DDOT is coordinating with Impact DMV Church and DC Bilingual Public Charter School regarding access and traffic management. DDOT will be canvassing the residential neighborhood on 1st Street NE.
The project website is https://mbt-forttotten-takoma.ddot.dc.gov. Phase 1 of the project includes work from the parking lot at Fort Totten station to South Dakota Avenue (near McDonald Place NE).
ANC Commissioner Shelagh Bocoum is the new commissioner for ANC single member district 5A09. She fills the seat vacated by former commissioner Zachary Ammerman. ANC 5A09 covers Aventine Fort Totten, The Modern at Art Place, Fort Totten Metro station, part of Fort Circle Park, and a few blocks of North Michigan Park. Commissioner Bocum lives in North Michigan Park. She can be reached by email at 5A09@anc.dc.gov.
Map of ANC 5A09 boundaries from DC Board of Elections
Barred in DC and WTOP are out with the news that another craft brewery could soon call Riggs Park home. The team behind Urban Garden Brewing is negotiating a lease for space in the first phase of Art Place at Fort Totten, the phase completed along South Dakota Avenue NE between Galloway Street and Ingraham Street They have an indiegogo campaign to raise money for what they are calling DC’s first BIPOC women-owned brewery.
The neighborhood is home to Hellbender Brewing Company. 3-Stars Brewing Company closed in Lamond last year.
DC Family Bike Fest 2023 is happening this Sunday, September 17, 10:00 am-2:00 pm at Alethia Tanner Park.
Ward 5 Biking will be celebrating completion of the 8th Street NE cycletrack at 10:00 am at Brookland Arts Walk before heading down the Met Branch Trail to the park. The cycletrack is quite lovely (hats off to the Ward 5 ANC commissioners who worked with DDOT to close this gap along the MBT).
[Ed. Note: For those neighbors who may be interested in potential changes at Brookland Metro station, Metro passed along the following information about tonight’s hearing.]
Under the proposal, Metro would reconfigure the bus loop, relocate the Kiss & Ride lot to an on-street facility and reduce the exiting 34 Kiss & Ride spaces to eight spaces. This would improve bicycle and pedestrian access and safety and allow a mix of housing and retail on Metro’s existing property with a future joint development partner.
Customers are encouraged to provide feedback and learn more about the proposed changes during an open house and public hearing:
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023 Open House begins at 6 p.m. and Public Hearing begins at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Luke C. Moore High School Auditorium, 1001 Monroe St. NE, Washington, DC 20017
PHONE: Dial 206-899-2028 and enter meeting code 337 433 234 #
VIDEO: Email speak@wmata.com by 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, to register.
The hearing will also be available live at YouTube.com/MetroForward, or by calling the phone number above and entering the meeting code. Testimony is not required to attend or listen. Video of the hearings will also be archived at YouTube.com/MetroForward.
Those unable to participate in the public hearing may provide feedback through 5 p.m., Friday, September 22:
Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), part of the team developing Riggs Crossing Senior Residences on the corner of South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road NE, sent word that the construction team will be scheduling more Saturday construction hours for the near future. They said that the recent rains have caused delays because site water needs to be pumped out after rain events. Their permit already includes Saturday hours from 7:00 am-7:00 pm as part of regular work hours, but they said they are sending out notice as courtesy for the neighborhood as there may be other neighborhood events that may occur simultaneously.
In addition, the team is reminding residents about career and training opportunities for this project. They are hiring for several subcontractors. They are also providing paid training for up to 20 DC residents in a 10-week training program. Complete the contact form at https://www.davisbuildsriggsxing.com/careers. Please let your neighbors know.
Art All Night hosted by The Parks Main Street (TPMS) returns to the Riggs Park and Manor Park neighborhoods on September 30, 2023.
Visit small businesses, shop, dine, see local art, and experience live performances by artists from Riggs Park, Manor Park, and surrounding communities in Wards 4 and 5. Should be a fun time.
Register to automatically be entered in drawing for gift certificates from local small businesses in Riggs Park and Manor Park. Registrants must check-in at a TPMS Welcome Center to confirm eligibility.
Presented by The Parks Main Streets with financial support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Department of Small and Local Business Development. Additional support by Chick-fil-A Riggs Park, Riggs Park Place (EYA), Riggs Crossings Senior Residences (APAH).
UDC’s College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) recently won an award for a green infrastructure project at the university’s Lamond-Riggs campus (formerly known as the Bertie Backus campus). The university is located at 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE. The award-winning green infrastructure replaces a patch of grass and a small part of the parking lot on the Hamilton Street side of the campus.
According to UDC CAUSES summer 2023 newsletter, the Bertie Backus Campus Infrastructure Treatment Train Project team won first place in the Best Ultra Urban Best Management Practice (BMP) category for the 2023 Best Urban BMP in the Bay Award (BUBBAs) contest on April 6, 2023. The project team consisted of a partnership of UDC CAUSES graduate students, NC State graduate students, and UDC’s National Green Infrastructure Certificate Program (NGCIP) participants.
