Category Archives: News

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News, News Alert, Public Notices

Budget Public Hearings – Monday, May 1, 2023 (including Constant Yield Tax Rate Public Hearing)

The City Council will hold two public hearings on Monday, May 1, beginning at 7:30 pm.

A. Public Hearing on the FY 2024 Tax Rate Increase

CITY OF TAKOMA PARK NOTICE
OF A PROPOSED
REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

The City Council of the City of Takoma Park proposes to increase real property taxes.

1. For the tax year beginning July 1, 2023, the estimated real property assessable base will increase by 4.1%, from $2,688,034,783 to $2,798,767,009.
2. If the City of Takoma Park maintains the current tax rate of $0.5397 per $100 of assessment, real property tax revenues will increase by 4.1% resulting in $597,622 of new real property tax revenues.
3. In order to fully offset the effect of increasing assessments, the real property tax rate should be reduced to $0.5183, the constant yield tax rate.
4. The City is considering not reducing its real property tax rate enough to fully offset increasing assessments. The City proposes to adopt a real property tax rate of $0.5705 per $100 of assessment. This tax rate is 10.1% higher than the constant yield tax rate and will generate $1,459,642 in additional property tax revenues.

A public hearing on the proposed real property tax rate increase will be held at 7:30 pm on Monday, May 1, 2023 at the City of Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland.

The hearing is open to the public, and public testimony is encouraged.

Persons with questions regarding this hearing may call 301-891-7267 for further information.

B.  Notice of Public Hearing on the FY 2024 Budget

The City Council will hold a public hearing on the FY 2024 budget on Monday, May 1, immediately following the Constant Yield Tax Rate Public Hearing.

C. How to Testify

Testify in person. Advanced sign up is not required, but feel free to sign up on the sheet when you arrive at the Auditorium. People who sign up will be called before others.

Testify over Zoom. To testify over Zoom, advanced registration is required before 5 pm on the day of the meeting. Register to testify over Zoom.

Send written comments.  Send written comments to the City Clerk (clerk@takomaparkmd.gov). Written comments received will be distributed to the City Council and will be added to the record.

Questions? Call the City Clerk at 301-891-7267 or email clerk@takomaparkmd.gov.

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. 

Arts & Humanities, News, News Alert

Shorts Night Film Screening Featuring Local Youth on April 28

SHORTS NIGHT FILM SCREENING

Friday, April 28 at 7:30 pm

Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium

7500 Maple Avenue

Free Admission

Don’t miss our latest and greatest Shorts Night in the Takoma Park Arts series to see five original short films by D.C.-area filmmakers, including dramas, a documentary, modern dance, and a homegrown feature starring Takoma Park youth. This will be the worldwide premiere for some of the films, and the directors will share their insights in a Q&A with the audience.

The featured films include:

Hugo’s Big Fix by Alice Weiss and Mike Kepka

Based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, this film owes its life to a burst of creativity during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with having to cancel their local Halloween play, Takoma Park Middle School students and parents made a short film from start to finish in just one week!

The film tells the magical story of Hugo Cabret, a street urchin who lives in the clock tower at the Gare du Nord train station and finds mischief and adventure with his friend Isabelle in the streets of Paris.

Alice Weiss is a health policy attorney who co-wrote and filmed the play with her daughter Dalia Badt and husband Steve Badt. Mike Kepka is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and father of June Kepka who acted in the film. He served as cinematographer and helped direct, edit, and score the film.

Requiem Today by Olga Aru

This one-act ballet film breaks through the barriers of prejudice and reflects upon the courageous nature of humankind. Expressive and bold, the performance offers a glimpse of hope and unity, as well as a gender-neutral approach in dance partnering. Some film chapters are dedicated to the BLM movement, mental health awareness,  and LGBTQIA+ acceptance.

Olga Aru is a Ukrainian-born American director, actress, writer, and choreographer. She is the founder and artistic director of the Aru Dell’Arte modern dance company, and she screened an earlier film at our Shorts Night in 2021.

The World We Wanted by Richard Hall

In the 1950s and ‘60s, 30 bright teens from around the globe gathered each year to learn about America and discuss social issues in a TV program for the New York Herald Tribune World Youth Forum. Now more than 60 years later, Richard Hall and historian Catherine Bishop have reunited some students from the 1959 forum to see how their perspectives on world issues have changed over the years.

Richard Hall is an independent filmmaker specializing in educational films on history and politics. An archival film enthusiast, he presents the popular Vintage Movie Nights in the Takoma Park Arts series.

Memories by Sarah Molot

In a bittersweet drama, Olly hasn’t seen Mara in a long time but they reunite to spend time together as if they were still kids. If only it wasn’t the last time.

Sarah Molot is a film student at the University of Maryland and a video editor who will be interning with NBC this year.

Main Character by Lexi Christie

A melancholy college student fears she is losing her best friend when her roommate moves away to start a new life with a boyfriend. Through a weekend with her mother and a series of daydreams in different film genres, Sadie wrestles with feelings of loss and envy and what it means to be the “main character” of her own life.

