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.
Chief Alan Goldberg, Takoma Park Police Department
I know that some of our residents have expressed angst over the recent political events. Like any other change in administration, there are unknowns. There have been concerns raised as to how the Takoma Park Police Department might change focus under the new President.
Unlike many of our European counterparts, the responsibility for protecting and serving the public is a local and state responsibility. State, county and municipal agencies do not work for the federal government. Our Constitution specifically prohibits a “National Police Force.” American law enforcement has always focused at the community level.
The Takoma Park Police Department is committed to Constitutional Policing where the rights of all individuals are respected. As a local police department, we have sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States, the Maryland Constitution and the local laws and codes. Our priority is and always has been the preservation of life and protection of property. To that end, I can assure our residents that we are apolitical and will continue to build and maintain our bridges with the community. Procedural Justice is a term used that speaks to law enforcement’s commitment to the spirit of the law, not just the letter. How we interact with our community is just as important as the act itself.
I know that there are specific concerns from some that fear that local police agencies will become an enforcement arm for the deportation of immigrants. Several years ago, the court in Maryland ruled that local law enforcement did not have the authority to arrest individuals for “civil ICE warrants.” We have no interest or authority in the deportation of immigrants. The mission and commitment of the Takoma Park Police Department is the safety and welfare of all our residents and visitors. We value and will continue to maintain our relationships with all members of our community.
The men and women of the Takoma Park Police Department are proud to partner with the residents of Takoma Park in building and maintaining a safe and livable community. The message of unity in the community that we have been celebrating will continue.
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.
We have great news here at City TV! Starting today, Friday, September 30th, Montgomery County’s public, education, and government TV channels are High Definition.
If you subscribe to RCN or Comcast, you’re now able to watch new HD services featuring local news, education, and entertainment programming from your local Montgomery County channels.
City TV, Rockville 11, and Montgomery Municipal Cable are sharing the new channels, and these channels form the Municipal Broadcast Network. The high definition (HD) channels are RCN 1057 and Comcast 997.
Takoma Park City TV will continue to broadcast 24/7 in standard definition (SD) on channel 13 on RCN and Comcast.
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!
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.
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.
As the City of Takoma Park’s Construction Manager, I oversee or coordinate work on a number of construction projects. Part of my job is to be the City’s representative to the State Highway Administration’s (SHA) Carroll Avenue Bridge reconstruction project.
The Carroll Avenue Bridge will close on the morning of Monday, July 25 and remain closed for a period of 1 to 1 ½ years, so that the bridge deck and many components can be replaced. A pedestrian bridge has been built and is now open, allowing pedestrians and bicyclists to cross Sligo Creek during construction.
I attend weekly project team meetings, gaining vital information regarding progress or setbacks, while providing community feedback to the contractor or SHA. More importantly, I pass information back to the various City departments as needed. As the bridge closure date is less than seven days away, a team of City staff is reviewing how to make sure information is communicated to the public and identifying places where police officers can help facilitate use of the correct detour routes. Construction always brings unforeseen challenges, it is how a group responds to those challenges that defines success. On that note, please be proactive in preparing for this undertaking.
Plan Ahead & Stay Informed
Please plan now for changing your routes around the area. The planned detour route is expected to be congested for the first several weeks as commuters get used to the new traffic pattern. Washington Adventist Hospital will remain open during the construction. We have information on our website that we will keep up to date.
Go to the Carroll Avenue Bridge Construction page to learn about the detour routes. Also on the site are links to the State Highway webpage for the project and to the Ride-On website for information on changes to bus routes and bus stops.
If, during the construction, you see a dangerous situation as a result of the bridge detour, contact the Takoma Park Police Department at 301-270-1100. The dispatchers can send officers to the scene and can contact project staff. If you have other comments or complaints about project elements that aren’t immediately dangerous, contact SHA’s District 3 Community Liaison, Christopher Bishop, at cbishop@sha.state.md.us.
This is a big project and it will be disruptive. Please know that I am a resource for residents, the contractor and State Highway Administration. I am happy to answer questions and educate about the project. I hope my role will help smooth the disruptions a bit while the Carroll Avenue Bridge is renovated.
Before I address two major projects being discussed this month by the Takoma Park City Council, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the deep sadness I feel and that is felt across this community and country about the deaths that have occurred over the past few weeks. Peace and togetherness and community take work on the part of everyone. I am committed, and I am asking all City staff to be equally committed, to be the best we can be to help build our community with you.