From the newsletter:
The contest recognizes the best urban stormwater practices and programs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The goal of the BUBBAs is to:
1. Recognize innovators in the field who are using new and innovative techniques for facing the challenges of stormwater management;
2. Provide an avenue for disseminating these techniques to other communities who could benefit from the lessons learned and innovative approaches;
3. Engage the Chesapeake Stormwater Network’s 11,000-member network of stormwater professionals throughout the Bay watershed to choose our grand prize winner and promote interactivity among members
The Best Ultra-Urban Project BMP category recognizes the best application of green infrastructure (GI) practices that are built in highly urban areas to reduce flooding and pollutant delivery (more than 75% site impervious cover).
Join Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George for Ward 4 Care Day for a resource fair with DC agencies, outreach to neighbors, and support with consitutent services. Information and registration at https://janeeseward4.com/care.
UDC will hold a virtual community meeting on the proposed Lamond-Riggs Campus Plan tonight, September 7, 2023, at 7:00 pm. Please join this meeting to share your thoughts.
The university is proposing a two-phase approach for development of the campus located at 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE. Phase 1 will involve renovation of the existing buildings on the campus. Phase 2 will involve construction of a new wing on the campus. View this post for information about the proposed plan and links to diagrams: UDC Proposed Lamond-Riggs Campus Plan Filed with Zoning Commission.
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.
For more information or questions, contact Juanita Gray at juanita.gray@udc.edu or (202) 536-9605.
Zoning Commission Hearing
The Zoning Commission issued a corrected public hearing notice for the proposed campus plan (ZC case no. 23-16). The hearing will be at 4:00 pm on October 30, 2023. Instructions for testifying orally or submitting written testimony are in the hearing notice.
Join Councilmember Zachary Parker has he throws out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals game against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, September 19 at 7:05 p.m. You must be a Ward 5 resident to claim tickets. The online form to claim your tickets will open at 12:00 p.m. today, Tuesday, September 5. Click here to claim starting at 12:00 p.m. today!
UDC will hold a virtual community meeting on the proposed Lamond-Riggs Campus Plan on September 7, 2023 at 7:00 pm. Please join this meeting to share your thoughts.
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.
For more information or questions, contact Juanita Gray at juanita.gray@udc.edu or (202) 536-9605.
Zoning Commission Hearing
The Zoning Commission issued a corrected public hearing notice for the proposed campus plan (ZC case no. 23-16). The hearing will be at 4:00 pm on October 30, 2023. Instructions for testifying orally or submitting written testimony are in the hearing notice.
The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia is reviewing the sale of the Providence Hospital site (1150 Varnum Street NE) to a for-profit entity and is holding a public hearing to receive stakeholder and resident input.
Join us Wednesday, September 6, 2023 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at the University of the District of Columbia Community College Lamond-Riggs Campus (Formerly Bertie Backus) located at 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE, to observe or testify at the hearing. Individuals must RSVP to testify.
To accommodate as many participants as possible, oral testimony is limited to three (3) minutes per person. Alternatively, individuals may submit written testimony as a Word or PDF file via email to providencehospitalcomments@oag.dc.gov.
The deadline to submit written testimony is Friday, September 8th at 5:00 PM.
Please RSVP here to attend the hearing and for additional information.
Click on each position for the full job posting, a description of the position, and instructions on how to apply. You can also find the postings under the DC Council’s list of job openings. If you have any questions about the openings, please email Chief of Staff, Kelly Hunt, at khunt@dccouncil.gov.
Residents of Wards 4, 5, and 7 are invited to vote on the subject for a future commemorative work from now until Friday, September 1. The DC Office of Planning previously accepted nominations for commemorative works subjects and has now prepared information on each as well as a dedicated website for each ward to vote on. The selected subject will be the focus of artists and consultants hired by the Office of Planning to prepare a concept design of a work, with additional community feedback and updates informing the final design.
DC Caribbean Carnival on Georgia Avenue – Long-standing celebration held on Georgia Avenue NW showcasing the traditions and culture of the Caribbean islands.
Founding of DC Youth Orchestra – Organization providing access to musical training and the first youth orchestra to play at the Kennedy Center.
Highway Revolts – Integrated coalition of activists who prevented the construction of a highway system through DC.
Vanilla Beane – An influential milliner and small business owner who was inducted into the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers Hall of Fame.
Neighbors Inc. – Actively fought against discriminatory real estate practices and promoted integrated communities in DC.
Stephen Whatley – ANC Commissioner and veteran who fought for community participation in the redevelopment of Walter Reed.
United Blacks Against Discrimination (U-BAD) – Organization that protested working conditions and racial inequality at Walter Reed.
Ward 5 Nominations
Dr. Alexander Augusta – First African American medical professor and hospital leader in the US, highest-ranking African American officer in the Union Army, and civil rights activist.
Charles L. Bryant and Robert E. Bryant – Founders of the oldest Black owned architecture firm in the US and mentors to young architects and engineers.
Empower DC – Citywide non-profit focused on strengthening low-income Black communities.
Enslaved People Who Built the U.S. Capitol – Recognition of enslaved people forced to construct the Capitol.
