City Manager & Staff Blog posts are generated directly by the City Manager or staff with editorial oversight from the City Manager, Deputy City Manager and Media Specialist.
Although we didn’t get the worst of the winter weather system going up the Atlantic coast, the cold temperatures, snow and wind are good reminders to be prepared for emergencies. Please clear your sidewalks, check on neighbors that may need help, and make sure you are signed up for Takoma Park Alert to receive emergency messages.
January begins a very busy time in the Takoma Park City government. The City Council’s first meeting is next Wednesday, and then, besides their regular Wednesday meetings, they will also have two retreats in January to discuss Council priorities and budget goals for the coming year. The information from those retreats gives direction to staff as the departments begin budget preparation. I will present a proposed budget the first week in April for Council and public consideration. A final budget will be adopted by the Council in mid-May.
There are large projects underway in the City that will require a significant amount of staff attention: Library renovation planning, Takoma Junction development review, Ethan Allen Gateway construction, Flower Avenue Green Street construction, and many smaller but still staff-intensive projects.
I am also looking forward to seeing the adoption of implementation steps for the Housing and Economic Development Strategic Plan. A forum on the housing components of this plan will take place in early February (the date is yet to be finalized), and your comments and suggestions are welcome. Councilmembers and staff are also working to get the State and County focused on improvements along New Hampshire Avenue to increase our economic base, provide housing options, improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and make the area more attractive.
As we work on all of our activities, we keep in mind the racial equity focus that Council has instituted, and will be considering ways to put the Racial Equity Framework into action. Detailed information on all of these projects and initiatives is available on our website in our Project Directory. The Project Directory page of our website is updated and added to frequently. Residents are encouraged to check-in and follow along to see the work City staff is accomplishing.
As this new year starts, I am particularly pleased to welcome Chief Antonio (Tony) DeVaul to the Takoma Park Police Department. A Takoma Park native with strong skills and experience, Tony is jumping in with both feet to take our community police department to the next level of excellence. You will be seeing him around Takoma Park and he wants to get to know you, if he doesn’t know you already!
In closing, I want to acknowledge the wonderful staff I work with. From working to win third place in the national Georgetown University Energy Prize to the dedication of our Recreation and Library staff, to the folks who clean, garden, plow snow, pay bills, keep us safe, share news, hire staff, and find ways to save money while improving service, the City staff make me proud and my job enjoyable. They have my deep appreciation.
It’s fall, it’s a beautiful day, and so much is happening in Takoma Park!
Including this evening, there are five Council meetings left before City Council elections. Topics to be covered in October include:
Getting the sense of the current Council on the Takoma Junction Concept Plan recently presented by NDC – this involves a Work Session discussion on October 11 and a vote on October 18
Presentation of the draft Housing and Economic Development Strategic Plan
Appointing members to the newly established Takoma Park Youth Council
The possibility of allowing sidewalk cafes that serve alcohol in Takoma Park
Overview of appropriate City financial reserve levels and policies
Possibly taking a position on the proposed northern bridge crossing of the Potomac River
Adding neonicotinoids to the classes of pesticides that cannot be used for cosmetic lawn care
I’d like to focus on three of these that will have long-term impacts on Takoma Park: Takoma Junction, the Housing and Economic Development Strategic Plan, and Appropriate City Financial Reserves.
Takoma Junction.
I know it is a hot topic for some Takoma Park residents right now. It is a critical project at a key location that sets an important precedent for our community. Fortunately, I am pleased that the Council and staff have been carefully following the transparent procedures and criteria put in place at the beginning of the project. All information is on our website and a supplement to the existing Question and Answer document, which will address questions that have come up since the NDC’s concept plan was presented, should be posted by Thursday. Continuing to follow a clearly documented process with public input sets a great precedent for future economic development work that is appropriate for Takoma Park.
