Come join us once a week for an afternoon of knitting, crocheting and conversation
Experienced knitters and beginners are all welcome! We meet on the second floor in the Anything at Anytime Space at 3:00 pm on Fridays. This is an opportunity to share your knitting skills or learn new ones as we make projects for those in need. This is a fun afternoon of sharing and caring!
The coordinators of this group are Tsholo & Diane.
ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on February 22, 2023.
All commissioners were present: Duvalier Malone (5A01); Karlus Cozart (5A02) – Parliamentarian; Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) – Secretary; Diego Rojas (5A04); Kweku Toure (5A06) – Vice Chair; Gordon Fletcher (5A08) – Chair; Zachary Ammerman (5A09) – Treasurer. ANC single member districts 5A05 and 5A07 are still vacant.
At the request of McDonald’s representatives, consideration of McDonald’s public space committee application was removed from the agenda. The representatives wanted time to present at the North Michigan Park Civic Association meeting and to work up preliminary traffic data. They will appear at the ANC’s March meeting.
ANC Business
The ANC approved a motion to upgrade its Zoom account in order to increase storage space for meeting recordings. Commissioner Lucio learned in January that the ANC had run out of storage space. It sounded like the ANC said they would pay about $100 more annually to upgrade. Commissioner Toure abstained.
Commissioner Ammerman, treasurer, noted that the ANC is not able to write checks because of issues with PNC bank. He said that this is an issue with ANCs citywide that bank with PNC, as the bank has classified ANCs as nonprofits. The DC auditor is working on a resolution.
The ANC did not have time to discuss formation of ANC committees.
Mundo Verde Public Charter School Agreement (5A03)
Mundo Verde has come before the ANC several times regarding its expansion plan. Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) worked with the neighboring commissioner from ANC 5B to create a resident task force to address parking, dropoff/pickoff, and other issues. There is now a draft agreement, which Commissioner Lucio shared at her single member district meeting in February.
The ANC voted to approve the agreement. Commissioner Cozart abstained.
Proposed Gas Station at 4975 South Dakota Avenue NE (5A08) (BZA case no. 17963A)
The owner of DC Mart located at 4975 South Dakota Avenue NE has applied for a modification of significance to a previously approved proposal to put in gas pumps in front of the convenience store/Z Burger. The plan is for three dispensers with nozzles on each side for a total of six pumps. A gas station was approved for that location by the Board of Zoning Adjustment back in 2010 (BZA case no. 17963), but back then the proposal was to raze the existing convenience store and replace it with a new one along with a gas station (Lowest Price brand). Now the owner plans to keep the existing store in place and just put in the gas pumps (Shell brand). He is making some changes to the approved plans so now he is seeking a modification. Special exception relief is needed to put in the gas station. A hearing is scheduled for April 12, 2023.
A representative for the applicant presented at the ANC meeting. He acknoweldged that there is a gas station right next door but tried to explain why another gas station would make sense. (Aside: I do not remember entirely what he said; I just have in my notes that what he said did not make sense). It was a short presentation that pretty much repeated what is in the filings.
The applicant hereby proposes to amend the previously approved BZA #17963 by retaining the existing convenience store and site modifications to the proposed gasoline canopy, fuel dispenser layout, and entrances. No changes to the existing drainage system and boundaries are proposed. The intended use per approved BZA 17963 remains. However, this layout reduces the originally approved impervious footprint thereby, fostering an environmentally better and less intense development.
Residents had a number of questions that were not answered. A resident asked about putting in electric car charging stations instead of gas pumps. There was generally a lot of opposition to the plan. The representative agreed to present to the North Michigan Park Civic Association and will return to the ANC with traffic data.
Ward 5 Mutual Aid Use of ANC Office Space (5A09)
The Ward 5 Mutual Aid group has been operating out of ANC 5A’s office at the Modern at Art Place for a while now after Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) permitted them to use the space. The office was previously in his single member district. Following redistricting it is now in ANC 5A09, which is represented by Commissioner Zach Ammerman. The group’s use of the ANC office space has become an issue because there is no written agreement between the ANC and the group and the ANC’s lease for the space does not permit the space to be used for anything but an ANC office. The office space was an approved community benefit for the Art Place development. The ANC still has its original office at UDC’s Bertie Backus campus, but expect to lose use of that space while the campus undergoes renovation.
