The Takoma Park City Council is interested in getting feedback from you, our residents, on our next City Manager’s search. It’s an opportunity to have a community discussion on what’s important and your opinion matters.

Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland, in partnership with the City of Takoma Park, plans to convert a multi-family rental property  located on Garland Avenue into two affordable homeownership opportunities.

The project began when the City of Takoma Park assigned its Right to Purchase to Habitat to buy the Garland property in November of 2020. The City also provided $200,000 from the Housing Reserve Fund to invest in the development of affordable homeownership opportunities.

Habitat will divide the existing structure, which now includes three rental units, into a duplex, creating two separate and distinct homeownership properties.

This project is a demonstration of how Missing Middle Housing typologies can be incorporated into established single-family neighborhoods. Splitting the property into two units helps to drive down the development cost per unit and ultimately the sales prices for each home. The property is also within one mile of a future Purple Line stop further emboldening the need to create, restore and preserve affordable housing opportunities, ensuring that all residents can access our public infrastructure investments.

Habitat will completely gut the home and rebuild it like new. The rehab will include a focus on sustainability starting with participation in the City of Takoma Park’s initiative to forego the use of fossil fuel in homes by abandoning the existing gas service to the home. This will be the first example of gas abandonment in the City in residential development. HFHMM will also incorporate an energy efficiency standard in its building practices, including continuous spray foam insulation for the entire envelope of the structure drastically reducing air leakage. Habitat will also install water sense fixtures, LED lighting, smart thermostats, and Energy Star mechanical equipment and appliances.

Once the project is complete, Habitat will sell the completed units to individuals living and working in our community but unable to afford a home through the traditional market. Habitat provides an affordable mortgage, ensuring that borrowers are not cost burdened. Providing access to affordable homeownership is critical for our communities so that families can build generational wealth. By providing homeownership opportunities for families at more income levels we can work to break down the racial wealth and ownership gaps and build more equitable communities.

Learn more at the project page.

Knowing the Past Opens the Door to the Future. With that in mind, the City of Takoma Park and InSite Street Media are celebrating African Americans who paved the way in American Society during Black History Month. This was done through the sponsorship of African American profiles displayed on our curbside billboard bus shelters in the City.

The first six African American Professionals, Pioneers, and Inventor profiles include:

• Henry Ossawa Tanner – Internationally Acclaim Painter
• Mary Elizabeth Mahoney – Professionally Trained Nurse
• Garrett Morgan – Inventor of the 3 Way Traffic Signal
• Daniel Hale Williams – Successful Heart Surgeon
• Jane Matilda Bolin – Female Judge 1939
• Oscar Micheaux – Pioneering Filmmaker

A letter was sent to owners of single-family residential properties in the City to inform them of discussions to be held this month by the City Council on changing the stormwater fee from a flat rate to a tiered rate based on the impervious surface area. The total amount of revenue from the combined residential and commercial stormwater fee remains the same – about $700,000 – but is more equitably charged among the properties.

• Click the Interactive Map
• Read details of the proposal
• Stormwater Fees FAQ
• Map of Proposed Fees for Single Family Homes
• Read the Stormwater Article in the Edition of the February Newsletter: Click here

A presentation will be given to Council on February 10 and a public hearing held on February 24. After that, more site-specific information may be sent to individual property owners based on the Council discussion. Please watch the presentation on February 10 and contact Daryl Braithwaite at DarylB@takomaparkmd.gov with any questions.

The purpose of the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force is to develop recommendations that make Takoma Park a safer, more livable community for all residents, with an emphasis on addressing racial inequalities that exist in government and services evolving around public safety. In light of what is happening in our country, we believe that as a city, it is our duty to take inventory of our public safety practices, with emphasis on the experiences of our Black and Brown communities. This Task Force is our opportunity to bring new voices into the process as we take stock of what is working, what is not, and as we explore best practices in public safety.

The City of Takoma Park is seeking the support of community members, non-profit leaders, local business owners, educators, etc. in Takoma Park who can help us make our community a safer and more livable city that serves all residents. The Task Force will be made up of 15 individuals sourced from our diverse community and approved by the City Council.

The Task Force will meet regularly throughout the months of February, March, April and May to create a set of recommendations on Public Safety.

To ensure this Task Force is as representative as possible, the process will begin with an open call for applications. If you are interested in being considered for a spot on the Task Force, please apply by Friday, February 5, 2021.  If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Suzanne Ludlow, City Manager SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Links of Interest:

• City Council Resolution 2020-21 Establishing a Task Force on Reimagining Public Safety to Ensure Racial Justice
• Task Force Facilitation Team
• Takoma Park’s Racial Equity Initiative Project Page
• To watch the recorded Reimagining Public Safety Task Force informational meeting on YouTube please click here.

