ANC 5A May 12, 2021 Special Meeting Recap: Budget; Parking Permit Fee Increase; Vacancy for ANC 5A04

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

ANC 5A held a special meeting on May 12, 2021. Commissioners present: Damion McDuffie, Sr. (5A01); Charles Lockett (5A02); Emily Singer Lucio – Secretary (5A03); Ronnie Edwards – Chair (5A05); Sandi Washington – Treasurer (5A07); Gordon Fletcher – Vice Chair (5A08)

The ANC ended up packing a lot into this special meeting. Traffic calming on 10th Street NE on the border between ANC 5A03 and ANC 5B05 was on the agenda. Commissioner Lucio announced at the start of the meeting that that item was removed from the agenda so that she and ANC Commissioner Colleen Costello (5B05) can work on a joint resolution after meeting with DDOT and MPD. If you live in Commissioner Lucio’s single member district and did not receive notice of a separately scheduled meeting on this topic, email Commissioner Lucio at 5A03@anc.dc.gov to be added to her distribution list.

ANC Business

Work on the ANC 5A website continues. A resident asked if meeting notices and links could still be posted to the website as the work continues. I would recommend emailing Commissioner Lucio, who is the secretary of the commission, at 5A03@anc.dc.gov to be added to ANC 5A’s distribution list in order to receive meeting announcements.

Capital Guardian Youth Academy

The Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy, a residential, quasi-military academy run through the DC National Guard for youth ages 16 to 18 who have left high school before graduating, is accepting applications. For information, contact admissions staff Gerard Waluyn at gerard.waluyn@dc.gov or Hector Lamas at hector.lamas@dc.gov.

Mayor’s Budget

There was some confusion about why a representative from the mayor’s office, Chris Murray, was present to ostensibly discuss the mayor’s budget proposal. It sounded like ANC 5A Chair Edwards wanted the representative there to discuss Crummell School. (At the April meeting, the ANC voted to support a resolution from ANC 5D regarding community use of the former school). Mr. Murray stated he could not discuss specific budget items before the mayor presents her budget, but he did say that Crummell School is on the mayor’s radar. Other than that, Mr. Murray discussed the general timeline for the budget process, which has been delayed to account for receipt of funding from the federal government. The mayor will present her budget to the DC Council on May 27. The Council will hold budget hearings during the month of June and vote in July. (See budget schedule at https://www.dccouncilbudget.com/schedules). Commissioner Lockett asked about opportunities for resident or ANC input on the budget. Besides the budget hearings held by the Council, Mr. Murray stated that the mayor’s office accepts input year-round and also conducts budget engagement forum exercises to get input from residents.

Residential Parking Permit Fee Increase

The initial reason for even having this special meeting in the first place was to discuss the fee increase for residential parking permits (RPP). The ANC discussed during the April meeting that, beginning June 1, the RPP fee schedule will increase from $35 per vehicle. The new rates will be:

  1. $50 for the first vehicle
  2. $75 for the second vehicle
  3. $100 for the third vehicle
  4. $150 for each vehicle beyond the first three vehicles

There is an exemption for one resident 65 years of age or older per household. Exempted residents will pay a $35 annual RPP fee for the first vehicle registered at a legal mailing address. The fee for each subsequent vehicle registered at a legal mailing address will be identical to the tiered rates noted above.

There was some confusion about who was responsible for getting a District official to the meeting to discuss the fee increase, so there was no one there from District government to talk about this issue. The commissioners ended up voting to draft a “letter of concern” about the fee increase. When asked what the concerns were, Commissioner Lucio responded that she was concerned about the fee increase generally. Commissioner Washington responded that she was concerned about the timing of the fee increase given that the District is still under a public health emergency and some residents are still out of work or just returning to work. She would recommend suspending the effective date of the fee increase until the public health emergency is over.

The commission is accepting resident input on this issue. I recommend sending an email to all of them. Their email addresses can be found here.

Chair Edwards asked for the MOCR’s assistance in getting someone from District government to the ANC’s regularly scheduled May meeting on May 26 to discuss the fee increase. Commissioner Washington also asked if someone from DDOT could discuss the digital visitor parking pass pilot program that was recently announced for two ANCs in Wards 1 and 6.

Catholic University

Catholic University officials attended the meeting to apologize for the lack of notice regarding the end-of-year fireworks celebration that caught some residents by surprise. The university did send notice out, but not as widely as they had planned.

The university’s nursing school expansion plan was approved by the Zoning Commission (zoning case number 12-01D).