At the ANC’s January 2023 meeting, the ANC voted to form an office space task force to assist the mutual aid group. Commissioner Ammerman reached out to representatives for the Cafritz Foundation (owner of Art Place). The representatives told him that they would potentially be okay with having some sort of side agreement with the mutual aid group to use the ANC office space as long as the group obtained liability insurance for using the space. Because the group is not a structured nonprofit organization or a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, the group is exploring how it can get a fiscal sponsor that would be able to get that liability insurance on behalf of the group. The group has a tentative deadline of having that done by the ANC’s March meeting.
Creation of Park Space on corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE (5A09)
The ANC approved a resolution drafted by Commissioner Ammerman in support of creation of park space on District-owned green space on the southwest corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE in front of Food & Friends. This park space is contemplated in the neighborhood’s Riggs Road/South Dakota Avenue NE Area Development Plan that was approved by the DC Council in 2009 and fully incorporated into the DC Comprehensive Plan in 2021. This is something that the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association has been working on for a while. The ANC originally passed a resolution on this issue back in 2017. The new resolution reaffirms support for that resolution.
Gallatin-Galloway Pedestrian Trail (5A09) (National Park Service representatives Brian Joyner, Kym Elder, Nick Bartolomeo)
Photo of temporary surface on path between Gallatin Street and Galloway Street NE. Photo credit: Robert Oliver.
National Park Service (NPS) representative said design work for an alternative location for an official trail between Gallatin and Galloway Street west of South Dakota Avenue NE will kick off “any day now.” Design work will proceed through the summer months. NPS still needs to identify a funding source for construction of the trail once the design work is done.
Commissioner Ammerman asked if NPS had any response to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton’s letter requesting that NPS conduct more soil testing in Fort Circle Park. Mr. Joyner stated that NPS planned to respond either the next day or no later than Friday morning.
Commissioner Lucio asked about ADA compliance for the temporary surface that NPS placed on top of the abandoned trail location. She said that there is not a curb cut on the Gallatin Street side of the trail. NPS said the trail is not an official trail and that the temporary surface was just put down so that there would not be large mud pits. He said there is no way to make the temporary surface ADA compliant at all, it is just a temporary surface, and it was not graded to be a real surface. After Commissioner Lucio said that even the temporary surface has to be ADA compliant, Mr. Bartolomeo offered to visit the site with her.
A couple of people noted that the surface does not hold up in large rainfall. Mr. Bartolomeo explained that Metro has stormwater management infrastructure for the green line tunnel in that area that absorbs large amounts of water so in heavy rainfalls that area is going to be very wet. The surface is just a temporary surface; it was not graded and designed to be a permanent trail.
Washington Yu Ying & Washington Latin Joint Campus Project (5A05) (Carlie Fisherow, Yu Ying; Peter Anderson, Washington Latin)
Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School and Washington Latin Public Charter School are teaming up for a joint campus project at the former Kirov Academy of Ballet school building located at 4301 Harewood Road NE. This project sits in ANC 5A05, which is currently without a commissioner. School officials are working with the Pleasant Hill Civic Association. This was just the first vist by school officials to ANC 5A. They plan to continue engaging ANC 5A.
The Kirov building went up for sale and was awarded to Washington Latin, which then decided to work with Yu Ying. Yu Ying, currently located at 220 Taylor Street NE, is a dual language Chinese/English immersion school with an IB program. It serves 600 students in grades K-5. It is a feeder school to DC International School. Yu Ying will serve PK3-K classes at the new campus and serve grades 1-5 at the Taylor Street campus.
Washington Latin is in a temporary location at 711 Edgewood Street NE and also has a location in Brightwood in Ward 4. The school will relocate the Edgewood campus to the new campus, while also continuing to serve grades 5-12 at the Brightwood campus. Both schools offer equitable access preference.
The plan is for the joint campus to have one new building for Yu Ying and one new building for Washington Latin. The existing Kirov building will house shared amenities, such as a gym, library, and cafeteria. Yu Ying will move in first. Yu Ying expects to break ground in July 2023 and open in August 2024. Washington Latin expects to break ground in the summer of 2024 and move in by summer 2025.
Representatives said that they plan to have community space at the new campus.
View details and sign up for project updates at https://4301harewood.org. There is a virtual town hall the third Wednesday of each month.
Ward 5 Mayor Office Report (MOCRS Christopher Ingram and Anthony Black)
Anthony Black is a new Ward 5 MOCR (mayor’s office liaison). He joins MOCR Christopher Ingram who has been serving in the role for several months now. The two had not yet decided which one would be the primary contact for ANC 5A. Contact information for both below.
