Below is a list of scheduled road closures on July 4 in the City of Takoma Park:
For July 4, 2022 – 6:00 am to 2:00 pm NO PARKING at the following:
- Both sides of Jackson Ave from Ethan Allen Ave to Sligo Creek Parkway
- Both sides of Ritchie Ave from Maple Ave to Piney Branch Rd
- Both sides of Maple Ave from the DC line to north to Lincoln Ave
- All parking spaces behind City building-Library
- All parking spaces to the rear of City building-Police Department
- Grant Ave between Hancock Ave and Carroll Ave
- Lee Ave between Hancock Ave and Carroll Ave
- Sherman Ave between Hancock Ave and Carroll Ave
- Hancock Ave between Grant Ave and Sherman Ave
- There will be NO PARKING at any of the meters along the parade route and the staging area.
- Note: No parking on Maple between 6:00 am to 10:00 pm due to parade and evening event.
The roads around the parade route will be closed off around 9:00 am and reopened around 2:00 pm.
- The parade will begin at MD 410 (East-West Hwy) and Carroll Ave.
- It will continue south on Carroll Ave to Maple Ave, where it will turn right.
- The parade will continue on Maple Ave until it reaches Lincoln Ave where it will end.
The parade route roads will close at 9:00 am and most will reopen around 2:00 pm after the parade, except for the evening event that will be held on Maple Avenue from Philadelphia Avenue to Ritchie Avenue will remain closed all day until 10:00 pm.
Per Prince George’s County Police: Prince George’s County Police detectives charged a man for vandalizing two public libraries in the county. These incidents occurred at the Greenbelt Branch Library and the New Carrollton Branch Library. The suspect is 30-year-old Charles Sutherland of Takoma Park.
The preliminary investigation revealed Sutherland spray-painted the word “groomer” on the exteriors of both buildings. The vandalism at the Greenbelt location occurred on June 4, 2022, and on June 9, 2022, at the branch in New Carrollton. The PGPD assumed the investigation into these incidents on June 15, 2022.
Sutherland is charged with two counts of malicious destruction of property and multiple hate crimes related to defacing the building. He has confessed to the incidents. Anyone with information on Sutherland is encouraged to call 301-699-2601. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), or go online at www.pgcrimesolvers.com, or use the “P3 Tips” mobile app (search “P3 Tips” in the Apple Store or Google Play to download the app onto your mobile device.) Please refer to case number 22-0028883.
Brazilian Bakery at 7639 New Hampshire Ave in Takoma Park has closed, according to a message on the store’s Instagram page. “We are heartbroken to announce that yesterday was our last day in operation. 💔 We are so thankful for this community and all of your love and support. We will always remember you. We are looking forward to other future endeavors and hope to see you all in the future.” The original location at 13655 Georgia Ave in Aspen Hill remains open.
The Takoma Park location opened in August 2020 and offered baked goods and various ham and stuffed chicken specialties, while the location in Aspen Hill offers a buffet. Source of the Spring was first to report Brazilian Bakery’s closing. Feature photo courtesy of Brazilian Bakery on Facebook.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/CeeAowMuOlW/
Per the Maryland Lottery:
Who has the $1 million winning Powerball ticket from the Dec. 20 drawing? The lucky player only has a couple weeks left to claim the big prize! The Maryland Lottery is looking for the winner who bought the ticket Dec. 20 at New Hampshire Sunoco, located in Montgomery County at 6360 New Hampshire Avenue in Takoma Park. Winners have 182 days from the date of drawings to claim prizes, which puts the expiration date at the end of the day on Monday, June 20.
Lottery officials encourage the winner to sign the back of the ticket and claim the prize. Instructions on claiming prizes in person or by mail are available HERE . Players must redeem prizes larger than $25,000 by mail or at Lottery headquarters in the Montgomery Park Business Center, 1800 Washington Blvd., Suite 330 in Baltimore. The Lottery’s Claims Center in Baltimore is open by appointment only (no walk-ins). Click HERE to schedule an appointment.
This second-tier winning Powerball ticket is one of seven from 2021. The other six prizes were claimed, as was a $731.1 million jackpot on a ticket sold Jan. 20, 2021 in Allegany County. This year, players have won three second-tier Powerball prizes.
Feature photo courtesy of Google Maps.
Takoma Park will be holding a household hazardous waste drop-off event on Saturday, June 4 from 10am-2pm at the Public Works Yard (31 Oswego Ave). Takoma Park residents can drop off household hazardous waste for free, non-residents will be charged a $10 fee (check only).