The project on the City’s parking lot at Takoma Junction will help the walkability and appearance of the Junction while adding community amenities and to the commercial tax base. How it exactly looks and functions is a continuing process of proposals and reviews, with multiple opportunities for public comment to the City Council, the Façade Board, the Historic Preservation Commission, and the Montgomery County Planning Board. I believe strongly that a good project here helps the long-term viability of other businesses in the Junction area, including the Takoma Park-Silver Spring Co-op.
One issue that is on people’s minds is the traffic flow (or lack thereof) in the Junction. Part of the current problem is the failing of the State Highway Administration (SHA) to adjust timing of the signals as they are being transitioned over to Montgomery County control. State Highway is also failing to appropriately oversee its contractor that is supposed to be installing traffic and crosswalk signals all along MD 410 in Takoma Park. Mayor Stewart and our District 20 Delegation have been putting pressure on SHA to correct the signal timing at the Junction and get the other work completed ASAP.
Part of the Takoma Junction project will be a City funded traffic study complementing the work that NDC is doing as part of its development design. This is to ensure that all of the Junction’s traffic flow (cars, trucks, bikes, and pedestrians) is considered while the project design is being evaluated. Again, there will be public discussion of the findings and recommendations.
Please check out the Takoma Junction Project Page, listen to a call-in discussion of the project on Takoma Radio (94.3FM) Sunday afternoon at 4 pm, and attend or watch the Council discussions on October 11 and 18.
Housing and Economic Development Strategic Plan
If you attend the Council meeting on October 18, stick around for the presentation of the draft Housing and Economic Development Strategic Plan prepared by our consultants, the Cloudburst Group. The presentation will go over actionable steps for the City to take over the next few years to keep Takoma Park livable by having a stronger tax base and more, and more varied, housing options for residents of different income levels.
Appropriate City Financial Reserves
The Takoma Park city government provides a large number of services to our residents with a relatively small budget. Since much of the City’s revenue comes from State and County payments, the City’s finances can be strongly impacted when those payments are reduced due to economic downturns or other unforeseeable circumstances. Natural and manmade disasters seem to be occurring weekly in the United States and we need to be able to meet our financial obligations even when emergencies occur. For this reason, a discussion of the appropriate level of City financial reserves is timely. The Council that is seated in November will be establishing the level of reserves in advance of the preparation of the FY 2019 City Budget. I am committed to ensuring that City tax dollars are handled carefully, spent frugally, and protected in the long run. Please feel free to contact me or your City Council representative with your thoughts about the appropriate level of City reserves.
In the Near Future
Besides the issues that are before the current Council, the incoming Council will be reviewing many projects, including the City Parking Study (nearing completion) and detailed plans for the renovated and expanded Takoma Park Library; working on issues such as tax duplication, the future of the Takoma Park Recreation Center, construction of the Flower Avenue Green Street and Ethan Allen Gateway projects, and continued innovative environmental sustainability work; all while examining our programs through a Racial Equity lens. In the spring, we will also have a new Residents Survey to help us find out what residents believe we are doing right and where we need to improve.
Despite the fact that the City Council is on recess for the month of August, quite a lot is happening in Takoma Park. Here are a few things you should know about:
Elections – Elections for the City Council take place this November 7, with the Nominating Caucus on September 12. Since we’re only a month away from the Nominating Caucus there has been quite a lot of activity by potential candidates. Both the current issue of the Takoma Park Newsletter and the City’s website have really good election information for you. The Nominating Caucus is a true Takoma Park Event that you won’t want to miss (either in person or via video), and soon there will be candidate forums and other opportunities to learn about the candidates. The website has information on early voting times and locations. At least three candidates are running in Ward 2 and there may be multiple candidates in several races, so you will want to be familiar with our Instant Runoff Voting process where you rank your choices. It’s not hard to do, and our elections volunteers and staff are great and helpful, but you might want to become familiar with the Takoma Park system in advance. This election will be special because the Council will have their seats for three years rather than two, it will be the last Takoma Park election in an odd-numbered year, and it will be the Takoma Park election held at the Community Center.