Anthony Black Ward 5 Liaison Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services Executive Office of the Mayor 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 332 Washington, DC 20004 202.215.5049 Mobile anthony.black@dc.gov
Christopher Ingram Ward 5 Liaison Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services Executive Office of the Mayor 1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 332 Washington, DC 20004 202.394.4399 Mobile Christopher.Ingram@dc.gov
Ward 5 Council Report (Carlos McKnight, Constituent Services Coordinator to Councilmember Zachary Parker)
The DC Council was winding down DC agency performance oversight hearings. DC agency budget hearings are coming up. Sign up for the Ward 5 newsletter at ward5.us/newsletter.
DC Office of Campaign Finance
The DC Office of Campaign Finance only had time to give a very brief overview of DC’s public campaign finance program. They will return to give a full presentation.
This week, the National Symphony Orchestra is holding a number of free events in nearby neighborhoods in Ward 5 through its NSO In Your Neighborhood program. See full list of events at https://kennedycenter.medium.com/nso-in-your-neighborhood-edge-of-the-city-1b994ae0c6c7. Some of the events require registration so be check to check the site for details.
Brentwood | Brookland | Eckington | Fort Lincoln | Woodridge | Trinidad | University Heights
What is In Your Neighborhood 2023?
This March, the National Symphony Orchestra will collaborate with different communities in Ward 5 to amplify joy, unity, and shared humanity through music and the arts. Partnering with local schools, museums, and organizations, we will honor the history of these neighborhoods, while also building new connections and relationships.
Events are open to the public with first-come, first-served seating, unless otherwise noted.
Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association Public Meeting March 6, 2023 7:00 pm
March 2023 Meeting Agenda
1. Welcome/Invocation 2. Officers Report, Minutes, Treasurer Report 3. Updates from Elected Officials & PSA 4. LRCA Budget Review 5. LRCA Bylaws updates and review with The DC Bar Pro Bono Center 6. Green Space Development Project, LRCA Development Taskforce 7. Upcoming Changes to the District’s Medicaid Program & Restart of Medicaid Renewals – Danielle Lewis-Wright, LRCA Trustee/Chair, Health & Wellness Committee 8. Community Concerns/Closing
To view the meeting online, click the following link.
A neighbor called me this morning to let me know that the signage for the T-Mobile located at 5210 South Dakota Avenue NE was being taken down and that fixtures were being moved out. The store opened in 2019. I have received confirmation that T-Mobile has closed that location. (Cannot say I am surprised by this news).
While awaiting confirmation, I came across a January 2023 press statement from T-Mobile about its retail strategy and the place of brick and mortar stores in that strategy. The company is closing many stores.
Metro is soliciting public input on its proposed FY24 budget. View details at wmata.com/budget. Provide input by completing a survey or by participating in an upcoming public hearing.
Take the survey
Take the survey, provide written comments, or upload documents here. The survey closes at 5:00 pm on March 15, 2023.
All public hearings will be streamed online on this page, YouTube.com/MetroForward or by calling 855-925-2801, meeting code 7756.
Ways to participate in public hearing:
By video: Email speak@wmata.com by 5 p.m. the day before the public hearing.
By phone: Dial 855-925-2801, enter meeting code 7756
In-person: Register on-site, email speak@wmata.com or call 202-962-2511 by 5 p.m. the day before the public hearing.
All in-person public hearings will start at 6:00 p.m. Metro will host an Open House prior to in-person public hearings starting at 5:00 p.m. All locations are accessible via Metrorail or Metrobus.
Monday, March 6, 2023
Metro Headquarters 300 7th Street SW Washington, DC 20024 Green Line Blue Line Orange Line Silver LineL’Enfant Plaza Metrobus routes: 32, 36, 52, 74, P6
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
New Carrollton Metro Offices 4100 Garden City Dr Hyattsville, MD 20785 Orange Line Blue LineNew Carrollton Metrobus routes: B24, B27, F4, F6, G12, G14, F14, T14, T18
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Meridian High School 121 Mustang Alley Falls Church, VA 22043 Orange LineWest Falls Church Metrobus route: 28A
Friday, March 10, 2023
12 p.m. Virtual only
According to Metro, the proposed budget aims to:
Enhance safety through support of our police force, including new crisis intervention specialists
Ensure more frequent & reliable service, including increased train service and a complete redesign of the bus network
Create a more simplified & equitable fare system, including a low-income fare program
Improve customer service and communications with a new integrated communications center
Advance sustainability, including investments in our zero-emission bus program
Continue capital improvements for a better Metro, including major construction and maintenance projects
It is worth taking a look at the proposals regarding fares and rail service and bus service. Note the yellow line proposal. Also note that the Metro for DC Amendment Act of 2021 listed under the bus service proposal is currently the subject of a funding tussle between the DC Council and the District’s Chief Financial Officer (see DCist article on subject).