Lexi Christie is a writer, filmmaker, and recent graduate of the University of Virginia where she studied drama and media studies.

The City of Takoma Park’s Takoma Park Arts series includes free film screenings, poetry readings, art exhibitions, concerts, theater, and other events at the Takoma Park Community Center. Please go to takomaparkmd.gov/arts for more info and to sign up for our e-newsletter.

News, Public Notices

Don’t miss a chance to weigh-in on the Minor Master Plan – Tuesday, April 18 in the Auditorium at 6:30pm

 

From Visioning to Refining:  Montgomery Planning to Release Minor Master Plan Draft

The Takoma Park Minor Master Plan team is presenting their Preliminary Recommendations to the Takoma Park City Council on April 10 and the Montgomery County Planning Board on April 20. These recommendations will incorporate the results of our community engagement efforts, including the Visioning Workshop held last October.

Visit the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment’s webpage to learn more information about the plan.

Location: Takoma Park Community Center
Auditorium
7500 Maple Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912

Date: Tuesday, April 18
Time: 6:30 pm

Register for the meeting at
https://bit.ly/MinorMasterPlanMeeting

You are invited to attend a community meeting on April 18 at 6:30 pm at the City Auditorium, where you will have an opportunity to weigh in on the recommendations and provide feedback. If you are unable to attend in person, you can also register to participate virtually.

If you missed an earlier opportunity to speak with us or are unable to attend the community meeting, you can still reach out to us directly to share your thoughts at: TakomaParkMMA@montgomeryplanning.org.

News, News Alert, Public Notices

Refuse and Recycling Regulations Proposed – Opportunity to Review and Comment

An Administrative Regulation is being proposed to provide guidance for compliance and enforcement of Title 10 (Refuse) of the Takoma Park Code as Authorized Under Takoma Park Code Sections 10.04.030 and 10.08.050. The regulation addresses refuse and recycling requirements and mandatory notices, collection of single-family residential refuse and recyclables, City collection of refuse and recyclables from certain multifamily facilities and the fees associated with the collection, multifamily facilities with a private collection, and business recycling.

Pursuant to the requirements of the “Administrative Regulations Ordinance” (Authority: Chapter 2.12 “Administrative Regulations,” of the Takoma Park Code), a notice of the City’s intention to adopt an administrative regulation must be publicly noted, allowing residents the opportunity to comment on the proposal.

The proposed regulation is available for review at www.takomaparkmd.gov.

To obtain further information about the proposed regulation, contact:

Daryl Braithwaite, Director
Public Works Department
301-891-7615 or by email.

Written comments on the proposed regulation may be emailed to the City Clerk. The deadline for receipt of public comments is Friday, April 28, 2023.

Review the Proposed Regulation (PDF)

Arts & Humanities, News, News Alert

Celebrating National Poetry Month Poetry Reading on April 20

CELEBRATING NATIONAL POETRY MONTH POETRY READING

FREE EVENT

April 20 at 7:30 pm 

Takoma Park Community Center

7500 Maple Avenue 

In celebration of National Poetry Month, please join us for our next Takoma Park Arts poetry reading where four local poets will share their diverse range of work. The featured poets include David Dayton, Amy Eisner, E. Laura Golberg, and Bonnie Naradzay.
David Dayton specialized in technical and business writing for 30 years. After retiring in 2019, he revived an earlier career devoted to creative writing. Copper Beech Press published his first poetry book, The Lost Body of Childhood, which is available for free online at Google Books. A second poetry collection and a novel will be published soon on amazon.com.
Amy Eisner teaches creative writing at the Maryland Institute College of Art, helping students develop as poets and integrate writing into their art practices. Her poetry has appeared in Fence, The Journal, Nimrod, Reed, Sugar House Review, and other journals. She has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize.
E. Laura Golberg emigrated to America from England in 1969, and she has lived in D.C. since 1972. Her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net Prize, and her work has appeared in Barrow Street, Rattle, Poet Lore, and other publications. She won first place in the Larry Neal Poetry Competition in D.C.
Bonnie Naradzay’s poems have appeared in AGNI, New Letters, Tampa Review, Florida Review, Crab Creek Review, and other publications. She was awarded the New Orleans MFA program’s poetry prize in 2010 with a month’s stay in the castle of Ezra Pound’s daughter, Mary. She has led poetry sessions at homeless shelters and a retirement center in D.C.
This poetry reading is part of the Takoma Park Arts series organized by the City’s Arts and Humanities Division. The series includes free art exhibitions, film screenings, poetry readings, concerts, theater, and dance performances at the Takoma Park Community Center. Please go to takomaparkmd.gov/arts for more info and to sign up for our e-newsletter.
News, Public Notices

Good Sportsmanship Month – Meet the Author Event

In celebration of Good Sportsmanship Month, and in a partnership with Takoma Park MD Library, the Recreation Department is having a Meet the Author event at the Takoma Park Community Center this Sunday, March 26 at 3pm. Everyone is invited to meet Author, former Collegiate Athlete and Recreation Professional Al “Hondo” Handy. He will discuss his journey from being part of integrating Stephen Decatur High School in Berlin, MD, to his experiences with collegiate sports and in the recreation profession. There will be an interview with Mr. Handy followed by a book signing and copies of “Defying Expectations” for sale.

