After years of conversations and planning, the Takoma Park Maryland Library and Community Center renovation project has begun. Note that the Community Center back parking lot is now closed. City Planning anticipates welcoming the community to the new Library and Computer Center facilities in spring 2025.

In the meantime, the Library and Computer Center have relocated to ensure that access to our books, media, and computers will be available throughout this project. We will also continue to offer Books-to-Go curbside pickup at the new location and Books-to-You deliveries to Takoma Park residents.

During renovation, visit the temporary library facility at 7505 New Hampshire Ave. You can contact the library at newlibrary@takomaparkmd.gov or 301- 891-7259.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I go for updates?
Please sign up for the City’s Takoma Insider electronic newsletter or check the City’s website: takomaparkmd.gov/newlibrary.

Will books and computers still be available?
Yes. Please visit, call, or email the Library and Computer Center. We are also still ordering new books. If you would like to search our catalog, visit takomapark.info.

Where will Library programs be held?
Library programs will primarily be held at the interim location at 7505 New Hampshire Ave., but please call or visit our website to verify. Other departments may relocate programs and activities as necessary; please contact those departments for more information.

Will Recreation programs and facilities reservations be available?
A portion of Recreation programs have been temporarily moved to the Takoma Park Recreation Center (7315 New Hampshire Ave.), and we plan to keep a portion (including childcare) on-site at 7500 Maple Ave. during the renovation. Most rentals at the Takoma Park Community Center have been discontinued due to limited parking.
Please contact the Recreation Department at 301-891-7290 for availability.

Will the Takoma Park Police Department be impacted?
The Takoma Park Police Department will remain open throughout this process. It is open 24/7 for emergency services. If you have an emergency, please call 911 for the fastest response.

Will residents be able to access other Community Center services throughout construction?

Passports, Finance, Housing and Community Development, and other City offices will remain open and accessible to residents for the majority of construction. Occasionally, there may be brief periods of closures for utility work. Please consider calling or visiting the City’s website to ensure that the office you intend to visit is open or to make an appointment.

Will parking be impacted?
Parking at the Community Center will be limited. Please consider walking or taking public transportation to the Community Center when possible. See the below map.

Will the City be communicating with the schools?
Yes. We will be communicating regularly with nearby schools, and we will work with them to minimize the impact on dropping off and picking up students. More information will be available through the schools and on our website.

What changes can we expect to see in the near future?
When work begins, there are four trees that must be removed; we will attempt to repurpose these trees as furniture in the new building if the wood is found to be in suitable condition. Three trees are maple oaks, and one is a spruce. The plaque commemorating the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial tree will be preserved and reinstalled on the grounds once construction is completed. Once the trees have been removed, the Library building will be razed and rebuilt. Other work will be taking place inside the facilities.

What work has already been completed?
Several tasks have already been completed, including the removal and storage of solar panels, disconnection of gas and water utilities at the construction site, hazardous material abatement, and interior demolition. The mosaic from the front of the library has been carefully removed and stored to ensure its preservation until it can be reinstalled on the new building’s façade.

We are excited to offer you new and improved facilities when we reopen in 2025. Thank you for your patience while we are
in transition to serve you better.

On September 14, the Montgomery County Planning Board held a public hearing on the draft Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment (MMPA), providing an opportunity for Takoma Park residents to comment on the plan. Montgomery Planning—the Montgomery County division of the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission (M-NPPC)—will consider those comments, along with comments submitted in written form as it develops the next draft of the Minor Master Plan Amendment. The Takoma Park City Council passed a resolution on September 13 that provides some guidance to Montgomery Planning as it addresses community concerns and questions through a series of work sessions this fall.

The Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment re-envisions the Washington Adventist Hospital and University campuses, the Erie Center, and the area along Maple Avenue. The Public Hearing Draft recommends mixed use zoning (commercial and residential) in the plan area, updates zoning along Maple Avenue for uniformity and conformity, and rezones the site of the former Washington Adventist Hospital so that it can be developed for housing and
commercial uses. The plan is meant to address the need for improved infrastructure, varied housing types, and additional public amenities such as parks and open space in a walkable and bikeable milieu.

Comments at the hearing began with remarks by Takoma Park Mayor Talisha Searcy, highlighting feedback included in Resolution 2023-33, which was shared separately with the Planning Board. The resolution requests that “the Montgomery County Planning Board ensures that the MMPA addresses seven priorities:

• incentivizing the creation of a range of housing types,

• retaining and improving existing affordable housing,

• retaining existing and attracting new local businesses,

• creating new public space opportunities,

• strengthening social and environmental factors,

• continuing community engagement throughout the planning review process, and

• assessing the impact of increasing residential units and retail on the provision of public services in the plan area.”

In the resolution, the City Council further “requires that the Montgomery County Planning Board holds work sessions that critically examine the following topics during development of the Planning Board Draft Plan”:

• Potential Redevelopment of the Washington Adventist Site and the Flower Avenue District

• Promoting a Diversity of Housing in the Plan Area

• Public Space, Infrastructure, and Amenities within the MMPA

• Protecting Existing Housing Affordability in the MMPA

Under each topic area, the City Council lists critical questions for Montgomery Planning to examine, such as “What is the impact of the density proposed in the Plan on access to and provision of public space, infrastructure, recreational facilities, school capacity, roads, public utilities, and healthcare?” To read the full resolution, including these notes, visit the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan webpage. On that page, you will find a link to the public hearing video, information about the MMPA, and a link to Resolution 2023-33.

After Mayor Searcy spoke at the September 14 hearing, residents provided their feedback, identifying potential issues and commenting on specific aspects of the plan. Some commenters stated concerns regarding such topics as scale, affordable housing, racial equity, and environmental impacts. Others expressed their approval of the goals of the plan and/or identified details of the plan that they favored. Residents also asked for greater clarity about how some aspects of the plan would be implemented. The hearing lasted approximately three hours and can be viewed on the City of Takoma Park’s YouTube page.

Montgomery Planning Board work sessions are scheduled to begin October 19 to incorporate public comments and review and revise the draft plan. The City Council has the opportunity to provide additional feedback to the Planning Board. The Takoma Park City Council may review the Planning Board changes and provide
resolutions to the Planning Board as part of its review and approval process and to the County Council when it undertakes its review. The community may continue to provide feedback on the draft plan to the Montgomery County Council during its public review process. The County Council has final approval of the plan.

You can find more information about the proposed Minor Master Plan Amendment on theTakoma Park Minor Master Plan webpage. and Montgomery Planning website.  Updates will appear on the City website and in the Newsletter.

November marks the 30th anniversary of the first non-U.S. residents voting in Takoma Park.

The landmark initiative first passed by the Takoma Park City Council in 1992 gave immigrants—regardless of their legal status—the right to vote in municipal elections. In Takoma Park, nearly one-third of the residents are foreign-born, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“Even if it’s only a handful voting in elections—and it’s more than that—it’s a huge step forward for democracy,” said Seth Grimes, co-founder of Takoma Park Mobilization a volunteer organization that
supports local immigrants, among other issues. “Non-citizens have a stake in civic affairs, and everyone should have a voice in who governs them.”

According to the latest city data from 2017, of the 347 registered non-citizen voters in Takoma Park, 72 cast ballots, making up roughly 20% of those registered. Overall turnout in 2017 was 22%.The original idea for non-citizen voting in Takoma Park started as a grassroots effort to give a voice to those who didn’t have one before. Spearheaded by former Montgomery County Council Member George Leventhal and current U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (who was a law professor at American University at the time), the “Share the Vote” campaign was launched to get non-citizens the right to vote.