This proposal will make our weekday Metrorail pricing easier to understand and improve the customer experience. Adjustments include:
Eliminate peak and off-peak pricing on weekdays before 9:30 p.m.
The base fare would lower from $2.25 to $2 to align with bus, weekend, & late-night service
Late-night and weekend fares would stay the same at $2
Maximum fares would increase from $6.00 to $6.50
The seven-day short-trip pass would be adjusted to cover trips up to $4. The price would stay the same.
Monthly unlimited pass options would reflect the $6.50 maximum fare adjustment.
Low-Income Fare Program
Our new Low-Income Fare Program would offer a 50% discount on Metrorail & Metrobus trips to eligible customers. This program would be accessible to customers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Rail Service Proposals
Our FY24 budget rail service proposal provides more trains to reduce travel times, expand destination access and grow ridership. Take a look at the details below.
Frequency Increases for Green and Yellow lines
Opening until 9:30 p.m. – From every 10-12 min to every 6 min
After 9:30 p.m. From every 15 min to every 10 min
Yellow Line begins new service pattern. Terminal change from Greenbelt to Mt Vernon Sq; operating between Huntington and Mt Vernon Sq only
Frequency Increases for Orange line
Opening until 9:30 p.m. – From every 12 min to every 10 min
Weekday rush hour only (6:30-9:30 a.m., 3-7 p.m.). From every 10 min to every 7 ½ min
Red, Blue and Silver lines frequencies remain the same
With this level of service, trains would arrive every 3-6 minutes in the downtown stations and every 8-12 minutes at stations served by a single line. After 9:30 p.m., trains would operate every 5-10 minutes downtown and every 10-15 minutes elsewhere.
Bus Service Proposals
We’re also working hard to expand access, advance equity and optimize bus routes for our Metrobus customers through these proposals.
DC
B2 Bladensburg Road-Anacostia Increase Route B2 service to every 12 minutes between 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., 7 days a week, adding to Metro’s Frequent Service Network.
Metro for D.C. Amendment Act of 2021
The Council of the District of Columbia passed the “Metro for DC Amendment Act of 2021” which includes:
Free Metrobus trips for customers within the District of Columbia
All-night Metrobus service every 20 minutes on the following routes: 32, 33, 52, 70, 90, A6, A8, B2, H4, S2, V2, W4, X2 – View Map
Maryland
A12 Martin Luther King Jr. Highway | View Map Add more service by splitting the A12 route into two routes, expanding to new connections to (BL) Downtown Largo and (OR) New Carrollton stations. Both routes would operate every 20 minutes from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m., 7 days a week, and every 30 minutes otherwise.
Virginia
16G & 16H Columbia Pike | View Map The proposed new 16M would combine the former 16G and 16H with a new connection to Crystal City station and would operate every 12 minutes from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week, and every 15-30 minutes otherwise. The western loop at Arlington Mill will be covered by Arlington Transit (ART).
11Y Mt. Vernon Express | View Map Reinstate the 11Y express route from Mt. Vernon to Potomac Park, replacing the 11C and DC3 shuttle. Would operate every 30 minutes, northbound in the AM peak and southbound in the PM peak. Express fare would be charged
(Ed. Note: Please note McDonald’s public space permit application is on the agenda as well as an update about the gasoline station proposed to be placed in front of the DC Mart/Z Burger.)
Unfortunately, no face-to-face meeting at the NMP Recreation Center – Recreation Center new hours of operation close at 8:00 pm
· Call to Order
· Opening Prayer – Silent
· Roll Call of Officers
Meeting Protocol
Phone call should remain on mute unless asked to unmute.
Respect others when speaking
Respect our guest.
Raise your hand if you have a question and wait to be acknowledged.