Want to run for Council or serve as an elections worker? Contact City Clerk Jessie Carpenter at JessieC@takomaparkmd.gov or 301-891-7267.
Stormwater Bills That Reflect an Increased Rate Coming Soon – City of Takoma Park stormwater bills will be mailed soon. The amounts will be almost twice as large as in past years due to substantial work needed to our stormwater infrastructure. While the City Council cut the property tax rate for this fiscal year by a very large amount (much more than I proposed in my recommended budget), they did approve my recommendation to increase the stormwater fee. Stormwater fees pay for installing, cleaning and maintaining stormwater drains, inlets, and bio-retention areas, and doing stream restoration projects. The stormwater fee had not kept up with the costs of the program and there seems to be less grant money available now for the work we need to do. The need for doing the stormwater work is particularly critical due to what seems to be the impacts of climate change on our area. We have recently seen flooding in areas that rarely flooded in the past, and, in many areas, flooding is much worse than normal. We not only want to reduce flooding impacts, but we also want to make sure that stormwater runoff is slowed and cleaned before entering creeks, the Anacostia River and the Chesapeake Bay.
Major Construction Projects – Two weeks ago, City officials signed the paperwork borrowing $7 million for Library renovation and $2 million towards the costs of the Ethan Allen Gateway Street Project and the Flower Avenue Green Street Project. Detailed design of the Library Renovation project is beginning and we are looking for a location to store most of our books for the duration. (Know a location that might work? Let us know! The books need to be stored in order and in a way to be able to be retrieved by Library staff.) The final designs of the two big street projects have been approved and a contractor is on board for the Ethan Allen project. Actual construction of the Ethan Allen project will not begin until next spring, but a lot of preliminary work has begun. The Flower Avenue project is getting ready to go out to bid and construction work is also expected to begin in the spring. The work by Washington Gas on the street is nearly complete. Check the Project Directory on our Initiatives Page of our website for information on these and other projects.
Search for a Police Chief – An executive search firm has been retained by the City to begin advertising for and recruiting candidates for the position of Police Chief. Surveys of residents and Police Department staff have been done regarding the desired characteristics of a new chief. The City Council has weighed in with its thoughts as well and adopted Resolution 2017-45 on Goals and Priorities for the Police Department. The role of Police Chief is a difficult one, requiring skill in management, organizational development, budgeting, diplomacy, communication with all kinds of persons and groups, in addition to knowledge of best practices in 21st Century policing and specialized police skills. Takoma Park has an excellent Police Department and they, and we, deserve an excellent Chief. Speaking of our excellent Department, thank you to Captains Bowers, Collington and Frishkorn for handling the rotating Acting Chief responsibilities well. I appreciate your service!
A personal note – Many of you know that my mother, Anne Ludlow, who lived on Carroll Avenue, died a year ago and my husband, Vince Taylor, died of cancer in June. I am very thankful to the City Council and my staff for their support of me in these times, particularly for allowing me time off in my husband’s last weeks. There is something remarkable about being present at these life transitions. Just as with the upcoming solar eclipse, there is a sense of us all being part of a much larger and interconnected universe, seen and unseen. More than ever I appreciate the beauty of life and love and friendship and nature. I see it in Takoma Park and I know it is present around the globe, in all the ways we care for each other and for our world. I am so glad to have had a window into that beauty.
The Takoma Park Police Department and City Manager wish to be clear to our community that we will continue to uphold the safety, dignity and rights of suspects and all others who come into contact with Takoma Park police officers and staff.
Despite recent comments by the President that condone or seem permissive of violent treatment of suspects, the Takoma Park Police Department and City administration do not tolerate the mistreatment of anyone with whom we interact.
We applaud the statements of major law enforcement and justice organizations in affirming policing that focuses on protecting the safety of the public and of all individuals.