Dear Residents,

As the region prepares for a winter storm to arrive overnight tonight, the City of Takoma Park staff are getting things ready to clear snow and share information.

As of right now, here’s the plan.

We are watching the forecasts to determine when crews will be called in overnight. A road clearing shift includes five trucks and drivers, a mechanic, and two other staff to handle other equipment. We generally schedule 12 hours shifts but we will keep a watch on what is needed and adjust as necessary.

The same people who collect trash, recycling and yard waste, and do road repair and park maintenance are the staff who drive the snowplows and clear sidewalks at City facilities. For that reason, there may be changes in collection schedules.

Snow looks to continue through Sunday and perhaps into Monday. For that reason, there will be no yard waste collection on Monday.

With Sunday being a snowy, difficult day to travel, check today to make sure you have what you need to stay at home, and please check on any elderly neighbors or others who may need extra help.

As the winter weather comes in, call our Police Department at 301-270-1100 if you see dangerous conditions, such as a slippery street, so that our Public Works crews can address it. If you see an emergency situation, though, call 9-1-1.

As soon as it is safe to do so, please begin shoveling sidewalks so that people can get to stores, the doctor’s office or pick up food from a neighborhood restaurant. Our City regulations call for clearing snow by noon if the snow has stopped falling overnight, or by 9 pm if it stops falling during the day.

Please help neighbors with clearing sidewalks and driveways. Some will be helped through the Snow Angel program, but some young people may be in a remote school on Monday and not be as able to help.

Some of the friendliest times in a community are when lots of folks are out shoveling, clearing off cars and playing in the snow. Make a party of it!

How should you stay connected for information during the next few days?

• Make sure you are signed up for Takoma Park Alerts
• Follow the City on social media – Twitter and Facebook: @TakomaParkMD
• Check the City’s website, takomaparkmd.gov

Keeping up to date on the information will help keep you safe.

One of my greatest pleasures is to work with City staff when responding to weather emergencies. Our Public Works staff know how to prepare, which streets become slippery first, where the speed humps and bump outs are, and how to fix the equipment on the spot when repairs are needed. Our communications and emergency management staff have messages prepared,  as well as safety tips and background information. Our police staff knows how to coordinate on calls for service. And, our Public Works Director, Daryl Braithwaite, knows her stuff. We’ve got this.

Stay safe!

Over the last week, members of the city’s leadership and I have sent several messages regarding response to the unrest at the Capitol and security planning for the upcoming Presidential Inauguration. As I stated previously, there continue to be no direct threats to Takoma Park. Today we are in an all hands on deck posture, so you are going to see a high visibility presence in the city. The patrols will be in marked vehicles, unmarked vehicles, on foot, and other means. Special patrols are being conducted in our business districts and high profile sites in the city. Through this time and on Inauguration Day, an all hands on deck posture will be in place.

Our staff are on daily intelligence conference calls with our local, regional, and national law enforcement partners. Intelligence is being monitored in real-time.

We ask that all of our residents respect the orders put in place by officials in the District of Columbia and avoid all travel into the city. We also continue to ask that you all serve as our eyes and ears. If you see something suspicious, contact our dispatch center at 301.270.1100, or 911. Rest assured, we are doing all we can to provide security in Takoma Park and keep our city safe and secure.

We will continue to provide updates to the community throughout the week.

When:

• Starting Monday, January 4, 2021

Pick-up Times:

• Monday-Friday: 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Residents can place book orders in two different ways:

Email Request (Strongly Preferred)

Email: librarytakomapark@gmail.com

• The subject line: should include your name (even if it is part of your email address), the type of books you want (A for adult
  books, J for children’s/teen books), and either the last four digits of your library card or the month and day of your birthday.
•  In the body of the email:  list the books you are requesting. It will help us to help you if you first search our online catalog, and provide us with the title, and call number (not the barcode). Also, please make sure it is available. If it is a fiction work, please use what we have in the catalog. For instance, the call number for Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is FIC SALINGER. For a non-fiction book, such as Birds of Eastern North America by Paul Sterry, the call number is 598.097 STERRY.
• We will reply when we have fulfilled your request, and let you know when you may to pick up your books. Incomplete information will delay the process.

Phone Requests

To request books by phone, call 240- 507-0229 between 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.

•  We will ask you for your name and the last four digits of your library card number or the month and day of your birthday.
• When you give us the titles of the books you want, please give us the author and call number as well (if you are using the catalog).

Pick-up Procedures

When you arrive for pick-up, please call 301-580-0085. We’ll bring out your books and leave them on a table for you to pick up.