President’s Update
McDonald’s
Z Burger/4Mart – Gas Station
Guest Speaker
Zachary Park, Ward 5 Councilmember
Community Leader Reports
Carlos McKnight – Ward 5 Councilmembers Office
Q&A
Guest Speaker
Leila Batties – McDonald’s Update
Guest Speaker
Joel Lawson, Associate Director * DC Office of PlanningCommunity Leader Reports
Mayor’s Office – Christian Starghill / Christopher Ingram
Faith United Church
ANC Commissioners that represent NMP
5A02 – Karlus Cozart
5A03 – Emily Lucio
5A08 – Gordon Andrew Fletcher
5A09 – Zachary Ammerman
Coming Events in 2023
February – Scholarship application begins (2 @ $1,000.00 scholarships) applications available at the Recreation Center email to individuals on NMPCA registered listserve
May – Community Clean Up also with Bulk Trash pick up
June – Scholarship Night
June – Community Yard Sale
June – August – Community Day (date unconfirmed)
August – School Supplies and Backpack event
September – Community Clean Up with Bulk Trash pick up
Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George has submitted her budget request letter to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. The mayor is expected to share her proposed budget with the DC Council on March 22.
CM Lewis George notes that her budget requests are informed by the neighborhood listening sessions she held over the past couple of months. Her requests are centered around three core themes:
Investing in city services and infrastructure,
Building safer and stronger communities, and
Becoming a more equitable District.
The letter addresses a number of issues such as housing, facilities, support for seniors, behavorial health, and more. Read the full letter.
Items of note to Lamond-Riggs below, copied from the letter.
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Restore programming at Fort Stevens, Lamond, and Petworth Recreation Centers. Over the past year DPR operating hours and programs were cut at several Ward 4 recreation centers, limiting social and recreational opportunities for our seniors and positive, healthy recreation outlets for our youth. Due to staffing challenges, experienced rec center staff were moved from sites where they have strong community ties. DPR must fund additional positions in FY24, offer competitive hiring incentives, and more actively promote the agency’s job openings so it can fully restore hours and programming.
$1 Million to fund the creation of a Riggs Park violence intervention team. I urge you to expand the footprint of the Cure the Streets program at the Office of the Attorney General by establishing a team to serve the Ward 4/Ward 5 Riggs Park neighborhood. Crew violence and turf battles are the primary drivers of violence in our community, including recent shootings and stabbings in Riggs Park. We must augment the capacity of violence interruption outreach to bring long-lasting resolutions to the feuds that plague Riggs-Lamond-Brightwood-Petworth.
Fund a WMATA bus route between Lamond-Riggs and Coolidge High School. Students in the Lamond and Riggs Park communities need safe – and soon to be free – routes to and from school. A new school-hours bus route dedicated to Coolidge High School’s eastern boundaries would help reduce truancy and keep kids from harm’s way of dangerous traffic.
I also urge you to maintain level funding, at a minimum, for the following priorities:
The Brightwood Park-Petworth Cure the Streets program, and all OAG Cure programs.
All grants for Ward 4’s Main Streets: The Parks, Upper Georgia Avenue, Uptown, Takoma, and Petworth.
$935,000 for the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children.
All local and TANF funds for child care subsidies, dedicated and rollover funding for the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, and funds committed to strengthening early childhood development through Healthy Steps and Healthy Futures.
Priority infrastructure projects for Ward 4 roadways and at School and Recreational Facilities. The list below reflects new and outstanding maintenance, physical infrastructure, or small capital projects priorities. Many of these issues remain open work orders from my 2022 DPR summer readiness and DCPS back-to-school tours. Please contact my committee office for follow up and expected completion dates on these maintenance items:
Coolidge High School track bathroom plumbing needs to be replaced
Whittier Elementary School HVAC system replacements in old wing
Lamond Recreation Center swing set requires a new installation
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center neighbors request a track be added around their fields; spray park renovations
Move up funding for rehabilitating Eastern Avenue, NE between New Hampshire and Whittier
Include funding for a new park and connected cycle tracks around the future Metropolitan Branch Trail Trailhead at Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue, NE
Improve multimodal safety along South Dakota Avenue NE in Riggs Park/Fort Totten
Last week, Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker sent his FY2024 budget request letter to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. The mayor will send her budget proposal to the DC Council on March 22.
In his message about his budget requests, CM Parker stated that the requests are reflective of his vision of healthy communities for Ward 5. He identified five components of a healthy community:
Opportunity-rich and inclusive neighborhoods
High quality education
Rewarding work
Healthy environment and access to good healthcare
Responsive and just government
The letter addresses housing, education, facilities, violence prevention, transit and traffic safety, support for LGBTQIA+ residents, support for seniors, and more. Read CM Parker’s full letter.
Items of note to the Riggs Park neighborhood copied from the letter below.