Last Wednesday evening, I presented the FY18 Proposed Budget to the City Council for their consideration. The proposed budget is based on the Council Priorities. A good overview of the proposed budget and the Council Priorities is provided in the April Takoma Park Newsletter.
In the proposed budget, I am recommending two separate increases in costs for City property owners to help offset increased costs of services. The first increase is in not reducing the real property tax rate all the way to the “constant yield” rate, and the second is by raising the base Stormwater Management Fee from $55 to $92 per year.
Proposed City Tax Rate
The City’s current tax rate is 56.75 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for tax purposes. The owner of a property that has an assessment value of $400,000 would pay $2,270 in Takoma Park property taxes. I have proposed to lower the rate to 56 cents, but, because property assessments, on average, have increased 6% (last year’s $400,000 property would be valued at about $424,000 this year for tax purposes), the 56 cent rate would result in a tax amount of $2,374 – an increase of $104 over last year.
If the tax rate is lowered to the constant yield amount – 53.58 cents – there would be no increase in property tax revenue for Takoma Park, but $543,000 would need to be cut out of the proposed budget. This amount is almost equal to the small 2.3% increase in operating costs that the City has in providing services.
Sharing the Load and Helping Those Who Need Assistance
A number of budget items help provide financial assistance to those who need it. These items include, but are not limited to, the following:
Continue rent stabilization program to help keep rental units affordable for our residents.
Provide a total of $150,000 in assistance to 146 lower-income homeowners who qualify for the Homestead Tax Credit.
Propose an addition of $300,000 to the City’s new Housing Reserve to be used to further affordable housing initiatives.
Provide generous scholarships for the Recreation Department’s many programs, and many programs in the Recreation Department and the Library are free.
There are many households in Takoma Park with incomes that can easily afford City taxes. We rely on this property tax revenue to further the community’s values by helping provide assistance to others in need. As was noted last Wednesday night, lowering the tax rate to the constant yield rate will not suddenly make housing affordable in Takoma Park. But, having programs for those who need it will help keep Takoma Park the mixed-income, diverse community we value.
Sharing the Load
Also in the “Sharing the Load” category is the proposal to raise the base Stormwater Management Fee from $55 to $92. This user fee is assessed to all property owners, whether they pay property taxes or not, and is used to finance all of the work done to clean and slow rainwater as it makes its way into Sligo Creek, Long Branch, the Anacostia Watershed, and the Chesapeake Bay. We need to increase the fee because the revenue generated is no longer sufficient to pay for the work that is needed to be done.
A jump from $55 to $92 for owners of single-family properties is large. But, because nonprofit and commercial property owners are assessed based on the amount of impervious surface on their properties, nonprofits and commercial property owners pay about ten times the rate of single-family homeowners on average.
Some have suggested that, instead of raising the stormwater fee, we instead supplement the Stormwater Management Budget with City tax revenue. However, that would mean that our community’s nonprofit property owners would not be contributing their fair share to the stormwater remediation that is needed and the City’s property tax rate would need to be increased, or more expenditure cuts made, to get the necessary funds.
If the Stormwater Management Fee were not increased at all, the City’s property tax rate would need to be raised by 1.23 cents to pay for the work that is needed to be done in FY18. That means the 56 cent rate I’ve proposed would need to be 57.23 cents and the Takoma Park tax on that $424,000 property would be $2,427 rather than $2,374 – an increase of $53 rather than the $37 increase in the Stormwater Management Fee.
The two largest accounts of our Stormwater Management Fee are Washington Adventist Hospital and Washington Adventist University. The amount that they pay equals the base fee for about 470 single family homes because of the large amount of impermeable surface they have on their properties, but they pay no property tax. The reason we have a Stormwater Management Fee is because we believe in Sharing the Load proportionally with those that impact the stormwater system, whether or not they are eligible to pay property taxes.