Thank you to the many people who have sent flowers and thank you notes and given hugs to our police officers after the shootings in Dallas. And thanks to our youth organizations, Councilmembers, officers and others who are working to help improve our Police Department’s interactions with the residents. All residents and City staff play a part in building and maintaining a safe community where every person can thrive. Takoma Park is well ahead of many places in this effort, but there is much more to do. Let’s work at it together. Please contact me with suggestions, ideas, criticisms, or comments on what we do well and where you think we can improve. I welcome your collaboration as we move towards a better community and nation.
We are at very early stages in both projects with a great deal of community participation and process, and many decisions, yet to take place. Nevertheless, both are at places for the Council to weigh in and make sure we are on the right path.
Takoma Junction
At the Council meeting on Wednesday, July 13, staff will present an overview of the draft Development Agreement and Ground Lease between the City and Neighborhood Development Company (NDC) regarding the redevelopment of the City-owned parking lot on Carroll Avenue at Takoma Junction. The goal of the project, as set by the City Council in Resolution 2015-19, is to have a project that “would act as a stimulus to the commercial district and locally-owned, independent businesses, improve the aesthetic appeal of the district, and be contextually sensitive and environmentally sustainable.”
While the Council chose NDC in April 2015 to be the developer for the project, a contract with them is not in place. This draft Development Agreement is the contract that formalizes the working relationship between the City and NDC moving forward. More than that, the draft Agreement describes how community residents will be engaged in the development of the process used to determine elements of the project, the steps to be taken to develop and finalize the site plan and expectations of what the site plan will include, and the expectations regarding negotiations with the Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op, the adjacent grocery store that is envisioned to be the anchor tenant in the project. The City will continue to own the land once the project is built, and will receive rent payments in addition to tax revenue over the course of the lease.
After the overview presentation on July 13, there will be an Open House on Monday, July 18 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM in the Community Room of the Takoma Park Fire Station. This is an opportunity to ask your questions and provide comments about the project and the Development Agreement. On July 20 at 7:30 PM, there will be time near the beginning of the City Council meeting for additional public comments on the Agreement. Then, on July 27, the City Council will consider a resolution authorizing me to execute the Agreement. Also on July 27, appointments will be made to the Community Consultation Process Advisory Committee for the Takoma Junction Redevelopment. This committee will help ensure that community engagement and information sharing takes place effectively in developing the elements of the project.
I think you’ll find the information on the website helpful. Legal documents aren’t the easiest reading, so the Question and Answer sheet may be a good document to review.
Library Renovation
As with the Takoma Junction project, we have for years contemplated improvements to our beloved, but aging, Library. Background on the desires of the community, as gathered through a visioning process and series of meetings, is on the Library Renovation project page.
A concept design for a renovated Library was presented to the City Council in December 2015, and was generally liked, but Councilmembers had a couple of suggestions after a walk-through with the architect. In particular, there was interest in a larger Young Adults section, a clear emphasis on books, more lounge-type space, and the opportunity to be a little larger by building over a section of the lower level police parking area (between the Community Center and Library) and expanding a bit in one section of the Philadelphia Avenue frontage. Several Councilmembers wanted the façade design to be more attractive.
As a result of these comments, architect Greg Lukmire has developed a revised design with two interior layout options. His team also created a computer-generated walkthrough of the earlier concept to give folks a sense of the possible layout of the inside of the space. We don’t have revised cost estimates yet, but should have them soon. Mr. Lukmire will present the new concept designs at the July 13 City Council meeting. I have asked the Council to consider a resolution on July 27 giving direction to staff on how to proceed with the project.
There still needs to be community input and discussions. Design-related comments can be put on the survey form on the website’s Library Renovation project page. When we receive cost estimates, those can be the subject of community discussion as well. I would like to get a sense from the Council about how it wishes to proceed before they go on recess, if possible, because tying down the costs, timing and detailed work on the design will be needed if we are to apply for and lobby for a grant from the State (a “bond bill”) to help pay for the project. We also need the information because we will need to borrow money (bond for) the City’s cost of the project, and the information on bonding will be needed to be considered by Council as well.
Decisions on whether or not the City will proceed with the project would need to come in the winter or spring and would be part of the Council’s FY 2018 budget process. If we are able to focus on one of the concept designs this summer, we can get the more detailed cost and timing information the Council needs to make a decision about whether or not to proceed to final design and construction.
Review & Comment on the Projects
Please take some time to review the information on both projects on the City’s website. You may wish to attend the July 13 Council meeting, or you may choose to watch City TV on cable channels 13 or 28 or via City TV’s pages on this website (both live and archived.) Action by the Council on the items is scheduled for July 27.