Transfer District-owned Parcels in Riggs Park and Carver-Langston to DPR for NewRecreational Facilities. Residents of Riggs Park and Carver-Langston have long-sought to use District-owned parcels for community-facing recreational purposes In Riggs Park, the Office of Planning proposed activating the southwest corner of the intersection of Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue NE with a park facility in the 2009 Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue Small Area Plan. In Carver Langston, residents have advocated for the city to use an empty corner lot at 19th and L streets NE for a community playground. On behalf of both communities, I ask that these properties be transferred to DPR and that planning processes begin to serve the recreational needs of residents.
Increase Frequent and Reliable Bus Service in Ward 5. One of the best investments the District can make in transportation equity is improving the frequency and reliability of bus service. Bus riders in the District are disproportionately likely to be low-income or persons of color. In addition to the service improvements that will accompany the Metro for D.C. Amendment Act of 2022 on the 80 and 92 routes, I request more frequent service on the G8, D8, and E4 routes to better connect our Brookland, Trinidad, Edgewood, Fort Totten, and Woodridge communities. Each of these routes already serves a substantial existing ridership, and connects Ward 5 residents to neighboring communities, local amenities, schools, and jobs. I also look forward to assisting the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in implementing its Bus Priority plan in Ward 5—particularly on North Capitol Street, Florida Avenue, Michigan Avenue, and Rhode Island Avenue.
Re-envision New York Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, and Other Dangerous Ward 5Corridors. During your third term as mayor, I hope you will look to the New York Avenue corridor in Ward 5 as the venue for a similarly ambitious project as the Frederick Douglass Bridge. The Office of Planning is already exploring how to embrace tens of thousands of new housing units on New York Avenue, and I believe that the time is ripe to pair that vision with a $70 million investment in FY24-FY25 to construct an off-street trail, dedicated transit lanes, and safer streetscape between Truxton Circle and Fort Lincoln. (I intend to engage with Ward 5 communities in WMATA’s bus network redesign to ensure that bus service is established on the New York Avenue corridor.) I also request that you designate $50 million in FY26-27 for the overhaul of Rhode Island Avenue between Bloomingdale and Woodridge to improve bus reliability and improve pedestrian, cyclist, and motorist safety on this dangerous corridor. Furthermore, I am eager to partner with DDOT to improve many other dangerous arterial corridors in Ward 5, including South Dakota and Michigan Avenues and the other Ward 5 high-injury corridors identified the 2022 update to the Vision Zero Plan. I request that you direct DDOT to leverage existing operational funds to improve safety on these corridors as expeditiously and aggressively as possible.
Invest in Ward 5’s Trail and Micromobility Network. According to the DC Sustainable Transportation Coalition, bicycle trips in Ward 5 increased by 36 percent between 2019 and 2022. To serve this growing need, I request that you continue to invest in Ward 5’s trail network by including in the Capital Improvement Plan for FY24: • $4 million for a design/build contract for an on or off-street trail connection between the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) at Fort Totten and the Anacostia NW Branch trail via Fort Circle Park and/or Gallatin Street. • $4 million for improvements to the Eckington and NoMa segments of the MBT to increase safety and connectivity on this high-use segment of the trail. • $4 million for the design and build of the Arboretum trail connector to ensure that Carver-Langston and other Ward 5 residents will have access to the future Arboretum trail bridge and Anacostia trail network at times when the Arboretum is closed.
In addition, I request that DDOT use existing operational funds to deliver protected bike facilities on routes identified as bicycle priority in DDOT’s MoveDC mobility priority network.
<FN3>I am grateful that DDOT has committed to closing the 8th Street NE gap in the MBT and is moving forward with protected bike lanes on Mt. Olivet and 17th Streets NE and other Ward 5 projects. During our engagement process, Ward 5 residents emphasized the need for protected facilities on east-west routes that connect to the MBT as well as gaps in the protected network on Montana Avenue NE, Taylor and Harewood Streets NE, Florida Avenue NE/NW, and Lincoln Road NE.
For voice-only participation on a telephone, dial (301) 715-8592. Meeting ID: 832 8769 6066. Passcode: 262224.
AGENDA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Administrative Items
Instructions for Participation in Virtual Meeting
Consideration and Approval of February Agenda
Approval of January 2023 Regular Public Meeting Minutes
Treasurer’s Report
Commissioner Updates (if applicable)
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.