In the next fiscal year, we plan to evaluate various ways of determining how to more equitably spread costs for stormwater remediation, including conducting a survey to determine the proportion of individual properties that have impermeable surface. In general, the more impermeable surface, the more stormwater remediation is required. Under the current system, all households pay the same fee regardless of the proportion of impermeable surface.
Leveraging Funds from Non-City Sources
While half of the City’s budget is paid for by real property taxes, 26% is paid for by intergovernmental sources, primarily from Montgomery County and the State of Maryland.
Police Department. A case in point is the Takoma Park Police Department. Takoma Park tax revenue only pays for 36% of the Police Department budget. Revenue from the County pays for 39.7% and most of the rest comes from State and speed camera revenue.
Flower Avenue Green Street. Where we can, we use City funds to leverage funds from grants and other sources. For the wonderful Flower Avenue Green Street project, $1.2 million of City funds leverages $5.1 million in other funds. This project is remarkably complex, involving federal transportation funds, utility upgrades, County funds and other grant funds. The resulting “green street” will meet environmental and transit goals as well as provide an attractive gateway into Takoma Park. The mere fact that there will be good sidewalks on both sides of the street will be a major accomplishment for the neighborhood, and the low-impact stormwater facilities will be a major environmental improvement in a location built without any stormwater infrastructure. The project has received statewide attention already and will be a project for which I expect national attention once completed.
Your Opinions Count!
The Takoma Park City Council wants to hear from you about the proposed FY18 City Budget. Please let them know what you think. The first Public Hearing on the budget is this Wednesday, April 12 at 7:30 pm. You can also weigh in by email to Clerk@takomaparkmd.gov. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to email me at SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov or call me at 301-891-7229.
I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of sleet on my windows. This morning, there is a crusty snow covering everything, but thankfully it’s not too deep. While the sleet/freezing rain mix kept the snow totals down, it made streets, sidewalks and steps very slippery. Please be careful!
The Federal Government is opening with a three hour delay, and Montgomery County Government and Schools are closed today. City of Takoma Park offices and facilities will open at noon today.Tuesday’s trash, recycling and food waste collections will be delayed until Wednesday. We’ll try to collect both Tuesday and Wednesday’s routes on Wednesday.
There will be some other reductions in services; for example, there will be no Passport services today and a number of children’s and senior programs are canceled when the Montgomery County Public Schools are closed. Please call ahead or check the City’s website for information on particular programs.
Overnight, City crews tried to clear streets but the temperatures and the freezing rain made things difficult. The crews are making better progress on the streets this morning, but the streets remain slippery. Please drive with care! Crews are coming in this morning to clear sidewalks around City facilities.
It is important that you clear your sidewalks today. The new City law requires clearing of the sidewalks by noon when it snows overnight and by 9 pm when it snows during the day. Please clear your sidewalks by 9 pm today. Businesses are to keep their sidewalks clear all day long.
On a practical note, it will be easier to shovel today than tomorrow, because the temperatures will warm a bit this afternoon but there will be a hard freeze tonight.
Winds will be picking up through the day and overnight. Wind, heavy snow and ice may mean power outages. Make sure you have your emergency supplies at hand.
As we go through the next day, please remember to report problems. For emergencies, call 911. For urgent matters, such as a slippery road, call 301-270-1100 so that Police or Public Works staffs can be sent to address the problem.
Please feel free to email me with concerns that aren’t emergencies or urgent matters. Also, please share compliments of staff or stories of great neighbors helping each other. I love to pass along the good news!
For me, I am happy that my son is home from college for Spring Break and can do the shoveling around the house!
It looks like we may be in for a big March snowstorm Monday night!
March snowstorms tend to be heavy and wet. March snow usually melts within a few days, but in the meantime there can be a good deal of headache. Plan now for these possibilities in the event that we see the snow weather that is currently expected:
Facility or road closures – Sign up for Takoma Park Alert! so you can receive emergency messages from the City of Takoma Park. We also send out information via Twitter, Facebook and postings on the City’s web page (https://takomaparkmd.gov).