After the Council’s meeting on July 27, they will be on a much-needed recess for the month of August. I hope they, and you, have a safe and enjoyable summer!
Photo of the Takoma Junction which has been the focus of community efforts on improving the area.
From Rosalind Grigsby, Community Development Manager in the Housing and Community Development Department
Redevelopment is coming to the Takoma Junction, in the form of renovation of the City-owned parking lot on Carroll Avenue next to the Takoma Park Silver Spring Co-op. A year ago, the City Council selected Neighborhood Development Company (NDC) to redevelop the lot with a mixed-use building, public space, environmentally-sustainable features and green space. The developer selection launched the next stage in the process. With a list of the Council’s priorities in hand, NDC is scoping out the technical requirements, initiating design work, developing the community input opportunities needed to bring the project to fruition, and working with the TPSS Co-op.
For decades the Takoma Junction has been the focus of community efforts, with committees, traffic studies, commercial revitalization plans and market analyses all focusing on improving the area. In 1995, the City purchased the 53,000 square foot parcel located at the intersection of Carroll Avenue and Philadelphia/Ethan Allen Avenues, with the intention of stabilizing this small, historic commercial district and facilitating the redevelopment of the area. After the rebuilding and expansion of the fire station and allocation of part of the space for the lower parking lot at the station, the City reconsidered the use of the property.
The site itself presents challenges which must be understood and managed before a detailed design can be developed. The site, a former dump, requires environmental clean-up and attention to stability of the slope. The green space on Columbia Avenue must be maintained and improved. Existing and predicted traffic patterns and parking needs must be analyzed and addressed, along with the market demand for the commercial space in the project.
To facilitate community input and feedback at critical stages of the development project, NDC has proposed a Council-appointed committee called the Community Consultation Process Advisory Committee. The committee’s efforts will focus on creating, in conjunction with NDC, the process needed to guide community participation on specific aspects of the development project. The committee will not be responsible for making substantive decisions or providing specific recommendations to the Council about the design, layout, or use of the planned development. Council discussed the proposal for this committee at the Council meeting on April 27th and expects to vote on the resolution and committee appointments in July.
Meanwhile, the City and NDC are negotiating a Development Agreement to hammer out details of the partnership; and NDC and TPSS Co-op are working on a separate agreement between themselves regarding the development. At this stage, the negotiations are largely happening between the attorneys, as the involved members work to find common ground and acceptable steps forward.
Once the Development Agreement is executed, the next steps in the process will involve NDC working with M-NCPPC on site plan approval and community engagement in specific parts of the design. Because of the extent of the preliminary work required, it may be two years before there is a shovel in the ground. The visible work – when heavy equipment comes in and the property becomes a construction site – is the culmination of a long process of research, design, planning and outreach. That work, invisible to the eye, is well underway and moving forward now.
As we near the end of this miserable, moist month of May, the sun is finally shining and we can get out and play and then…do some outdoors spring cleaning!
On my walk in to work today, I saw several properties that needed mowing, and I saw trash and standing water along the sidewalks. Please take some time this week to do the following:
Pick up litter on and around your property
Look for standing water where mosquitos may breed (gutters, flower pots, toys and furniture outside, etc) and dump out the water; this can be a great scavenger hunt for kids – see the list of places to check on Emergency Manager Ron Hardy’s blog post about mosquitos and the Zika virus.
Mow grass, cut back overgrown bushes, and cut vines growing up trees
We’ll get Takoma Park’s spring cleaning done just in time for summer!
As the school year ends and young people clean out their school lockers, please consider recycling school supplies in good shape by dropping them in bins available in June in the Takoma Park Community Center so that they can be given to others for use next fall. We’ll have the bins available for several weeks, including during the Community Conversation on Youth Success, to be held Saturday, June 18 from 12:30 to 4:00 PM.
My spring cleaning involves clearing my office of all of the budget preparation materials I no longer need. Budget preparation is a major activity of my office and department directors between January and May each year. I want to thank my staff for their good work on preparing the budget for Council consideration. We were helped by the Council setting priorities in February, giving strong direction for budget recommendations and for structuring the Council’s discussions. The Mayor’s blog on Dollars and Cents gives a good overview of the Council’s decisions for a final Adopted Budget.
As always, please feel free to contact me if you have a question, suggestion or complaint, or if you would like me to come to a community organization meeting. I learn so much about our wonderful community with each interaction.