The DC Board of Elections has certified a vacancy for ANC 5A04, which covers Catholic University. University officials have identified a potential candidate. The petition circulation period ends May 17, 2021. Interested candidates should consult the vacancy notice.

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie Report

Silas Grant, Senior Advisor to Councilmember McDuffie, noted that CM McDuffie has introduced legislation to provide a publicly-funded trust fund for babies born in the District to families with an annual household income of $132,000 or less (see press release). This initiative is sometimes referred to “baby bonds.” An initial payment of $1,000 would be provided for newborns, supplemented by an annual payment of up to $2,000 depending on household income. When the child turns 18, the money can be withdrawn for specified uses, such as education, starting a business, or buying a home. Mr. Grant said CM McDuffie introduced this legislation to address the racial wealth gap.

Next Meeting

The regularly scheduled ANC 5A meeting will be on May 26, 2021.

May 19: ANC 5A01 Community Meeting (Virtual)

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

ANC 5A01 Single Member District Meeting
with Commissioner Damion McDuffie (5A01)
May 19, 2021
6:30 pm-8:00 pm

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81337416017?pwd=ZytRT3RDWnRycGVkcmJXbmtLMEdoZz09

Meeting ID: 813 3741 6017

Passcode: 782710

Dial by your location:  301 715 8592

AGENDA 

  1. Welcome & Opening Remarks
  2. DC Office of Campaign Finance Presentation
  3. DC Public Library Presentation
  4. Councilmember McDuffie’s Office Update
  5. Fourth District Metropolitan Police Department Update
  6. The Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM) Update
  7. The Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement Update
  8. DC Department of Transportation Update
  9. Community Q & A
  10. Closing Remarks

*Please make sure you are on the call in plenty of time for your presentation.

*To stay within an hour, please try to limit your questions so everyone can be heard. Any unanswered concerns can be forwarded to 5A01@anc.dc.gov

May 12: Revised Agenda – ANC 5A Special Public Meeting (Virtual)

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

ANC 5A Special Public Meeting
May 12, 2021
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86809581016?pwd=T1ZhWFdCT1ZwVnFCTW1WeGlBaWpSQT09

Meeting ID:  868 0958 1016    
Passcode: 912367
Dial In: 301 715 8592

AGENDA ITEMS

  1. DC Department of Motor Vehicles Residential Parking Permit (RPP) Fee Increase and the Mayor’s Budget
  2. Catholic University Fireworks
  3. ANC 5A03 10th Street Traffic Calming

In the interest of keeping our regular May meeting from being too long, we have asked two presenters to attend this meeting and give very brief presentations, if time permits:

Office of Campaign Finance- Fair Elections Program Deloris K. Ramsey

DC National Guard Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy  Rip Preston

Flexiposts installed in 400 block Galloway Street NE

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten, Transportation
Flexiposts installed 400 block Galloway Street NE near the Modern

After years of 311 service requests, email exchanges, pictures, and letters to the Council during performance oversight season, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) informed me on March 25, 2021, that they approved installation of flexiposts behind the crosswalk in the 400 block of Galloway Street NE near the Modern at Art Place. DDOT installed the flexiposts earlier this week. This is great news for those of us who have been nagging DDOT about the crosswalk near The Modern and the fact that drivers continuously parked in a way that blocked the sightline of pedestrians and drivers (see this post, for example).

The story of this particular crosswalk is a 3.5 year saga. Before the Modern was built in 2017, 4th Street NE used to be a through street between Galloway and Kennedy. There were marked crosswalks at the intersection of 4th and Galloway. This is important because there is not a sidewalk on the south side of Galloway Street across from the Modern. Some residents choose to walk up the inclined, wooded path on the south side of the street, but many also choose to use the sidewalk on the north side and cross at 4th Street to walk to Fort Totten Metro station.

View of dirt path on south side of Galloway Street NE

During construction of the Modern, the crosswalk that was at 4th and Galloway was removed. After the Modern was built, 4th Street was permanently closed between Galloway and Ingraham, basically becoming the apartment community’s private driveway. Immediately after the building opened in fall 2017, we asked that the crosswalk in the 400 block of Galloway be reinstalled because again there is not a sidewalk on the other side of the street, and just because 4th Street was now closed, that did not mean that the crosswalk had to be removed.

At first, DDOT wanted us to submit a service request for a new crosswalk. We all know how long it takes the agency to install a new crosswalk though. We argued that it was not a new crosswalk, and we had already submitted a service request to restripe the crosswalk. The developer should have been required to reinstall the crosswalk that had previously been there. In the interim, we were also told that DDOT in fact instructed the developer not to reinstall the crosswalk for reasons, but who knows. Anyhow, thanks to Google street view and intervention by Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s office, we were able to send DDOT photographic evidence showing that we were not making it up that a crosswalk existed there for many years. So DDOT ordered the developer to install a crosswalk. But then no curb cut was installed because remember neither the developer nor DDOT intended for there to be a crosswalk. So drivers would literally park in the crosswalk all the time because I guess they thought it was an option to do so.