Power outages – Wind, ice and wet snow on budding trees can cause branches to break and power lines to come down. Make sure you have flashlights, food, medicine etc. for up to three days without power.
Snowplowing – Please move cars off of streets on Monday so that snowplows can clear the roads Monday night. If you must park on the street, please arrange with your neighbors to park on just one side of the street – the even-numbered side if there is a choice – so that clearing to the curb can take place. Cars can then be moved over to the cleared side of the street on Tuesday so that the other side of the street may be plowed.
Shovel your sidewalks – It’s neighborly (and the law) to clear sidewalks of snow by noon after a night of snow or 9 pm after a day of snow. Help others with clearing snow if you can. Make a party of it! The sooner the sidewalks are clear, the faster we will have dry pavement and we can be safe getting to school, work and the grocery store.
If you see a problem, let us know! If it’s an emergency, call 911. If it’s to report an icy road or other condition that needs to be addressed promptly, call our Police office at 301-270-1100 at any time of day or night and they will have Police or Public Works crews respond. If it’s less urgent but you see a problem that needs to be resolved, please feel free to email me at SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov. One way or another, we want to be responsive and provide excellent service.
Takoma Park didn’t have a major summer storm last year and we’ve avoided most winter conditions this winter, so please take a few minutes to remember how to prepare for storms. Talk to your family about what to do in different situations. The Red Cross is a great source for tips and guidance on what to do to plan for winter weather.
Our Public Works crews are eager to show their expertise at snow removal. Your help in preparing for rapid snow clearing will help them do their job.
I keep hoping that getting my snow shovel out of the basement will keep us from a snowstorm in the same way that bringing an umbrella with me to work seems to keep the rain away. However, the weather reports are leaning heavily towards snow.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a blog on City matters and there is plenty to blog about! Change in the federal government and the challenges stemming from the change have been a focus of the Council and staff over the past month and will affect our budget projections for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 18), which begins on July 1. There are many unknowns about how new federal actions might impact the City’s budget. This uncertainty notwithstanding, a City budget must still be prepared and adopted over the next few months.
Before going into budget matters, though, I want to talk about something exciting for Takoma Park…
Takoma Junction Development
The redevelopment of the City’s lot on Carroll Avenue in Takoma Junction is moving to its next step – hearing from the public on what should be on the site and how it should look. It’s your turn to help make this project a success!
The Council’s Takoma Junction Community Consultation Advisory Committee has announced two sets of meetings to gather input and feedback. (There is also the opportunity to share your thoughts online.) At the first set of identical meetings, you will be asked 1) what architecture, materials and massing do you wish to see for the building? and 2) what types of retail uses would you like to see on the site?
These first meetings are this week – Thursday, Feb. 23 from 7 – 9 pm at the Fire Station Meeting Room, 7201 Carroll Avenue and Sunday, Feb. 26 from 3:30-5:30 pm in the Azalea Room of the Community Center, 7500 Maple Avenue. Both meetings will cover the same information, so you only need to attend one of them.
At the second set of identical meetings, you will be asked 1) how will you access the site and what problems do you foresee in moving around and through the site? and 2) what types of improvements are you looking for along the sidewalk, streetscape and in any public area of the site? These meetings are scheduled for Thursday, March 9 from 7-9 pm in the Azalea Room of the Community Center, 7500 Maple Avenue and Sunday, March 12 from 3-5 pm at the Fire Station Meeting Room, 7201 Carroll Avenue. If more input is needed on some or all of the topics being covered, there will be more meetings. All of this information is available on the City’s website at: Takoma Junction Redevelopment.
FY 18 City Budget
Senior staff are compiling expected fixed expenses for the coming year and identifying costs associated with Council priorities identified at the Council’s two retreats in January. My workload from now through March is heavily focused on proposed budget preparation, resulting in the presentation to the Council of the proposed budget on April 5. Once presented, the Council spends the next six weeks hearing from constituents and discussing the budget items in budget work sessions. The budget ordinances are adopted on May 10 and May 17, but the real decision making is done by May 3. Your voice is important. Please take time to review information that will be presented in the April edition of the Newsletter, come to the first ever Budget Open House on the evening of April 6 to ask questions, and communicate with the Council at public hearings and by email in April.
