All posts by Jason Damweber
Letter From Mayor Stewart to the Maryland Health Care Commission
Mayor Kate Stewart sent a letter to the Maryland Health Care Commission to comment on behalf of the Takoma Park City Council encouraging the establishment of regulations allowing fro Freestanding Medical Facilities (FMF) in appropriate locations.
Adoption of appropriate regulations would help ensure access to acute medical care for Takoma Park residents after Washington Adventist Hospital relocates to its new White Oak facility over six and a half miles away from the current Takoma Park campus.
MacLab: Access the Latest and Greatest in Mac Equipment and Digital Editing Software!
From Gregory Clark, Recreation Department Director
The City’s new multimedia lab opens to the public today! Located on the second floor of the Community Center (7500 Maple Avenue), residents will have access to the latest Mac computers, word processing and editing software. Utilizing this equipment will allow residents, including teens and young adults, to experiment with top-of-the-line hardware and produce professional work of the highest quality at your own pace. Even better, trained staff will be available to assist in various skill-building capacities using Apple’s featured software to include Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Suite, Garage Band, iMovie and a host of others.
The primary aim of opening the MacLab after school is to facilitate the academic success of our youth, increase communication skills and help build technical skills that will last a lifetime. This is one of many efforts the City is undertaking in order to advance the City Council’s priorities regarding youth success.
Hours of operation will be Monday – Wednesday, and Friday from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., and Saturday from 12:00-5:00 PM. The Media Lab will be closed on Thursdays and Sundays. For more information, please contact John Webster, Facilities Manager, at 301-891-7225 or JohnW@takomaparkmd.gov.
Diwali Festival Returns to Takoma Park!
Diwali is returning to Takoma Park’s crossroads!
Celebrate the annual Hindu Festival of Lights at the 2nd Annual Takoma/Langley Diwali Festival! Enjoy Indian dance, music, poetry, food, and cultural programs co-produced by the Hindu Temple of Metropolitan Washington and Sri Siva Vishnu Temple. The event is sponsored by, among others, Takoma Langley Crossroads Development Authority and the City of Takoma Park. Visit the Takoma Langley Crossroads website for more information!
Takoma/Langley Diwali Festival
Saturday, October 15
1:00-6:00 PM
8001 New Hampshire Avenue
Hyattsville, MD 20783
Community Coffees Resume!
From Kate Stewart, Mayor of Takoma Park
Earlier this year, the City Council began periodically holding “Community Coffees” at local venues around the City. The meetings provide an opportunity for residents to meet with their Councilmembers and the Mayor (and vice-versa) to informally ask questions, share concerns, talk about issues, and enjoy a cup of coffee in good company. Now that Council is back from recess, we’ll resume holding Community Coffees about once a month on Fridays. We hope you will join us!
The next meeting will be held on Friday, October 7th from 8:00-9:30 AM at La Chiquita Restaurant (940 East-West Highway).
A Back to School Message from the City Manager
From Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager of Takoma Park
Dear Residents,
School starts on Monday, Council reconvenes on September 7, and just like that, summer’s over!
On Monday, traffic around Takoma Park will be quite challenging. Our wonderful crossing guards and patrol officers will be helping school children and their parents find their way to school safely.
Prepare to take extra time to get to work and school, and check your planned routes in advance. The Carroll Avenue Bridge closure means that many of the bus and travel routes you used a couple of months ago are changed. And, as I write this, there is planned and unplanned road, sidewalk and utility work going on across the City that adds even more confusion.
To help you navigate Takoma Park safely, follow the City of Takoma Park on social media (Twitter, Facebook), sign up for Takoma Park Alert and check the City’s website. If you see a dangerous situation, please call our Police Department at 301-270-1100 so that we can address the matter quickly.
Over the coming months, we will be facing more Metrorail SafeTrack repair work that will affect us, as well as a lot of utility work that will cause frustration.
The bright side to all of this is that, if we have to be stuck, at least we’re stuck in Takoma Park!
In the coming month, there will be a lot of things to do to take our minds off of travel woes. Come to Takoma FOLK on September 11 which kicks off at the Old Takoma Gazebo at 10 AM, the 8th Annual Play Day on September 24 at the Takoma Park Middle School, the Unity in the Community Kick-off on September 25 at Capital City Cheesecake, or just go swimming at the Piney Branch Public Pool. So, be prepared and carry on!