Founding of Dance Place – Community institution providing access to movement arts regardless of means or background.
Hurd v. Hodge – Landmark Supreme Court case that struck down racial covenants in DC.
Integration of Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association – First integrated community association in DC and influential force fighting highways and advocating for Metro.
Lillian Huff – Community and Democratic political activist who served as the chair of the first Statehood Convention and was appointed to the White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services.
Mary Jane Patterson – First African American woman to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in the US and a prominent DC educator.
Shirley Horn – Grammy Award winning singer who performed at the White House, was honored by Congress, and named to the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters.
Sterling Allen Brown – Renowned poet considered an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance and DC’s first Poet Laureate.
Boundary map of ANC 4B09 provided by DC Board of Elections
Residents in ANC single member district 4B09 have a new ANC commissioner. ANC Commissioner Derrick Thompson, who was recently installed by Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, has jumped right in, supporting a number of events in the neighborhood and around the city. I reached out to Commissioner Thompson with a few questions to introduce himself to residents. His responses are below. Commissioner Thompson can be reached by email at 4B09@anc.dc.gov.
1. Please provide a brief introduction of yourself to residents.
Thanks for this opportunity. I’m a Los Angeles native who has lived in D.C. since 2018 with the vast majority of that time being a Riggs Park resident. I work at the National League of Cities in the marketing communications strategy division. In fact, a good half of my professional career has been spent handling marketing communications strategy in the local government space, including time at the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County. I’m an alum of California State University Long Beach (bachelor’s degree in journalism) and University of Texas at Arlington (master’s degree in communications). Also I’m a dog dad, an avid traveler having visited at least 15 countries and I’m studying at Payne Theological Seminary. To learn more, residents can follow me @ThompsonDC4BO9 on Twitter (X) and Instagram.
2. (a) Why are you interested in serving on the ANC?
(b) Why do you believe you are prepared to represent the residents of ANC 4B09?
(c) For ANC 4B specifically, how do you propose to improve the representation provided by the commission for residents?
Having worked in the local government space for a decade, it’s very clear that Riggs Park – the place I’ve called home for nearly five years – is at a critical crossroads. I believe Riggs Park has all the potential to be one of the best neighborhoods in the District. So much good has happened in the past few years, and so much is to come, including the Riggs Crossing Senior Residences. However, without intentional direction and a voice to that direction, community progress can be stifled. When coupling my passion for the future of this community with my local government experience, the opportunity to represent the concerns and interests of my neighbors as Commissioner for Single Member District 4B09 seemed like an ideal way to serve my government as well as my community.
3. What are your top 3-5 priorities in finishing out the term?
My priorities will be the community’s priorities, so I look forward to learning more about what’s important to Riggs Park residents. However, in conversations with neighbors, there seems to be great consensus that public safety is an issue we must get ahead of in Riggs Park. Reimagining What Community Safety Looks and Feels Like seems to be a key priority for this community.
Also, as noted earlier, our community is at a development crossroads. I know there’s significant community support for prioritizing Intentional Retail, Business Development in Riggs Park.
Thirdly, our community already is home to many senior adults. In fact, Ward 4 is home to one of the highest percentages of senior residents in the District, and in 2025, we’ll have 93 more senior families who will call Riggs Park home. With that in mind, Setting Senior Adults for Successful Living in Riggs Park must be prioritized and top of mind.
Also, I’ve heard the need to Engage More Riggs Park Constituents in Community Matters as a top priority. Right now, I’m in talks with the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association President about being part of their upcoming membership drive. That being said, whatever steps we can take to involve more people in what’s happening in Riggs Park will help us accomplish so much for the community at large. There’s power in numbers! If there’s community agreement and support for these four priorities, we can call it the Riggs Park Priority RISE Plan.
4. What responsibility do you believe the ANC has in formally responding to citywide proposals?
Our job as commissioners is to brighten the corners where we are. As Commissioner, my commitment is to the residents in Single Member District 4B09. Accordingly, when citywide proposals directly impact our community–or populations significantly represented in our community such as seniors–then I think we should definitely be part of those conversations.
5. You will represent an area that is the center of large-scale neighborhood development? In what ways do you believe that the development currently taking place is and/or is not compatible with the Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue Area Development Plan?
Indeed, a lot is happening in Riggs Park and surrounding areas. One of the plan’s items that stands out to me is the call for a diverse retail development and fostering a pedestrian friendly community. That made me think of the recent loss of Culture Coffee TOO, which creates a void as well as an opportunity for our community. There’s a lot of talk about what business will occupy that space, which is warranted because people understand that what occupies that space can and will influence the tenor of the neighborhood. It’s too early for me to get into specifics, I’ll just say that there are certain parts of this plan that are important for us to prioritize now given this critical time in our community’s history.
6. What specific steps would you propose taking to continue implementing the area development plan?
Coming into the commissioner role mid-term requires me to ramp up on what’s happening in Riggs Park and what’s already in the works before I can discuss specifics. I anticipate steps I take will be informed, intentional and data-supported so we can direct the necessary attention to those plan elements that are of the most importance to Riggs Parks residents.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 