Last week, the City received the 2017 Constant Yield valuation that is prepared by the State. For the City to receive the same amount of real property tax revenue next year as is expected this year, the City’s real property tax rate would need to drop from 56.75 cents per $100 assessed valuation to 53.58 cents. If the tax rate were to stay the same, the City would be expected to receive approximately $711,000 more in FY 18 as in FY 17 (to put that into context, our total budget is about $30 million). I will not know until late March what tax rate I will recommend to the Council. It is a serious challenge to identify the expected ups and downs of all of the revenues and expenses to come to a bottom line that is focused on achieving the Council’s goals. Most of the City’s revenue comes from Takoma Park taxpayers. I deeply respect the need for prudent fiscal management and efficient delivery of services for our residents.
Council Priorities
Every department in the City government is committed to fulfilling the Council Priorities, just updated for the coming year. Whether it is serving Takoma Park residents with a smile no matter their background or age, working with a neighborhood group on plans for a park or sidewalk improvement project, keeping residents safe from crime, developing affordable housing strategies or working on long term economic development initiatives, all City staff are focused on the priorities set by the City Council for the coming year.
The Council’s Priorities are aggressive and our standards are high. However, we have relatively few staff for the number of services we provide and – I sometimes hate to admit this – we are human, so we’re not always perfect. Please let me know if you have recommendations on how we could better meet the Council’s Priorities or do our jobs better. I want to hear from you. Please contact me at SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov or 301-891-7229. If you’d like to make an appointment to meet with me, please contact my Executive Assistant, Peggye Washington, at PeggyeW@takomaparkmd.gov or 301-891-7230.
At last night’s meeting, the Council voted unanimously (7-0) to move forward with the redevelopment of the City lot at Takoma Junction. The vote authorizes the City’s development partner, Neighborhood Development Company (NDC), to proceed with seeking a letter of intent with an anchor tenant other than the Takoma Park-Silver Spring Co-op.
While it was, and still is, the Council’s hope that the Co-op would expand into a newly constructed facility at the site, NDC and the Co-op were not able to reach an agreement within the five-month window permitted by the Development Agreement between the City and NDC. As a result, the Council was faced with the decision to either end the agreement with NDC and pay up to $75,000 for expenses incurred to date in preparation for redevelopment of the site, or to allow the project to move forward without an agreement between NDC and the Co-op, which will allow NDC to seek a different anchor tenant if they are unable to come to agreement with the Co-op. In such case, NDC will be required to make reasonable accommodations to allow the Co-op to continue its operations in its current space.
During its discussion, the Council made it very clear to NDC representatives its hope that, although the deadline had passed, the developer would continue to work with the Co-op to facilitate their incorporation into the new development, and language to that effect was included in the final Council resolution. If they are not able to reach agreement, NDC has 18 months to execute a lease with a new anchor tenant and must make reasonable accommodations for the Co-op’s continued operation of its business, including access for loading of deliveries and customer parking.
As noted by residents during public comments and members of the City Council, it has been a long road getting to this point. But, as the Mayor stated during the meeting, the vote to proceed really represents a new beginning for the project. Much work is ahead to reach a final design of the Takoma Junction project. Most importantly, there is a whole Takoma Park community process ahead, which is being designed by a Council appointed committee, as well as the site plan review process through Montgomery County, which will include a thorough traffic analysis. The Council with input from the community will be weighing many aspects of the site plan, including design, parking, loading, community use space, and safety. As a City-owned property, the Council has final say, within the parameters of the County’s Codes.
