Tag Archives: anc

Community News, Development Updates, Uncategorized

“Upscale” TGI Fridays in Fort Lincoln  – New City DC Walkable Concept

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Fort Lincoln Retail Updates:

  
Site work at The shops At Dakota Crossing is progressing and last week we received updates on some of the prospective tenants to make Fort Lincoln their home.  The retailers include:

Starbucks 

Chipotle 

T-Mobile

TGI Fridays “New Upscale Concept ”

Vitamin Shoppe

Burger Place

 These stores would join Dicks Sporting Goods, Marshalls, 5 Below, & Petsmart which are slated to open within the next 12 months.  Some residents were expecting a healthier restaurant anchor or  more of a craft or specialty concept in lieu of TGI Fridays. There was also the discussion of Panera Bread and a dry cleaners that was proposed by residents. The response was that there were no negotiations with a dry cleaners at this time and nothing formalized with Panera Bread. What are your thoughts on the upcoming retail options?

Arboretum Community Retail Updates:

Just a 5 minute drive away WBJ posted an update on the New City DC Development by Douglas Development Corp.  Its dramatic architectural aesthetic will transform the intersection  of N.Y. Ave. & Bladensburg Road. The renderings also allude  to such retail options as a cinema, Target, and Wegmans but does not call it out specifically. The link to the WBJ article is below.  There will be more information on New City DC in the March ANC 5C Meeting.

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2016/02/first-look-at-newcitydc-the-massive-next-phase-in.html?ana=twt

ANC News, Bike Lanes & Trails, Uncategorized

Fort Lincoln Bike Trail Connection Becoming A Reality

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Document1

Revised trails 2015

In January of 2015, I proposed resolution in support of connecting Fort Lincoln and the surrounding Gateway communities to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.  This resolution was the culmination of years of problem solving and vision for connecting our communities to the city core without the use of cars.  Most of the planning for this happened in 2013 & 2014 by introducing the idea to a group of neighbors who were also cyclist, however, the idea needed the support of the previous Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC).  Knowing the amount of work it would take to pitch, plan and manage the development of the idea, I decided to run for the ANC  position myself to ensure its implementation.  During my campaign I pledged to help bring alternative transportation options to the community given the current traffic issues we faced and the future traffic issues the remaining development posed in Fort Lincoln. For example, the recently completed Villages at Dakota crossing development introduced close to 600 cars to Fort Lincoln alone; coupled with the Shops at Dakota Crossing and and 3 more dense residential developments the number of cars in for Lincoln will increase into the upper thousands without any change to the transportation infrastructure. Therefore, after a successful Fresh Start in Fort Lincoln, The City and one new DDOT Director later, i’m please to announce that the feasibility study for the trail connection is now complete.  I exceptionally pleased with DDOT and its commitment to ANC Commission 5C’s concerns.  We now have to find funding to make this a reality so that we can reduce the dependency on cars as well as safely connecting residents to the rest of the city.   This bike trail represents the catalyst for a broader more comprehensive plan  of connecting the outlying communities of the city to the city’s core with alternative and efficient transportation. There is a dearth of bike trail & Lane connections for more than 5000 residents in the Langdon, Woodridge, Gateway & Fort Lincoln Communities.   My hope is that the City will see this connection as a priority as it continues to enhance other trails and lanes throughout the city. More information will be provided at the upcoming ANC 5C Meeting.  Thanks to everyone who has participated in making this a success thus far.

Link to – Riverwalk Gateway Segment Feasibility DRAFT to DDOT

 

ANC News, Bike Lanes & Trails, Community News, Construction Updates, Development Updates, Elections, Traffic Updates

Fort Lincoln Comprehensive Plan 2015-2016 – Draft

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E1 - Fort Lincoln Overall Context

Dear Fort Lincoln Residents,

I have drafted the comprehensive plan based on the first 6 months of service to the community. I have been working diligently to address the major concerns of the community and am now ready for the city to provide resources to fund them. Below is the Fort Lincoln Comprehensive Plan Draft to be considered for the upcoming budget proposal 2016 to the Mayor.  Additional comments are welcomed  however, please note that not all comments will be added at this time however, as we resolve the items listed in the plan we will add the new ones.  Thanks again for electing me to work for you.

Clink the link below:

Fort Lincoln Comprehensive Plan Draft

ANC News, Bike Lanes & Trails, Traffic Updates

Proposed – Gateway Segment of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail

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Revised trails 2015 R1

For those of you who have been following my blog since 2013, you know how passionate I am about the lack of safe pedestrian connections from Fort Lincoln/Gateway to the rest of the city.   We also know that it’s not just a Fort Lincoln/Gateway issue but affects surrounding neighborhoods such as Woodridge, Brentwood & Langdon.  A year and a few months later, you have elected me as your ANC Commissioner and now we have the opportunity to push for the immediate connection of our rapidly developing communities to safe, pedestrian friendly, Walking & Biking Trails.

In our last ANC 5C Meeting, I introduced a resolution that would give the residents of the Gateway Neighborhoods of Ward 5 the opportunity to have a walking & biking connection to Kenilworth Segment of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.  This connection is vital to making the rapidly developing, car-centric community (including NY Ave.) , safely accessible to the rest of the city by alternate means of travel.  With over 300 new young families in Fort Lincoln alone, this connection will provide multi-modal options for residents who could safely bike or walk to work, provide recreational opportunities to the river, and bridges the transportation gap between the Washington Gateway neighborhoods in an environmentally friendly manner.  This connection is also aligned with the MoveDC Multimodal Transportation Plan.

In addition, the funding to making this connection a reality would be minimal because:

1. The right-of-way is already leveled and will require minor cost to configure into a walking biking trail.

2. The right-of-way travels along power poles which will minimize excavation cost for safe lighting of the trail.

3. The bridge across the Anacostia River, the most significant cost , is eliminated by placing barriers along the shoulder of the Rt. 50 overpass, similar to the 14th street bridge. This can be accomplished for only a fraction of the cost.

This resolution passed unanimously by the ANC 5C Commission and was enthusiastically received by the Developer of Fort Lincoln.  We need your help to make this a reality by contacting DDOT and letting them know that it’s time to #maketheconnection!

ANC News, Community News, Construction Updates, Development Updates

DC City Council Committees & Other Ward 5 Updates

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trash

Is this end of the  Brentwood Trash Transfer Station? Click the link for the full article. – Post (Click This Link)

Ward 5 Councilman McDuffie is the Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary, Councilwoman Anita Bonds, D-At large Chair of the Committee on Housing and Community Development , –  WBJ(Click This Link)

Ward 5 Happy Hour at Costa Brava  this Thursday @ 6:00pm  – Bloomingdale – (Click This Link)

The Washington Business Journal reports that the Hecht Warehouse District is expanding.  This development is shaping up to be a Washington Gateway landmark destination.  Below are some progress photos compared to renderings of what’s to come.   Click the link for the full story. –  WBJ ( Click This Link)

Photo by Robert Looper III
Progress Photo Of Hecht Warehouse Construction
Photo Credit WBJ
Rendering showing added Restaurant
Bing Maps Photo
Aerial view of the Pappas Building between Okie & Fenwick Streets – The Red brick Warehouse
Photo Credit WBJ
Okie Street Rendering of the Pappas Building
Photo by Robert Looper III
Rail Tracks behind the Pappas Building
Photo Credit WBJ
Rendering of Rail tracks behind the Pappas Building
Development Updates

What’s Next For The New York Ave. Site?

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NYAve

The Site of the former Wal-Mart Development has been one of the most difficult to develop along the New York Ave. Corridor.  The site is now owned by Douglas Development who has been known to transform some of the least sough out properties and turning them into gems.  Below are the former plans for the site which consists of a multi-family development Arbor Place  and the most recent Point at Arboretum. Click the Washington Post Link below to learn more.

Washington Post Link

Arbor Place ( Photo Courtesy of WCP)

arbor place

Point at Arboretum ( Photo Courtesy of WCP)

Walmart NY Ave

 

Development Updates

Whats Next for Thurgood Marshall

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TME

With the influx of new residential development in Fort Lincoln, there seems to be a growing concern over the use of the Thurgood Marshall Elementary School(TMES).  The school was closed officially in 2013 and according to the Fort Lincoln Civic Association Website will be closed for 5 years as a school.  Before the closing of the school in 2012 residents voiced their concerns over the new residential development and the need it will create, however it was closed nonetheless.

As most people know, there is interest from the developer to use the School as a community center with YMCA as the operator.  The following is a quick run down on the status of this project:

1 – The developer has filed to have Thurgood Marshall Elementary School zoned as a community center, which has the support from the Office of Planning.

2 – There is a $25,000 contribution that is to be made to the Theodore Hagans Cultural Center for renovations by the developer , which is part of the original Planned unit Development from 2007.  However, due to the size and low usage of the cultural center, the developer is requesting to have that contribution redirected from the Hagans Cultural Center to the Thurgood Marshall facility for its proposed reuse.

3. The YMCA has not been confirmed as the operator.  There is also another DC Agency that will occupy the space, which is also not confirmed.

4-  ANC Commissioner Bob King provided the letter of support redirecting the $25,000 from the Theodore Hagans Cultural Center to the Thurgood Marshall facility.

4.  During the Zoning Hearing on June 10, 2013 the decision was deferred due to the lack of detail of how the $25,000 would be used.  That decision prompted a tour of the facility with all interested parties on October 18, 2013.

6- During the last Zoning Hearing on July 17, 2014, the decision was once again deferred,  due to the lack of detail of how the $25,000 will be used. The decision has been deferred until January of 2015.