funding Director, Food & Friends, Mission and Efforts to Address Food Insecurity (5-minute presentation; 5-minute discussion)
7. Presentation: Sia Barbara Kamara, Deacon, Faith United Church of Christ, Mobile Market, Mission and Efforts to Address Food Insecurity (5-minute presentation; 5-minute discussion)
8. Presentation: Rev. LaTaska M. Nelson, MDiv, Interim Executive Director, Emory Beacon of Light, Inc., Mission and Efforts to Address Food Insecurity (5-minute presentation; 5-minute discussion)
9. Presentation: Ward 4 Mutual Aid, Mission and Efforts to Address Food Insecurity (5-minute presentation; 5-minute discussion)
Letter: Highlighting Continued Administrative Challenges and Lack of Support from the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (Commissioner Palmer, Commissioner Brooks, Commissioner Yeats, Commissioner Smith)
Letter: Raising Concerns regarding Takoma Community Pool Management and Maintenance (Commissioner Palmer, Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Yeats, Commissioner Brooks)
I am a little late in providing an update on the Food & Friends request for a new curb cut on South Dakota Avenue NE.
At a hearing on August 22, 2024, the DC Public Space Committee approved a conceptual curb request for Food & Friends on South Dakota Avenue just north of Kennedy Street NE. The matter was on the consent agenda after the PSC asked DDOT’s traffic safety division to review the request following a hearing held in July 2024.
As explained in this post, the organization states that the new curb cut is necessary to expand their facility in order to serve more clients around the region. The conditional approval enables them to move forward with planning and fundraising for their building expansion, which they say will be built as a matter of right. They have two years to apply for a final curb cut.
Conceptually, the curb cut will be pretty sizeable for a block without one currently. It will be 33 feet wide with a 6-foot island. Truck movements will be right in, right out. Food & Friends currently has two curb cuts in front of their building at 219 Riggs Road NE. Both curb cuts are approximately 29 feet wide. At DDOT’s request, one of the Riggs Road curb cuts would be closed as part of the expansion process.
There is a lot planned for this little corner of the neighborhood. We will have to see how things shake out with the proposed Riggs Road NE cycletrack, the planned park space, and the future phase of the Cafritz development next to Food & Friends property.
Conceptual diagrams of Food & Friends truck movements on South Dakota Avenue below.
Ward 4 Turkey Giveaway November 23, 2024 11am-1pm Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center 501 Riggs Road NE
The Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, with support from the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association, will give away a limited number of free turkeys to Ward 4 residents. Turkeys will be distributed first come, first served. Bring proof of Ward 4 residency.
New artwork brightens the South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road NE corridor. The Parks Main Street, in conjunction with the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association, oversaw the installation of art designs selected by local residents on six traffic boxes along the corridor. The ones in front of Art Place at Fort Totten are an especially nice touch. Combined with the sculptures, it feels like walking past an outdoor gallery on South Dakota.
Check them out.
A Piece of the City by Britnee Scott @art.is.britat South Dakota Avenue & Galloway Street NE
Bloom by Beezy Young @by.beezyat South Dakota Avenue & Hamilton Street NE
Peace and Pirate by Tarika Campbell @tarika.artat South Dakota Avenue & Ingraham Street NE
Riggs Park Squirrel by Austin Morris @austindmorrisat South Dakota Avenue & Kennedy Street NE
Untitled by Trap Bob @trapxbobat South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road NE
Riggs Park by Sydney Buffalow @cr8tionrebelat Riggs Road & Chillum Place NE
Ward 5 Turkey Giveaway Pop-Up November 20, 2024 1:30 pm North Michigan Park Recreation Center 1333 Emerson Street NE
The Office of Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker will host a popup at North Michigan Park Rec Center to give away a limited number of free turkeys. Turkeys will be distributed first come, first served.
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.
ANC 5A NOVEMBER 2024 AGENDA
I. Call Meeting to Order 6:45 pm
II. Quorum
III. Agenda Review/Acceptance
IV. Commission Business A. Secretary i. Minutes (October 2024 and Special Meeting October 2024) B. Treasurer i. FY 2025 Proposed Budget
V. Commission Action Items/Updates A. Jubileaf LLC (5A08)
VI. Community Updates A. MPD B. Mayor’s Office C. Councilmember Parker’s office
VII. Reports & Presentations A. Connor Laughland Social Housing – Metro DSA in support of the bill presented to the Council by Janeese Lewis George to build social housing in DC
Neighbors are invited to the Catholic Charities Child Development Center Open House. Meet the educators, tour classrooms, and learn more about affordable care program for children from six weeks to three years of age.
From Metro (updated, blue/yellow line trains will serve Pentagon station)
Metrorail weekend service for Saturday, November 16 through Sunday, November 17
Advisory Effective: 11/16/24 – 11/17/24
Hours: Sat 7 a.m. – 1 a.m.; Sun 7 a.m. – Midnight
Service-At-A-Glance
Red Line
Free shuttle buses replace trains between Fort Totten and NoMa-Gallaudet U. Trains run every 6 minutes (daytime) and 10 minutes (evening) between Glenmont and Fort Totten and every 8 minutes (daytime) and 10 minutes (evening) between NoMa-Gallaudet U and Shady Grove. Rhode Island Ave and Brookland-CUA stations closed.
Riggs Crossing Senior Residences under construction at 307 Riggs Road NE.
Riggs Crossing Senior Residences is a new income-restricted, affordable senior housing community currently under construction at 307 Riggs Road NE on the southeast corner of Riggs Road & South Dakota Avenue NE. The developer is True Ground Housing Partners (previously known as Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing or APAH). The development will consist of roughly 93 apartments above ground-floor retail. True Ground recently lowered the age of eligibility to 55 years old.
Individuals 55 years old and older may fill out an interest form at https://riggscrossing.com to determine if they meet the income restrictions and eligibility guidelines.Please do not go to the location on Riggs Road as it is still an active construction zone. There is not a leasing office on site.
The residential portion of the project is expected to be completed in first quarter 2025.
True Ground is also still soliciting interest from potential retail tenants for below market rate lease opportunities. Contact Joanna Shin at jshin@truegroundhousing.org for retail inquiries.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 