Best,
Suzanne Ludlow
Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Phone: 301-891-7229
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Ongoing SHA Intersection Work Update
The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has been improving pedestrian crossing signals and curb ramps at several intersections along MD 410 (Philadelphia Avenue) and MD 195 (Carroll Avenue). Work will continue intermittently through November. Curb ramps on the southeast side of Maple Avenue and Philadelphia Avenue are currently excavated. Due to technical issues replacement of the concrete was not able to be performed as planned. SHA contractors have filled the excavated area with gravel as a temporary surface until final work can be performed. Pedestrians are advised to use caution at this intersection.
The City of Takoma Park will be posting more crossing guards to the intersection during construction and is monitoring the construction closely. With several ongoing construction projects that have altered traffic patterns in Takoma Park we encourage all commuters to exercise caution and be patient as the school year starts.
Passing of Anne Ludlow
The City of Takoma Park is sad to note the passing of (Frances) Anne Ludlow, mother of City Manager Suzanne Ludlow and resident of Victory Tower on Carroll Avenue. Anne died of a sudden illness on August 11 at the age of 84.
In past years, Anne served on the City’s Task Force on Gun Violence in the Community and on the Emergency Planning Committee.
A memorial gathering will be held on October 8, with details to be announced at a later date.
Ongoing Pepco Tree Work by Asplundh Tree Care
From Todd Bolton, Arborist
Asplundh Tree Care is doing work for Pepco on power line circuits that run through and around the City. The maps in this selection show what work is scheduled. There are keys showing what the symbols in the maps stand for. The yellow and green lines refer to whether the work is before or after a circuit breaker, not what kind of pruning is being done. In most cases the Asplundh crews are simply cutting back to previous cut points. Occasionally they will be making pruning cuts to mitigate poor cut location choices made by earlier crews. The Arborist is notified when crews are going to be working in town.
The yellow triangles show where both street and private trees will be removed. Removal requests that were denied, again both public and private, are shown with red squares. In the field the trees have had blue spray paint dots on them. The private tree permits have gone through the normal process with Pepco paying application fees and replacement fee in lieu if required. The property owners signed the applications that were submitted to the City for approval.
Pepco Tree Work Maps
All files PDF
- Central Avenue | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 34954
- Construction Pruning | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 14985
- Maintenance Pruning | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 14985
- Partial | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 14979 Municipal PM
- Partial Sligo Creek to Long Branch | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: Takom Park Municipal
- Ward 1 | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 14980 Municipal
- Ward 1 | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 14982 Municipal
- Ward 1 | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 14982 Municipal – PM
- Ward 1 | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 14984 Municipal
- Ward 1 | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 14987 Municipal – PM
- Ward 3 | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 14979 Municipal PM
- Ward 5 | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 14986
- Ward 6 | Street Overview Map | Feeder ID: 15051
If you have more questions please contact Takoma Park’s Arborist:
Todd Bolton
Arborist
Email: ToddB@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7612
Takoma Junction Development Agreement
From Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager of Takoma Park
On Wednesday, July 27, the Takoma Park City Council will consider a resolution authorizing me, as the City Manager, to sign the Development Agreement between the City of Takoma Park and Neighborhood Development Company (NDC). A copy of the Development Agreement is posted as part of the Council’s agenda and is on the City’s Takoma Junction Development webpage. There are a number of changes from the version discussed at last Wednesday’s Council meeting; these changes meet the requests made by the Council and many community members. Those changes are listed in the agenda cover page for the Resolution.
Councilmember Fred Schultz has noted that the Development Agreement is a bit like a prenuptial agreement – it includes many provisions for what happens when things don’t work out as planned. Keeping the marriage theme for a moment, we are now at a place when the parties involved may take the “big step.” We are at the point when the parties involved need to decide if it is better to move forward or not. On Wednesday night, the Council may decide to take the next step in the redevelopment of Takoma Junction.
If the Council authorizes me to sign the Development Agreement, the most important part of the project begins: the community-involved planning process. It is this process that allows the development to be a uniquely Takoma Park development that meets the needs of the Takoma Park community.
After working for local city governments for 33 years, I have a lot of trust in community planning processes. These processes involve professional and expert information, studies and design concepts, physical and financial constraints, and many, many different community members and stakeholders considering the information, brainstorming, questioning, and expressing opinions. This is the community creating itself.
I believe we are at the place in the Takoma Junction Redevelopment Project to begin that community process. I look forward to seeing this next phase of Takoma Park creating Takoma Park.
Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229