Reports
Sophia Tekola, Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (3 minutes)
Barbara Rogers, Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (3 minutes)
Frazier O’Leary, Ward 4 State Board of Education Representative (3 minutes)
Housing Justice Committee (2 minutes)
Vision Zero Committee (2 minutes)
Community Safety & Support Committee (2 minutes)
Presentation: Christopher Dyer, Community Engagement Manager, Department of Parks and Recreation, Discussion re: Programming and Roving Leaders Activities (20-minute presentation; 15-minute discussion)
Presentation: Linda K. Harllee Harper, Director of Gun Violence Prevention, Office of the City Administrator, Discussion re: Building Blocks DC and Gun Violence Prevention Efforts (20- minute presentation; 15-minute discussion)
Consent Calendar
Resolution 4B-23-0201: Calling for Traffic Control & Traffic Safety Plans in Establishing and Siting New DC Schools (Commissioner Palmer, Commissioner Yeats & Commissioner Brooks)
Reminder, tonight ANC Commissioners Gordon Fletcher (5A08) and Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) will hold a joint meeting to discuss McDonald’s public space permit application. The Zoning Commission approved McDonald’s rezoning request in order to build a drive-thru as a matter of right. Before McDonald’s can actually do that though, they need to get public space permits for the curb cuts necessary to operate a drive-thru. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is in charge of the public space permit process.
Meeting information
ANC 5A08 and 5A03 Joint Meeting on McDonald’s Public Space Committee Application
The restaurant, located at 4950 South Dakota Avenue NE, was previously in ANC 5A03. Following redistricting, it is in ANC 5A08. Residents within 200 feet of the restaurant reside in both single member districts (update: according to Commissioner Lucio), so the commissioners are holding a joint meeting.
DDOT did not support the request for rezoning. DDOT does not have to approve McDonald’s application for public space permits to operate a drive-thru. DDOT has denied public space permits for operation of drive-thrus in other parts of the city in the past, so doing so here would not be unprecedented.
As noted previously, counsel for McDonald’s stated that she believed that DDOT’s report was written the way it was during the rezoning process to indicate that DDOT would “put up a fight” during public space. That is why during the rezoning hearing, Zoning Commission Chair Anthony Hood said that he hoped that DDOT would not put up any roadblocks during public space.
McDonald’s is requesting the support of the North Michigan Park Civic Association (NMPCA) and ANC 5A for its public space application. NMPCA will support the application. The expectation is that ANC 5A will support the application given that the ANC supported the rezoning request. Commissioner Fletcher, who is now chair of the ANC, is of course getting pressure to support the public space application. But there are a lot of new commissioners and they do not have to support this application.
In my experience with public space applications, ANCs in this area typically do not get into the weeds about the application or even really notify residents about the application. They rarely ask questions. It is important to ask questions though, especially in a case like this one where there is a proposal for a drive-thru where none existed previously.
This meeting is an opportunity for residents to ask questions and let the commissioners know if you do not support the drive-thru or the public space application. My understanding is that the full ANC plans to take a vote on the application at the ANC meeting on February 22.
Culture Coffee Too will be closing its doors at 300 Riggs Road NE at the end of March after five years of providing a space for culture, coffee, and conversation in Riggs Park. Owner Veronica (Ms. V) Cooper opened the Riggs Park location after moving from a location on Kennedy Street NW. She stated in her closing note that she has enjoyed building community in Riggs Park over the last five years and now it is time to move on. Build community she did.
A couple of years ago, I wrote a letter in support of the coffee shop for an award. The words are fitting now as I think about how much I will miss Ms. V. I wrote then:
As the owner of Culture Coffee Too, a coffee shop and arts space in the Riggs Park neighborhood in Northeast Washington, DC, since 2017, Veronica Cooper has made it her business to make her business the cultural and community hub of the neighborhood.
Culture Coffee Too is the quintessential neighborhood small business sitting in the heart of the Riggs Park neighborhood’s commercial corridor. In the three years that Culture Coffee Too has been open, I have seen and been part of the overwhelmingly positive impact it has had on the community. When I served as president of the neighborhood civic association, I had the pleasure of speaking at the ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate Culture Coffee Too’s opening in 2017. In 2018, Ms. V spearheaded the Riggs Park Art Crawl, bringing art and patrons to neighborhood businesses in Riggs Park. Another successful art crawl followed in 2019, making the neighborhood a little brighter with placemaking murals at neighborhood businesses.