One of many goals of the Council regarding the Takoma Junction project is to improve the aesthetic appeal of the commercial district in the interest of revitalization with a development that is contextually sensitive and environmentally sustainable. And, the Council is looking at the long-term needs of the City’s taxpayers by putting a key property back on the tax rolls.
UPDATE: At their December 7 Business Meeting, the Takoma Park City Council voted to allow 30 more days for a Letter of Intent to be negotiated and agreed to by the Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op and the City’s development partner, NDC, regarding the Takoma Junction development. The plans presented by Adrian Washington, NDC’s President, are very exciting and will provide a good base for the community planning discussions to come. It was also wonderful to hear that NDC has signed a Letter of Intent with the Ability Project to provide a second story, 6,000 sq. ft. space in the development for adults with special needs to have a supportive environment in which they can gather and relax. The Ability Project is a great group and it will be nice to have them as a part of our community!
You may wish to watch the presentation by Mr. Washington, through which he elaborates on the content of discussions with the Co-op to date and where things stand regarding current plans and aspirations:
Text from the City Manager’s original message, posted prior to the Council meeting:
The City Council’s last meeting of 2016 will be on Wednesday, December 7. Given the number of emails and calls I’ve seen in the last few days, I would like to share some information that I believe will help address some questions and concerns.
The Council will be taking a vote that is triggered by the fact that the City’s chosen developer (NDC) of the City-owned property in Takoma Junction did not present a Letter of Intent to the City by November 29 that was signed by both NDC and the TPSS Co-op. The Letter of Intent was to be a non-binding agreement on terms and conditions of a future lease agreement, with the TPSS Co-op being the anchor tenant of a redeveloped property.
The Council, per its Development Agreement with NDC, will vote on one of these three options:
Provide NDC with an additional 30 days to negotiate the Letter of Intent with the TPSS Co-op
Require NDC to begin seeking another anchor tenant for the project and provide reasonable accommodation to the Co-op for the continued operation of its business in its existing location, or
Terminate the Agreement and pay NDC an amount up to $75,000 for reasonable, out of pocket costs that the firm has incurred to date. In the event this option is taken, NDC is required to transfer its work products (traffic studies, etc.) to the City.
The emails I’ve seen raise many questions about the development process and many express concern about the potential impact on the TPSS Co-op’s operations and future.
One issue that has been raised is where, exactly, the Co-op will be located. There are two choices: the Co-op may remain in the building it is in and expand or not, or the Co-op could opt for relocating into a brand new building on the site of the City’s current surface parking lot. NDC has presented concept designs for either option. Moving into a new building adjacent to its current building has advantages in terms of the Co-op’s continuity of operations and the opportunity to occupy a space optimized for grocery use. However, the Co-op may not wish to pursue that option.
To be clear: NDC remains open to an arrangement where the Co-op is the anchor tenant AND retains their current space, while also addressing the Council’s overarching goals.
Other emails I’ve seen have asked about traffic studies and whether or not the State Highway Administration would allow a “lay-by” design for large trucks to unload in front of the Co-op. While NDC’s traffic consultant has been active in the development of options, a real traffic study does not come until later when more information is known about a proposed site plan and potential uses. At the Mayor’s request, City staff independently followed up with SHA and they have indicated that they have no objections to such a design in concept.
The goals of the City Council regarding the Takoma Junction development project remain: improve the aesthetic appeal of the commercial district and be contextually sensitive and environmentally sustainable. The Council has repeatedly expressed its concern for the well-being of the Co-op, particularly its need for continuity of operations. And, the Council is looking at the long term needs of the City’s taxpayers, by putting a key property back on the tax rolls.
The final design of the Takoma Junction project is a long way off – there is a whole Takoma Park community process ahead, as well as the site plan review process through Montgomery County. The Council will be weighing many aspects of the site plan, including design, parking, loading, community use space, and safety. As a City-owned property, the Council has final say, within the parameters of the County’s Codes.
Residents are welcome to weigh in now and in the months ahead. I’m looking forward to seeing the process unfold!