Car parked in crosswalk 400 block of Galloway Street

So we took pictures of cars parked in the crosswalk and asked that a curb cut be installed so that drivers would not park in the crosswalk. That took some time. Even then, some drivers still parked in or partially in the crosswalk (very strange behavior).

In any case, the result ended up being that there was then a crosswalk between two parked cars because there was just enough space for one car behind the crosswalk. So sometimes drivers would still park partially in the crosswalk.

The bigger issue though was that drivers could not see a pedestrian waiting to cross in the crosswalk between two parked cars and a pedestrian would have to walk out into the street to see around the car parked behind the crosswalk. None of this made any sense. We requested “no parking” signage, which DDOT put in front of the crosswalk after many months of requests, but it was placed right in front of a tree so no one could see it unless people knew to look for it.

DDOT installed high visibility pedestrian crossing signs pointing to the crosswalk so that motorists would know the crosswalk was there. For a while, DDOT told us there was only one signmaker or something so that is why it took a while to get the signs done apparently. DDOT refused to install signage indicating that no parking was allowed behind the crosswalk though because according to them the existing signage was adequate. According to them, the space behind the crosswalk was not a legal parking space because it was so close to the crosswalk and the driveway to the Modern. I suppose people were supposed to know that, but every day people would park behind the crosswalk. DDOT said it was a parking enforcement issue. And to be fair, some days DPW would ticket a car parked behind the crosswalk. I told DDOT it did not make sense to keep issuing tickets when it was clear that people thought they were allowed to legally park behind the crosswalk.

In December 2019, following multiple email exchanges among myself, the ANC, DDOT, and CM McDuffie’s office, DDOT installed a micromobility corral in front of the crosswalk to provide a buffer. Interestingly enough, that corral is actually not as big as it should be because there was a car parked behind the “no parking” sign when DDOT went to install the corral.

View of micromobility corral in 400 block of Galloway Street NE

Still DDOT did nothing about cars parked directly behind the crosswalk. So I asked the ANC to draft a resolution requesting signage and flexiposts so that cars could not be parked behind the crosswalk. DDOT dragged its feet for many more months and told me they could not put flexiposts behind the crosswalk because it was too close to the driveway or something. So I took pictures of flexiposts installed near intersections and also sent them pictures every day of cars parked behind the crosswalk blocking the sightline of pedestrians and drivers. Finally, on March 25, 2021, DDOT informed me that installation of flexiposts was approved.

I recount all of this just because there has been a renewed focus on Vision Zero, given the completely reckless driving taking place during the pandemic. To me, it seems that DDOT would want to take care of low-hanging fruit like this situation fairly quickly while the big fights about the big projects go on. There is also this sense of urgency from the mayor’s office in getting people to return to school and office buildings, meaning soon enough there will be more pedestrians traveling along this street to get to work and school. We noted to DDOT that this crosswalk is right next to a daycare center that would be opening at some point. But it took them almost four years to adequately resolve the issue of a crosswalk that should have been reinstalled after construction of a new building. The transportation plan for this new building should have included provision for replacement of the crosswalk. Residents should not have to take pictures every day and take time out of their day to send repeated communications to DDOT, the mayor’s office, or the councilmember’s office for something that should already be in a construction plan and monitored by DDOT. There is a sort of dismissiveness from the agency that becomes really grating after a while that sometimes results in residents saying “forget it,” and that is not a good result for anyone.

I will say the one bright spot in this saga was the support of DDOT’s Ward 5 liaison Kelly Jeong-Olson, who is always awesome, and Ty’on Jones before her. They deserve kudos for actually listening to residents.

We can now finally stop talking about this crosswalk and move on to other things, like that missing sidewalk on the other side of the street.

LRCA 2021 Election Results

Posted by nextstoprp in Lamond Riggs Citizens Association

Updated

Last night, the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) Election Committee announced results of the LRCA election for the 2021-2023 term. Barbara Rogers won a decisive victory for president. Thank you to everyone who voted for decency, kindness, and respect for neighbors. More to come.

Election Results from the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association Election Committee

For President
Barbara Rogers
120 votes (winner)

Rodney Foxworth
43 votes

For First Vice President
LaRoya Huff
131 votes (winner)

Tanya Slade (write-in)
1 vote

For Second Vice President
Sierra Dickerson
133 votes (winner)

For Treasurer
Tanya Slade (write-in; winner)*
8 votes
*subject to write-in candidate’s acceptance of appointment.