“I was serving on a city committee on redistricting at the time,” said Leventhal. “I lived in Ward 5, as we reviewed the numbers it was clear there were so many more registered voters in other wards. Because Ward 5 had so many non-citizens, it had the smallest number of registered voters, even though it had the same number of residents.”

The topic was divisive—even for progressive-leaning Takoma Park-and a nonbinding referendum was passed in 1991 by fewer than 100 votes. The next year, the City Council approved a change to the city’s charter allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections. The first citywide elections where non-citizens voted took place on Nov. 2, 1993.

“It was a new idea for a lot of people and there were anti immigration activists against it and spreading misinformation that the city would become a welfare state and such, things that never happened,” said Leventhal. “We combated that through an appeal to Takoma Park residents’ generosity and inclusivity.”

Since Takoma Park allowed non-citizens to vote, municipalities in Maryland—including Hyattsville, Mount Rainier and Riverdale Park—have adopted similar initiatives. Some smaller municipalities in Montgomery County—including Somerset and Barnesville—had previously allowed non-citizens to vote.

“This was one of many steps Takoma Park took to enshrine the values of democratic participation in this town,” Leventhal said. “It’s a statement of Takoma Park’s values of inclusion and participation.”

In March of this year, the D.C. Council passed a bill to allow non citizens to vote in local races over the objections of Congressional Republicans.

The Mayor will issue a proclamation on Wednesday, Nov. 1, recognizing the 30th anniversary of non-citizen voting and the 10th anniversary of youth voting in Takoma Park.

To vote in Takoma Park elections as a non-citizen, all you need is proof of identification and Takoma Park residency. To register to vote, contact the City Clerk at clerk@takomaparkmd.gov or call 301-891-7214.

by Alexander Freeman, City Planner

On October 18, the City Council will conduct a work session to review a draft of the Public Space Management Plan. The plan proposes a holistic approach to thinking about the city’s public spaces, areas meant to be used and enjoyed by all residents, such as parks, plazas, roadways, sidewalks, streeteries—and all the amenities that support such spaces.

In addition to 37 policy and practice recommendations, the plan proposes a new decision-making tool to help City Council, staff, and the public more rigorously compare projects and priorities. Often decision makers are pressed to advance a new project or initiative without data to compare the project under consideration with other priorities.

The Project Evaluation Scorecard attempts to fill that gap. The scorecard uses a set of eight benefi t categories, each encompassing several criteria. New projects or initiatives would be scored by city staff. Three benefit categories receive an added weight to their score to reflect recent City policies that prioritize racial equity, environmental sustainability, and safety. The completed scorecard would be shared publicly as an attachment to council cover memos. The scoring becomes a tool for city staff and the City Council to begin comparing different projects.

The scorecard is not meant to be a judgment upon the merit of a project. Instead, it evaluates how a project stacks up against existing city priorities, and then that score can be compared to the scores of other projects. The scorecard would not be prescriptive or determine whether or not a project advances; it would be one of the considerations, publicly shared, for how to advance new projects.

The tool may be used to compare two or more projects under consideration at a given time. It may also be used longer term to test potential projects against a benchmarked level of benefit. Over time, certain scores may emerge as minimum thresholds for project consideration.

The tool will be made publicly available so that community members and City Council members can try it out to develop project scores on new proposals and initiatives.

To download the Project Evaluation Scorecard Exploration Kit, visit the City’s Public Space Management Plan page on the City website.

Check out the full October Newsletter on the City of Takoma Park webpage.

by Kaysi-Ann Webley
Safe Routes to School Coordinator

October is here, and it’s time to lace up those sneakers, breathe in the crisp autumn air, and embrace the countless benefits of walking. As the leaves change and the weather cools, our charming city offers a perfect backdrop for exploring on foot. But it’s not just about leisurely strolls; it’s about community, education, and healthy habits.

This Walktober, we’re highlighting the importance of walking to school and encouraging you to participate in Walk to School Day, Walking Wednesdays, and even form walking school buses with other parents and students. Let’s step into this exciting journey together!