At the end of 2018, I helped start the neighborhood Main Street. The Parks Main Street supports the commercial corridors of the Riggs Park and Manor Park neighborhoods in Washington, DC. It was only fitting that we launched the Main Street at Culture Coffee Too, inviting neighborhood residents, business owners, and all those interested in seeing the commercial corridor of these neighborhoods thrive to join together to make it happen. With Culture Coffee Too, Ms. V. serves as a connector—connecting small business owners, connecting artists, connecting residents. Any time someone steps inside the shop for a cup of tea, a breakfast sandwich, or maybe a smoothie, taking in the artwork on the walls of that month’s featured artist, it is likely that person will leave having met someone new.
I have been told that the coffee shop may be replaced by a Wingstop, a fast food chicken restaurant. (More about this on-brand decision by JBG later.)
Culture Coffee Too will hold a closing party on March 18 at 7:00 pm. Until then, feel free to stop in to give Ms. V her flowers.
On his ANC website, ANC Commissioner Zachary Ammerman (5A09) has been detailing his efforts to work with the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to request that the National Park Service (NPS) do more extensive soil testing in Fort Totten Park. Congresswoman Norton sent a letter to NPS on February 7, 2023. WTOP also reported on Congresswoman Norton’s letter.
Recall, NPS informed ANC 5A and the Ward 5 Council office in 2017 that the agency was conducting soil testing in an area on the west side of Fort Totten Park that had been used for staging by Metro to build the green line in the 1990s. NPS stated it was testing “out of an abundance of caution” after being informed that fill dirt used to rehabilitate the land was brought from the toxic WWI testing site at Spring Valley. NPS said then that they were not too concerned about Fort Totten Park because of the topography of the land and because the staging area where the dirt was brought and eventually removed was not near any waterways or pedestrian access points. NPS later informed the ANC and the Ward 5 council office of the results of that testing. NPS distributed a community engagement handout to the ANC 5A commissioners and Ward 5 Council office but residents did not receive a copy. NPS also later sent the commissioners and the Ward 5 Council office a copy of the report but that information was not passed along to residents.
Image from 2019 report of soil sample locations on western side of Fort Totten Park.
Fast forward to 2020 when NPS began construction of a formal trail between Gallatin and Galloway Street west of South Dakota Avenue. This is an area of the park east of the station tracks. NPS halted construction after contractors found an unexploded WWI shell along the informal path. NPS contracted for soil testing.
At the time, I noted that it was strange that a WWI shell would be found in an eastern part of the park when the staging that NPS had been concerned about was in the western part of the park.
Image from 2021 study showing study area in yellow where trail planned between Gallatin & Galloway Street NE in Fort Totten Park.Image from 2020 study showing location of sample testing along previously planned trail between Gallatin & Galloway Street NE in Fort Totten Park.
As this testing was underway, residents and I reached out to Congresswoman Norton’s office and NPS about our concerns both during a quarterly NPS town hall meeting and over email. Congresswoman Norton’s office never addressed the questions during the town hall meetings and simply forwarded the questions to NPS. NPS said that there was no evidence that soil from Spring Valley was brought to the area on the eastern side of the park. NPS said that the soil was confined to the western part of the park and had been removed. Residents and I inquired exactly which areas of the park would be tested. Testing was confined to just the area along the planned trail (full study). NPS restarted construction on the trail in July 2021 after “negative test results.” NPS halted construction again after encountering infrastructure for the green line tunnel. NPS is now supposed to be finishing up design for an alternative location.
Local media reported on the possible connection between the ordnance on the trail and the Spring Valley site in 2022. Congresswoman Norton issued a press release about her “concern” over this discovery and held a meeting with the US Army National Corps of Engineers, Metro, and NPS. NPS stated during meetings that the testing found no evidence of any other unexploded ordnances nearby and found no contamination of the soil beyond that expected of parks in urban areas. NPS stated they would do more test kits and “monitor the area.”
ANC Commissioner Ammerman put together a timeline of events and requested of Congresswoman Norton’s office that NPS conduct more extensive testing. We will see how NPS responds to Congresswoman Norton’s request. What is clear is that this whole thing could have been dealt with properly a long time ago.
Over the next several months, Metro will be replacing the bus shelters at Fort Totten Metro station. Metro is installing transition bus shelters as part of this process. These are temporary shelters wrapped in artistic images. The temporary shelters still have electronic bus arrival signs and there is a small bench in each shelter.
Signage at the transition shelters explains that the artistic designs are based on hand-drawn renderings of the Metro system by employees of the architectural firm that designed the Metrorail system, including an individual named Gene Streett. See more about the images at https://www.wmata.com/initiatives/art-in-transit/ait-fort-totten.cfm.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 