Karen Dickerson (write-in)
4 votes

For Financial Secretary
Tischa Cockrell (write-in; winner)*
2 votes
*subject to write-in candidate’s acceptance of appointment.

Corresponding Secretary
Mateen Rabihah (winner)
125 votes

For Trustee
Danielle Lewis-Wright (winner)
124 votes

Heather Rodgers (winner)
119 votes

Sharolyn Mack (winner)
96 votes

David Kosub (winner)
86 votes

Paquita Wiggins (winner)
82 votes

Patrice Richardson (winner)
80 votes

James Gaston (winner)
76 votes

Reverend Paul Smith (winner)
74 votes

Edgar Allen Sheppard (winner)
73 votes

Johnnie Mays (winner)
73 votes

Theodore Ngatchou
71 votes

Audrey Walker (write-in)
3 votes

Frank Wiler (write-in)
1 vote

Rodney Foxworthy (write-in)
1 vote

May 12: ANC 5A Special Public Meeting (Virtual)

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

ANC 5A Special Public Meeting
May 12, 2021
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86809581016?pwd=T1ZhWFdCT1ZwVnFCTW1WeGlBaWpSQT09

Meeting ID:  868 0958 1016    
Passcode: 912367
Dial In: 301 715 8592

AGENDA ITEMS

  1. DC Department of Motor Vehicles Residential Parking Permit (RPP) Fee Increase and the Mayor’s Budget
  2. Catholic University Fireworks
  3. ANC 5A03 10th Street Traffic Calming

DPR 2021 Summer Hiring Fair

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation

From DC Department of Parks and Recreation

DPR is currently hiring for various summer positions across multiple divisions and if you think you’re a good fit, we want to hear from you!

Are you interested in joining our summer workforce as a lifeguard, camp counselor, food monitor, or program facilitator? Submit your resume today to request a spot at our in-person hiring fair.

Qualified applicants will receive a formal invitation from the Office of Human Resources to interview on one of the following dates:
Saturday, May 8
Wednesday, May 19
Location and time of interview will be provided in follow-up confirmation. Offers will be made on the spot to select applicants.

Now’s your chance to join the team that makes fun happen across all 8 wards.

Sign up today and let’s get #BacktoSummer.
Attend the Summer Hiring Fair

Press Release: Two New Retailers Join Cafritz’s Art Place at Fort Totten

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten

From the Cafritz Foundation

ONELIFE FITNESS AND PHENIX SALON SUITES JOIN ART PLACE’S GROWING LIST OF RETAILERS

National Fitness and Beauty Retailers to Open in Fort Totten in Q1 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C — MAY 4, 2021 — The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation (Cafritz Foundation) today announced Onelife Fitness and Phenix Salon Suites are joining its growing list of retailers at their mixed-use development, Art Place at Fort Totten, with 16- and 10-year leases respectively. 

“As we continue with the second phase of construction at Art Place, Onelife Fitness and Phenix Salon Suites will bring valuable amenities to the growing Fort Totten community,” said Jane Cafritz of the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. “Onelife and Phenix will add to the character of Art Place and further enrich the lives of our residents and neighbors.”

Onelife Fitness will open its first location in the District, joining 16 nearby locations in Maryland and Virginia, in the retail area below The Modern apartments at Art Place. This opening will bring 40,000 square feet of cutting-edge equipment and facilities to the neighborhood. The premium fitness center will be a unique, modern design, with two spacious, open levels and floor to ceiling natural lighting, and will feature three boutique studios, an indoor saltwater pool, cutting edge cardio and strength equipment, functional turf training, and more.

“We are incredibly excited to open a new Onelife Fitness Sports Club in Fort Totten, and to provide this active and growing community with health and wellness solutions to live a healthy and happy life. As we have been reminded during this challenging time that our personal health, both mental and physical, has never been more important,” said Ori Gorfine, Chief Operating Officer. “We need to keep moving and stay active, and we need to maintain bonds and connectivity to one another.”

After finishing an invigorating workout at Onelife Fitness, Art Place visitors can experience the luxury suites at Phenix Salon, a boutique concept that offers beauty and wellness professionals the opportunity to own and operate their own business. Phenix’s 10,000-square-foot Art Place location is anticipated to open in early 2022 in the retail area below The Modern.

At full build out, Art Place will include nearly two million square feet of mixed-use space, including multi-family residential, retail, cultural, art, public, educational and entertainment spaces. The Modern, which is the first phase of the Art Place development, includes 520 apartments and almost 100,000 square feet of retail space. Retailers at the Modern, in addition to Onelife and Phenix Salon Suites, include Love and Care Development Center, Ramdass Pharmacy, ShiningStars Pediatric Dentistry and T-Mobile. Art Place’s second phase, anticipated to open in 2024, will include hundreds of new apartment homes as well as more than 300,000 square feet of retail, arts and cultural spaces occupied by D.C’s largest Aldi Grocery store, a food hall, a performance venue, interactive art exhibitions, community spaces, and Explore! Children’s Museum. Infinity Prep, a Rocketship Public School, also opened at Art Place in September 2020. 

For more information on the Cafritz Foundation please visit http://www.cafritzfoundation.org.

For Retail Leasing, please contact H&R Retail or visit https://hrretail.com/properties/art-place-at-fort-totten/

About The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is the largest private, independent, local foundation dedicated exclusively to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The Foundation is the legacy of Morris Cafritz–one of Washington’s leading commercial and residential builders from the early 1920’s to the mid-60’s–and is committed to improve the quality of life for residents of the area. Since 1970, the foundation has granted awards totaling more than $447 million. In just the last ten years, $185 million has been awarded to more than 961 organizations in Community Services, Arts & Humanities, Education, Health and the Environment.

LRCA Election: Vote for Barbara Rogers

Posted by nextstoprp in Lamond Riggs Citizens Association

By now, Lamond-Riggs residents who paid dues by the April 2, 2021, deadline to vote in the upcoming Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association election should have received an email with voting information (check your spam folder). As I mentioned in this post, I encourage residents to vote for Barbara Rogers for president.

Also, I am not aware of any accurate list of candidates to date published by LRCA on any of its platforms. One of the candidates for trustee, Danielle Lewis-Wright, had her name egregiously misspelled in the minutes in LRCA’s May 2021 newsletter, so I wanted to make a note of that here to let residents know she is running for trustee. I encourage residents to vote for both Danielle Lewis-Wright and Heather Rodgers for trustee.

Below, please find a final message from Barbara regarding this election.

Hello Lamond-Riggs Family,

This is my message to you before the LRCA election: VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE.

It is not my personality to run a negative campaign. You should never have to say negative things about a person to make yourself look good. I am running on integrity and inclusion. My past record will always speak for me as a person, resident, and a leader. I took on this journey after requests from many neighbors wanting to see change. I have never stopped serving my community and will continue to do so regardless of the outcome of this election.

I commend all of the past and current board members that take time out of their personal lives to give back to their community. I also encourage all those reading this to get involved. Ever since I started going to LRCA meetings over the past 10 years, there had been so much advancement. There had been an increase in membership and attendance. A goal of LRCA to become a 501(c)3 was accomplished during my previous presidency. I am not taking the credit for that happening because it was the hard work of an awesome executive board. What I most admire about the executive board when I was president, is that they challenged me and things that were on the agenda.

What I hope most to come out of this election is inclusion and respect for all neighbors. Our neighborhood deserves some positive energy. We are ONE community and we need to respect and get along with all of our neighbors.

Whether you vote for me or not, thank you for participating in the process and supporting LRCA.

Well wishes,

Barbara Rogers

2021 Candidate for President of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association

(202) 904-1027 

lrcabarb@yahoo.com

The New Riggs-LaSalle Playground is Open

Posted by nextstoprp in Recreation
View of new Riggs-LaSalle playground looking towards field

The new Riggs-LaSalle community playground is now open in the 500 block of Nicholson Street NE. As noted in this post, this playground has been a long time coming. It really is a testament to working together as a community–former Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) president Barbara Rogers championed a new playground during her tenure. When I became president of LRCA after her, I picked up the ball and ran with it, writing several letters to the DC Council and Mayor Bowser to secure funding and organizing parents to advocate for a playground. Mayor Bowser and former Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd came through with the funding during the latter half of my tenure as LRCA president. And finally, once the project kicked off, so many neighbors and the newly established Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Rec wrote numerous letters in support of the playground along with a number of suggestions for improvements. Kudos to the community for making this happen.

See message from the DC Department of Parks & Recreation Project Manager Peter Nohrden dated April 30, 2021, below:

Dear Riggs LaSalle Playground Community,

     On behalf of the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the DC Department of General Services (DGS), I am pleased to announce that the Riggs LaSalle Public Playground is now opened. The playground has passed the Playground Safety Inspection and is now ready for play. Please note that drinking fountains are still turned off due to COVID protocols, but we wanted to open the playground as soon as possible so that the community can enjoy it this weekend.

     The renovations to the Riggs LaSalle Playground includes: a new 5-12 play area, a new 2-5 play area, swings, benches, a drinking fountain with a bottle filler, waste and recycling receptacles as well as new lighting and security cameras. There is also perimeter landscaping, which includes canopy trees that will one day provide great shade for the playground.

Enjoy!

View of playground looking towards Riggs-LaSalle Rec

April 28, 2021 ANC 5A Meeting Recap: ANC business; bike registration; gelato shop

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on April 28, 2021. All commissioners were present. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton was on the agenda, but she did not attend due to President Biden’s address to Congress. That left a lot of time to cover other items and end the meeting at a decent hour.

ANC Business

There is still a vacancy in single member district (SMD) 5A04, which covers Catholic University. The university told ANC 5A Chair Ronnie Edwards (5A05) that they have identified a suitable candidate, for whenever the Board of Elections officially declares a vacancy and determines that the seat can be filled.

The ANC continues to work with its selected vendor on updating the ANC 5A website. They expect the work to take a couple of months.

The ANC voted to support a resolution from ANC 5D requesting reactivation of the Crummell School in the Ivy City neighborhood for community recreation and learning and for the building to be managed by District government rather than handed over entirely to a private developer.

The ANC voted to approve a resolution by Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) regarding heavy truck traffic on residential streets and a request for a truck camera near Sargent Road and Allison Street NE.

Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) repeated some highlights from the public safety task force meeting: addressing gun violence and property crimes, traffic, and infrastructure concerns.

MPD Police Report

Derek Staten, MPD’s community outreach liaison, stated MPD will have a bike registration pop-up at Providence (1150 Varnum Street NE) on Friday, April 30, 2021, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, near the urgent care center entrance. If you want to register your bike (not required, but encouraged), stop by. Edit: This is being done in conjunction with Commissioner Lucio and Metro Transit Police. The first 20 people will receive bike locks.

A police officer was not available to give updates on crime stats, so Derek reiterated the usual advice MPD gives. Continue to exercise caution with vehicles. Do not leave your car running unattended. Always lock your car, and do not leave anything visible in your car at all.

Commissioner Charles Lockett (5A02) mentioned a problem with commercial trucks parking on residential streets. On that note, Mr. Staten mentioned that he is planning a community conversation about traffic with MPD’s traffic enforcement unit, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), and the DC Department of Public Works (DPW).

Ward 5 Mayor’s Office Report

Ward 5 MOCR Nokomis Hunter stated that starting May 1, 2021, DC will have 11 high capacity walk-up, no appointment necessary vaccination sites around the city. One will be located at Turkey Thicket Recreation Center (note one will also be at Lamond Recreation Center and at Providence).

Assistance to help DC residents pay rent and utility expenses is available through stay.dc.gov.

DPW will resume parking enforcement and street cleaning May 1, 2021.

Commissioner Sandi Washington (5A07) mentioned that notice was sent out that residential parking permit (RPP) fees will increase starting June 1, 2021. This is the fee that residents who live on blocks zoned for RPP pay to park their vehicles on the street. The current fee is $35. The new rates are:

  1. $50 for the first vehicle
  2. $75 for the second vehicle
  3. $100 for the third vehicle
  4. $150 for each vehicle beyond the first three vehicles

There is an exemption for one resident 65 years of age or older per household. Exempted residents will pay a $35 annual RPP fee for the first vehicle registered at a legal mailing address. The fee for each subsequent vehicle registered at a legal mailing address will be identical to the tiered rates noted above.

The ANC decided they want to discuss these new rates further and talked about maybe having a special meeting to get more information about why they are going up or something. (Aside: The current fee of $35 has not changed since 2011. The government approved increasing the fee in legislation back in 2019. There was a lot of press and discussion about this with an opportunity to comment, so I am not sure exactly what the ANC is objecting to–increasing the fee during a pandemic, getting only roughly 30 days notice about the increase, or objecting to any fee increase at all). At any rate, they will decide if they want to send some sort of official communication to District officials, so stay tuned for a possible special meeting about all of this.

ANC SMD Reports

Apparently, both Commissioners Damion McDuffie (5A01) and Charles Lockett (5A02) had walkthroughs of their respective areas last week. Commissioner McDuffie will have a 5A01 SMD meeting tentatively scheduled for May 19, 2021.