Walk to School Day

Walk to School Day, celebrated on October 4 this year, is the perfect way to kickstart Walktober. This international event encourages students, parents, and community members to ditch the car and choose the healthy and eco-friendly option of walking to school. It’s not just about getting exercise; it’s also about promoting safety, reducing traffic congestion, and fostering a sense of community.

Here’s how you can participate:

1. Plan your route: Choose a safe and scenic route to school that adheres to traffic rules.

2. Join or organize a group: Walking with friends and neighbors makes the journey more enjoyable. Consider forming a walking school bus, a group of students and parents who walk to school together.

3. Dress comfortably: Wear weather appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes to make the walk enjoyable.

4. Capture the moment: Take photos of your Walk to School Day experience and share them on social media using the hashtag #WalkToSchoolDayTakomaPark.

Walking Wednesdays

But why stop at just one day of walking? Why not designate every Wednesday in October as Walking Wednesdays? It’s a simple way to build a healthy habit and explore your neighborhood on foot. Whether it’s a leisurely stroll or a brisk walk, Walking Wednesdays provide an opportunity to connect with your surroundings, discover hidden gems, and reduce your carbon footprint.

Take the Walking School Bus!

Imagine a safer, more eco-friendly, and community-driven way for children to get to school. That’s where the concept of a walking school bus comes in. This innovative approach to school transportation not only benefits the environment but also builds a sense of camaraderie among students and parents.

A walking school bus is a group of students who walk to school together, accompanied by one or more responsible adults. The bus doesn’t involve any vehicles but instead relies on the power of foot traffic. It promotes a sense of community, ensures children’s safety,  nd encourages healthy habits—all while reducing the number of cars on the road.

The Benefits of a Walking School Bus

• Safety: With adult supervision, children can navigate busy streets and intersections more safely, reducing the risk of accidents.

• Physical activity: Walking to school promotes physical activity, contributing to children’s overall health and wellbeing.

• Environmental impact: Fewer cars on the road mean reduced traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions, making a positive impact on the environment.

• Community-building: Walking school buses bring parents, students, and neighbors together.

Quick Tips for Organizing a Walking School Bus

1. Gather interested parents: Start by reaching out to parents in your neighborhood or school community who are interested in participating.

2. Identify routes: Determine the safest routes to school, considering factors like pedestrian-friendly pathways, crosswalks, and traffic lights. See the Safe Routes to School page on the City website.

3. Set up a schedule: Establish a  consistent schedule for the Walking School Bus, including pick-up times and locations.

4. Assign responsibilities: Divide responsibilities among parents, such as lead walkers, crossing guards, and communication coordinators.

5. Communicate: Ensure that all parents and students involved have a reliable way to communicate, such as a group chat or email list.

6. Be safe: Emphasize safety rules and practices to parents and students. Teach them how to use crosswalks, look both ways before crossing, and follow traffic signals.

7. Start small: Begin with a manageable group of students and parents. As the program gains momentum, you can expand. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend one adult for every six children. If children are age 10 or older, fewer adults may be needed. If children are ages 4 to 6, one adult per three children is recommended.

8. Promote it: Spread the word within your school and community about the Walking School Bus. Use flyers, social media, and school newsletters to create awareness. Share your school bus with your local Safe Routes to School Coordinator Kaysi-Ann Webley at kaysiw@takomaparkmd.gov.

9. Celebrate success: Recognize the achievements of your Walking School Bus, whether it’s reaching milestones, promoting safety, or building a stronger community.

Organizing a Walking School Bus is an effective and rewarding way to promote safety, health, and community spirit within your neighborhood. It’s a practical solution to reduce traffic congestion and minimize your carbon footprint while giving your children a healthier and more enjoyable way to get to school. So, put on those walking shoes and start your journey towards a safer, greener, and more connected community today!

Check out the full October Newsletter on the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage.