All posts by Donna Wright

News Alert, Public Notices

2023 Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off – Saturday, June 03 from 10am to 2pm

 

To assist residents with the proper and safe disposal of hazardous waste, the Public Works Department holds an annual Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off day.

 

Date:  Saturday, June 03, 2023
Time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Location:
Public Works Yard
City of Takoma Park
31 Oswego Ave
Silver Spring, MD 20910

 

On Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day, Takoma Park residents can drop off household hazardous waste for free (non-residents will be charged a $10 fee (CHECKS ONLY) at the Public Works Facility.

 

This is the process of dropping off materials:

  1. Enter from the Oswego Avenue entrance only.
  2. Following the guidance of the staff directing traffic, all vehicles will exit out of the Ritchie Avenue driveway.
  3. All hazardous materials for drop off must be in the trunk of the car or the bed of a pickup truck only – no materials will be taken out of the interior of your car.
  4. City staff will remove the hazardous materials from the trunk or pick-up truck – participants must stay in their cars at all times.

For more information, visit: 2023 Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day

News Alert, Public Notices

Bike Repair Pop-Up Coming to Crossroads Farmers Market – Wednesday, May 24 from 12 – 2pm

On Wednesday, May 24th, in celebration of National Bike Month, the Planning Division will be tabling at the Crossroads Farmers Market from 12:00-2:00 pm.

In addition to free bike safety swag, Upshift Workshop will be providing free basic bike repairs on-site, on a first come-first serve basis, rain or shine. We want to make sure our local bike riders are road ready now that the good weather is back!

Public Notices

Biking to Work on Friday, May 19 – TKPK Staff Will Be At Two Pit Stops – Starting at 6:30 am.

 

2023 Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 19th! Starting at 6:30 am – 9:30 am in Takoma Park.

Whether you are commuting to work, or looking for a morning activity between your bed and your home office, join the City of Takoma Park at one of two pit stops on the Sligo Creek Trail at New Hampshire Ave or in Old Takoma at the Gazebo.

 

The Takoma Park team will be ready to greet you, rain or shine!

 

This annual event is coordinated by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) and sponsored by regional jurisdictions and businesses.

  1. At face value, Bike to Work Day is a fun community event, but it aims for larger, less visible impacts, too.
  2. The community bike riding event aims to invite people to practice switching their commute to include bike riding some of the time, touting the impacts on reduced greenhouse gas emissions from private vehicles, reduced traffic congestion, and increased physical activity for participants.
  3. They even provide resources for first-time riders that might need some extra support!

To register, visit https://www.biketoworkmetrodc.org/.

 

Public Notices

Takoma Park Receives Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) Transportation Land-Use Connections (TLC) Grant Award

 

City Awarded $60,000 to Study Laurel Avenue Streetery Traffic Impacts

Since early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Laurel Avenue Streetery has offered a popular, public gathering space in the heart of Old Takoma, where previously there was none. The temporary closure was so popular that in 2022, the City Council voted to extend its existence indefinitely.

On Thursday, April 20, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) awarded the City of Takoma Park a Transportation-Land Use Connection program technical assistance grant valued at $60,000 to conduct a traffic study on the streets surrounding Laurel Avenue. The study will look at traffic impact scenarios for a full, permanent, or semi-permanent closure of both sides of Laurel Avenue. It will look at the potential impacts on vehicle traffic flow, emergency vehicle access, cut-through traffic, and any roadway or signal redesigns that would be necessary to accommodate the reconfiguration. The idea to close both sides of Laurel Avenue to create a large, dedicated pedestrian plaza builds on conceptual design work being conducted by the Old Takoma Business Association (OTBA).

Public Notices

Link to Ward 2 Community Meeting to Discuss Public Safety

 

May 1, 2023

Link to Ward 2 Community Meeting to Discuss Public Safety from Thursday, April 27, 2023, at 7:00 PM:

If you have a question that didn’t get asked or that you thought of after the meeting, please feel free to email them to Cathy Plevy at cathyp@takomaparkmd.gov, and we will get you a response.

 

Contact:

Catherine Plevy
Public Information Officer
Takoma Park Police Department

Email: cathyp@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7142
Cell: 240-338-2901

Public Notices

The Future of the TKPK 5K Needs Your Support

 

After many years of racing, the mission and purpose of the race have evolved, and the City is working to transition its management into the hands of an external partner to continue its tenure into the future. Attendees at a 4/25 virtual community meeting continued the discussion about the necessary logistics and partnerships needed to place the race on sustainable footing into the future.

 

In order to identify and connect interested community members and organizations, we invite folks to complete and share a general interest survey to help identify community members with skills and capacities that would be necessary for the continuation of the race. The Planning Division is already in discussion with a few possible partners, but the perfect mix of organizational structure, fiscal sponsorship, and event management has not yet come together.

 

Please share this survey with your community and any folks you think may be interested. In early May, City staff will begin reviewing the responses and attempt some matchmaking between interested parties.

News, Public Notices

May is National Bike Month! Annual Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 3, 2023

 

Bike to School Day! 

May is National Bike Month, which means that the City of Takoma Park is working on a host of bike safety and promotion initiatives. This includes the Annual Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 3rd!

Bike to School Day invites students, teachers, and staff to travel to and from school by bike (or scooters and other human-powered, wheeled devices). In the past, the City’s Safe Routes to School program has partnered with administrators and PE teachers to coordinate bike safety education, prize giveaways, and more!

Due to the ongoing staffing limitations, our programming for this year will continue to be modified from previous years. However, we are excited to offer resources and support to make this another great Bike to School Day event!

Available Bike-to-School Day Resources:
  • Bike Safety Swag to give away (reflective and light-up bands, bike lights, and more)
  • Bike Safety Banner Set
  • Bike Safety Tips for morning announcements for the days leading up to Bike to School Day
  • An event flier to send home (attached)
    – Without knowing the details of your programming, we didn’t want to add too much information, so we updated the fliers from last year. Feel free to give feedback or adjust on your own as desired. If you need printing support, too, please let us know.
  • City staff coordination support (we’re happy to brainstorm ideas for PE, curricular integration, or day-of programming!)
News Alert, Public Notices

TKPK5K Virtual General Interest Meeting, tonight, April 25 at 7:30pm

 

General Interest Meeting: What’s Next for the TKPK 5K Race?

This year, the annual TKPK 5K is going through organizational restructuring and has been postponed from its traditional May race date. After many years of racing, the mission and purpose of the race have evolved, and the City is working to transition its management into the hands of an external organization or coalition of partners supported by a sponsor organization to continue the race into the future. 

In order to identify and connect interested community members, organizations, and fiscal partners, the City of Takoma Park is hosting a Virtual General Interest Meeting on Tuesday, April 25, at 7:30 pm.

  • At the meeting, City staff will share the history of the race, the logistics for its management, and suggestions for ways the race might move forward. 

We invite residents, businesses, and organizations who are interested in potentially participating in the organizing of the race in the future to join and learn more about how it’s been done in the past and what it could look like in the future.

Please share this information widely with your friends and neighbors.

News, Public Notices

Takoma Station Development – First Deadline for Community Comments is Friday, April 21 by 5:00pm

 

A proposal for a new mix-use development on the 6.4-acre parcel next to the Takoma Metro station is undergoing the early stages of DC’s development review process. The project, named Takoma Station, is a joint development between the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and the development firm EYA. The proposed project would add new affordable and market-rate residential units, ground-floor retail, public green space, a pedestrian plaza, and new, metered on-site parking.

The project is fully within DC’s jurisdiction and development review process. However, Takoma Park residents may still submit comments on the project prior to or during a number of upcoming public hearings. There are three important approval meetings and one online feedback opportunity coming up in the next three months:

 

Review: WMATA Staff Draft Report

 

Hearing: WMATA Board Vote on the Development Compact

  • Meeting Date: TBD (planned for mid-May)
  • Meeting Location: Metro Headquarters (300 7th St SW, Washington, DC)
  • To Submit Comments: Submit comments in-person at the meeting or via audio or video recordings that can be submitted using the instructions on WMATA’s Public Comment web page.
  • At this meeting, the WMATA Board will make a final determination about whether to approve the proposed changes to WMATA’s bus and kiss-and-ride configuration based on a review of the Draft Staff Report.

 

Hearing: DC Historic Preservation Review Board

  • Meeting Date: May 25 or June 1
  • Meeting Location: Virtual link  (access the link here:
    (https://planning.dc.gov/node/1654111)
  • To confirm the meeting date, and agenda and to submit public comments, visit HPRB’s webpage.
  • At this meeting, the DC HPRB will review EYA’s full project proposal for compliance with historic preservation regulations in DC.

Hearing: DC Zoning Commission

  • Meeting Date: June 15 @ 4:00 pm
  • Meeting Location: Virtual (links for the meeting are not yet posted to the DCZC web page; the meeting details appear to be posted one week out.)
  • To Submit Comments: Follow the instructions for how to testify during the meeting on the virtual hearings website: (https://dcoz.dc.gov/service/watch-live-virtual-zcbza-hearingsmeetings)

 

City staff are tracking the project’s development and preparing fuller responses to share publicly soon.

 

For more information on these projects and their ongoing process, visit their project pages:

News, Public Notices

UPDATE: Library and Community Center Redevelopment Project

 

April 19, 2023 

Update on the Construction Schedule for the Library and Community Center Redevelopment Project

 

Work accomplished to date: 
The Library and Computer Center Redevelopment Project is underway, with most of the work to date occurring inside and on the existing facilities.

The work completed includes:

  • the removal and storage of solar panels,
  • the disconnection of gas and water utilities at the construction site,
  • and interior demolition,
  • The mosaic has been carefully removed and stored to ensure its preservation until it can be reinstalled on the new building’s façade.

Additionally, the Library and Computer Center have been relocated off-site to provide continuity of services throughout the construction process.

Please visit us at 7505 New Hampshire Avenue, Suites 201-208, for Library books, programs, computers, and more.

 

Permits:
The groundbreaking that will precede exterior demolition has been delayed as a result of a backlog within the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services, and it is not indicative of any issues or problems with the plans that have been submitted. The City is doing everything it can to move this process forward.

Once the general building permit is issued, all other permits will go into effect. This is the final piece of the permitting process, and things are expected to move much more quickly once this hurdle has been overcome.

 

Fencing:
Fencing will be expanded around the perimeter of the project beginning April 27th. There will be no additional impact on parking. The additional fencing will assist in achieving two objectives: procurement may be expedited with the added space to store building materials, and it will save costs since off-site storage is significantly more expensive.

 

For more information, please visit our webpage, sign up for the City’s e-newsletter, or email newlibrary@takomaparkmd.gov.