Site of potential, new gelato shop in the 4900 block of South Dakota Avenue NE near McDonald’s

Commissioner Lucio confirmed that a gelato shop/Italian restaurant/market type concept will indeed occupy two vacant spaces at the strip mall near the McDonald’s on South Dakota Avenue NE. The only shop currently open in that strip mall is the Chinese food carryout. I believe the exact address of where the new shop will be located is 4944 South Dakota Avenue NE (note this is the location where the property owner wanted to put in a liquor store, which the North Michigan Park community fought against). Commissioner Lucio mentioned this possibility at a previous meeting and stated last night that the shop is in fact coming, but I am not sure if that means a lease has been signed. No one was able to share anything about timeframe for opening, but it sounds promising. She also said they are interested in having patio seating. Apparently there might be space behind the building. I have never been behind the building, but Commissioner Lucio said the owner has been working to clear out the back of the building (apparently there’s a paper alley or something and the owner has been working to address the drainage issue there).

Commissioner Lucio has two upcoming meetings. One will be for residents near 10th Street and Varnum Street NE. A resident in that area requested a traffic safety investigation, and one of DDOT’s proposal is to make part of 10th Street that is currently one-way open to two-way vehicular traffic. This area borders ANC 5B. The 5B commissioner for that area had an SMD meeting for her residents already. Commissioner Lucio will also have a regular SMD meeting on May 6, 2021. The tenative agenda for that meeting includes Mundo Verde, McDonald’s, and EYA.

Commissioner Fletcher (5A08) held an SMD meeting on April 27. His next SMD meeting will be June 22, 2021, at 6:30 pm.

Miscellaneous

I asked Chair Edwards about making draft copies of the resolutions available prior to the meetings so that residents will know what the commissioners are voting on. I also asked if the ANC can upload resolutions to the ANC resolution portal, especially since the ANC 5A website is being updated right now. Currently, only a couple handful of ANC 5A resolutions are on that portal. He said he would consider these suggestions.

Free Food Boxes at Impact DMV Church

Posted by nextstoprp in Public Safety

Passing along information

Impact DMV C.A.R.E.S, will be giving out boxes of FREE Food this coming Saturday (and every 1st Saturday of the month) from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Please forward this information to anyone you know who would like to receive it.

We are in COVID compliance. You do not have to exit your vehicle. Our team will place the box in your backseat/trunk.

If you are a walk-up, we have tote bags for you to carry the food safely.

Impact DMV,

5335 First Place, NE WDC

(directly down the street from the Ft. Totten Metro Station).

Contact: Dr. Denise Strothers, 202-368-3203 for more information

Meow Wolf out at Art Place at Fort Totten

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten

A lot of residents have asked questions about the status of the second phase of Art Place at Fort Totten, also known as the “FEZ at Art Place” or” Block B.” I have confirmed with the development team from the Cafritz Foundation that Meow Wolf (which was to anchor the second phase) will no longer be part of the project. The good news is that the development team is looking at another experiential tenant for this phase, and they will be making an announcement about that in the near future. The remainder of the previously announced tenant mix for Block B (children’s museum, food hall, Aldi grocery store, arts/maker spaces) remains the same at this point. The development team will likely submit a modification of consequence with the D.C. Zoning Commission at some point in the future to reflect the updated tenant mix. The expectation at this point is that the design of the buildings for this phase will largely remain the same as previously approved. (They previously filed a modification in spring 2020 to reflect some minor design changes. The Zoning Commission voted to approve those changes in June 2020, effective September 2020 (zoning case number 06-10E). We discussed that process here.)

The team is currently working through obtaining permits from DCRA to fully begin construction on the second phase. Meow Wolf’s departure from the project should not impact construction work/permits needed in the short term.

April 28: ANC 5A Monthly Public Meeting (Virtual)

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A

ANC 5A Monthly Public Meeting
April 28, 2021
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84404462291?pwd=MkpjeWRTT1ZHQkk0NFcrTGk5SEdIZz09

Meeting ID: 844 0446 2291    
Passcode: 641962
Dial In: 301 715 8592

All residents will be muted.  Individuals will be called on once acknowledged by the Chair.

Agenda items

  1. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton
  2. Public Safety Task Force Update

April 27: ANC 5A08 Community Meeting with ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (Virtual)

Posted by nextstoprp in Uncategorized

ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) single member district (SMD) Meeting
April 27, 2021
6:30 pm-8:00 pm

Agenda

  1. Recap of last SMD meeting
  2. Recap of ANC 5A meeting
  3. Update on Art Place at Fort Totten developent
  4. Update on Rocketship Public Charter School
  5. Update on Social Justice Public Charter School
  6. Update on ANC 5A Public Safety Task Force
  7. Community concerns
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83476640953?pwd=UGVzWGdYNUF0OVoweWoxL0djN3FRZz09

Meeting ID: 834 7664 0953
Passcode: 371336

Dial by your location
301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 834 7664 0953
Passcode: 371336

April 26: ANC 4B Monthly Public Meeting (Virtual)

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 4B

ANC 4B Monthly Public Meeting
April 26, 2021
7:00 pm

(Editor’s note: I am pretty sure the recreation center being referred to in item 10, Resolution 4B-21-0403, is the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center located at 501 Riggs Road NE. I am not sure why it is called the Lamond-Riggs Recreation Center in this notice.)