 

The event is this Sunday, March 26 starting at 3pm in the auditorium.

 

Meet the Author event – Sunday March 26 3pm at the Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium
Arts & Humanities, News, News Alert

TRANSFORMATIONS Art Exhibition Opening Reception on March 23

 

TRANSFORMATIONS Art Opening Reception 

Thursday, March 23 at 7:30 pm 

Takoma Park Community Center

7500 Maple Avenue 

The origin of paper winds through history and across centuries from papyrus in ancient Egypt to pulp-based paper from the Han dynasty in China to the invention of photographic paper in the early 19th century.

Artists have transformed this common material into new worlds of invention and creativity. Three artists will share their paper-based work in the TRANSFORMATIONS exhibition at the Takoma Park Community Center with an opening reception at 7:30 pm on March 23. The featured artists include Beth Caruso, Landry Dunand, and Randall Williams.

Beth Caruso’s work often depicts aspects of the self and the body in relation to nature. In her Inner Life series, she photographs subjects and scenes and then uses digital tools to transform them into mirrored, kaleidoscopic imagery.

“This series stems from a vivid interplay of intellect and emotion, combined with the workings of my conscious and subconscious,” she said. “In this light, the work can be viewed as a dialogue between the inner life of the artist and her surroundings, reflecting a desire to reorder the elements of the external world.”

Landry Dunand is a photographer who is exploring the image as an experience in which the artist and subject connect through the photographic process. A native of France, he has traveled extensively, living in Thailand and Afghanistan before moving to Takoma Park. He is focusing his work now on tintype portraits and mixed-media interpretations of his photos.

“Ultimately, my hope is that my images will invite viewers to engage with the world in a new way,” he said. “By highlighting the tactile, gritty qualities of my subjects, I aim to create a visceral experience that transcends the boundaries of the photograph and connects the viewer with the world beyond.”

Finding inspiration in nature, literature, and the arts, Randall Williams cuts paper to create highly detailed colorful artwork. He is president of the Guild of American Papercutters, an organization dedicated to preserving and advancing papercutting as an art form.

“I use hand-cut paper combined with acrylic paints and inks to create layered, expressive images that explore form and color,” he said. “I attempt to create pieces with movement and depth. Papercutting is a meditative art form – as it does not pay to move recklessly when wielding a sharp blade – that brings me a sense of calm.”

This exhibition, which will be on view until June 7, was curated by the City of Takoma Park’s Arts and Humanities Coordinator Brendan Smith. The Takoma Park Arts series includes free art exhibitions, poetry readings, film screenings, concerts, and theater at the Takoma Park Community Center. Please go to takomaparkmd.gov/arts for more info and to sign up for our e-newsletter.

Arts & Humanities, News, News Alert

Weaving Words/Bordando Palabras Poetry Reading on March 9

Weaving Words/Bordando Palabras Poetry Reading

Thursday, March 9 at 7:30 pm 

Takoma Park Community Center 

7500 Maple Avenue 

In a free Takoma Park Arts event, four bilingual poets will share their poetry in English and Spanish which transcends borders and unites diverse cultures across political and geographical divides. The featured poets include Rosie Prohías Driscoll, david alberto fernández, David Lott, and Jorge Fernando Sodero.

Rosie Prohías Driscoll is a Cuban-American educator and poet. The daughter of Cuban exiles, she writes about identity and exile, loss and renewal, grief and grace. Her poems have appeared in many journals, and her debut full-length collection Poised for Flight was published last year. She lives in Alexandria and teaches English at Bishop Ireton High School.

david alberto fernández is a local poet born in south Florida whose work has been published in the United States and abroad for more than two decades. His latest poetry will appear in the March 2023 issues of Beltway Poetry Quarterly and The Sligo Journal.

David Lott is an associate editor of Potomac Review and poetry editor of The Sligo Journal, both supported by Montgomery College, where he has taught language and literature since 1992. His poetry has appeared or will be forthcoming in Beltway Quarterly Review, Train River, and his bilingual collection New to Guayama.

Jorge Fernando Sodero was born in Argentina and completed medical studies at the National University of Cordoba before moving to the D.C. area. He began writing poetry after a unique experience of solitude in Antarctica. His poetry has been published in two anthologies, and he participates in poetry readings and cultural activities of the local Latin American community.

This event is part of the Takoma Park Arts series organized by the City of Takoma Park’s Arts and Humanities Division. The series includes free art exhibitions, film screenings, poetry readings, concerts, theater, and dance performances at the Takoma Park Community Center. Please go to takomaparkmd.gov/arts for more info and to sign up for our e-newsletter.