Virtual Meeting Details:

For video participation via Zoom on a computer or mobile device, click this link: https://streetjustice-news.zoom.us/j/84214249196?pwd=c3E0bzJmMFpoQ1JwVWFtNmhsVkduUT09. Meeting ID: 842 1424 9196. Password: 964318.

For voice-only participation on a telephone, dial (301) 715-8592. Meeting ID: 842 1424 9196. Password: 964318.

To watch (but not participate) via YouTube: https://youtu.be/vx_oTRq4KK4.

  1. Call to Order & Roll Call
  2. Administrative Items:
    • Instructions regarding Participation in Virtual Meeting
    • Consideration and Approval of April Agenda
    • Approval of March Regular Public Meeting Minutes
    • Treasurer’s Report & Approval of Quarterly Financial Reports for the Fourth Quarter 2020, First Quarter 2021, and Second Quarter 2021
  3. Commissioner Updates (if applicable)
  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:
    • Anthony Mitchell, Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (3 minutes)
    • Tamira Benitez, Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (3 minutes)
    • Frazier O’Leary, Ward 4 State Board of Education Representative (3 minutes)
    • Metropolitan Police Department, 4th District (3 minutes)
    • Housing Justice Committee (2 minutes)
    • Vision Zero Committee (2 minutes)
  6. Presentation: Linda K. Harllee Harper, Director of Gun Violence Prevention, Office of the City Administrator, Building Blocks DC (10 minute presentation; 5 minute discussion)
  7. Presentation: Emily Tatro & Casey Anderson, Council for Court Excellence, District Task Force for Jails and Justice, (10 minute presentation; 5 minute discussion)
  8. Presentation: Sayra Molina, Program Analyst – Community Engagement, District Department of Transportation, (10 minute presentation, 5 minute discussion)
  9. Presentation: Amanda Zander, Seth Charde & Eric Lienhard, DC Water, DC Clean Rivers Project, (5 minute presentation; 5 minute discussion)
  10. Consent Calendar:
    • Letter of Inquiry: Incident Involving the Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s Division of Student Transportation (Commissioner Yeats & Commissioner Palmer)
    • Letter of Inquiry: Follow-Up Letter Regarding Commercial Vehicles on Residential Roads (Commissioner Palmer)
    • Letter of Inquiry: Requesting Information regarding DPW’s Public Litter Can Collection and Zero Waste Efforts (Commissioner Palmer)
    • Resolution 4B-21-0401: Supporting AARP Proposal to Install a FitLot at Lamond Recreation Center (Commissioner Bromaghim)
    • Resolution 4B-21-0402: Supporting Renewal of Alcoholic Beverage License for Takoma Park Liquors, 6200 Eastern Avenue, NE, and Settlement Agreement (ABRA-019598) (Commissioner Brooks)
    • Resolution 4B-21-0403: Requesting Removal of One Storage Container and Relocation of Another Storage Container by Playground at Lamond-Riggs Recreation Center (Commissioner Huff)
  11. Resolution 4B-21-0404: Requesting DDOT Provide Reserved On-Street Parking for Disabled Resident and Calling for Changes to Accommodate Disabled Residents in Non-Single Family Dwellings (Commissioner Palmer – 3 minute presentation; 3 minute discussion)
  12. Letter of Inquiry: Expressing Concerns About National Park Service Maintenance and Community Coordination (Commissioner Brooks & Commissioner Yeats – 3 minute presentation; 3 minute discussion)
  13. Presentation & Resolution 4B-21-0405: Support for the Establishment of the message establishment, Integrative Bodywork, Wellness Center Located at 6230 – 3rd Street, NW, (BZA 20468) (Commissioner Jocelynn Johnson – 3 minute presentation; 3 minute discussion)
  14. Presentation & Resolution 4B-21-0406: Supporting Construction of a Rear Addition at 732 Tewkesbury Place, NW (BZA 20462) (Commissioner Jocelynn Johnson – 3 minute presentation; 3 minute discussion)
  15. Adjournment

Next Regular Public Meeting: Monday, May 24, 2021, 7:00 p.m.