Per the City of Takoma Park:
Participants will be asked to follow these steps:
- All participants must wear a mask – no exceptions.
- Enter from the Oswego Avenue entrance only, exit out the
Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day is an annual event that assists Takoma Park residents with the safe disposal of household chemicals.
Ritchie Avenue driveway. - Follow the guidance of the staff directing traffic.
- All hazardous materials for drop-off must be in the trunk of the car or back of a pickup trunk only – no materials will be taken out of the interior of your car.
- City staff will remove the hazardous materials from the trunk or pick up truck – participants must stay in their cars at all times.
What Can Be Accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Day in Takoma Park?
- Aerosol cans containing hazardous products
- Antifreeze and hydraulic fluids (5-gallon limit)
- Batteries: lithium, lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium, car (lead acid)
- Brake fluid
- Charcoal containing flammable agents
- Driveway sealant, tar
- Gasoline, gas-oil mixes, kerosene
- Herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides
- Fluorescent light tubes and ballast
- Thermostats and thermometers containing mercury
- Oil-based paints, paint thinners and solvents
- Photographic chemicals
Not sure if your materials are accepted, use the Waste Wizard
The Following Household Hazardous Waste Items Will Not Be Accepted :
- Latex paint
- Commercial, industrial, or medical wastes
- Compressed gas cylinders or radioactive materials
Cielo Rojo, a family owned “fine-casual” Mexican restaurant, opened in the heart of Takoma Park at the start of 2019. Owners David Perez and Carolina McCandless first met in 2012 at Gracias Madre, a vegan Mexican restaurant in San Francisco, and now they’re bringing their version of San Fransisco Mission-style burritos to Takoma Park.
San Pancho plans to open this fall in the space that is currently home to Cielo Rojo (7056 Carroll Ave), while Cielo Rojo moves down the street to a larger space. A San Fransisco Mission-style burrito is a type of burrito that first became popular during the 1960s in the Mission District of San Francisco, California. It is distinguished from other burritos by its large size and inclusion of rice and other ingredients, and became popular when major chains like Chipotle, Qdoba, and more, began offering their versions across the county.
McCandless has ties to the area, as she’s from Takoma Park and her parents own nearby Amano, which offers unique and affordable women’s clothing, jewelry, accessories, and shoes.
According to a post on the restaurant’s social media, the plan is to open this fall.
“We are looking forward to bringing SF Mission style burritos to the DC area. Our target opening is fall 2022. We will keep everyone updated here! We’re so excited with our logo/branding, done by Mexican-American illustrator @paloma.nicole.illustration. It is inspired by the richness & culture of the Mission district in SF (La Mission), where our concept was born & where our owners met!”
News of the opening timeframe was first reported by Source of the Spring.
Per the City of Takoma Park:
The City of Takoma Park is awarding grant funds to support local small businesses in the City. The Department of Housing & Community Development is releasing these funds as a grant to eligible small businesses. The full grant application can be found here:
Application Period
The Takoma Park Small Business Support Grant will begin accepting applications on Monday, March 21, 2022. Funding is not first come, first served. All funding decisions will be made after the application period closes. The application period will close on Friday, April 15, 2022, at 11:59 pm. Any applications received after the deadline will not be considered for funding.
Who Is Eligible for the Grant?
The Takoma Park Small Business Support Grant is intended for any business that operates with a legal business structure in the State of Maryland and either produces goods or offers services within the City of Takoma Park. This includes home-based and co-working businesses within the City boundaries.
To be eligible for the grant, a business must meet all the following criteria:
- Be located within the City of Takoma Park.
- For the purposes of the grant, a business must either: 1) have a retail or office location within the City or 2) produce goods or offer services within the City.
- Businesses with multiple locations may only submit grant applications for one location.
- Be in Good Standing with the State of Maryland.
- Sole proprietors and self-employed individuals are eligible to apply if they can submit alternate verification of payment of business income taxes.
- Business owners without Social Security Numbers can apply as long as they meet the eligibility criteria and have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
- Submit a completed application by the application deadline.
In addition, the following types of uses would be considered ineligible for the Grant: pawn shops, gun shops, tanning salons, massage parlors, adult video/book shops, adult entertainment facilities, check cashing facilities, gambling facilities, religious uses, and non-profits that do not directly produce or offer goods for sale.
View Spanish and Amharic translations of the eligibility criteria.
Quick Links
- Economic Development
- Takoma Park Small Business Support Grant
Eligible Uses of Grant Funds
Grant funds may be used to support the day-to-day operation of the business. Eligible expenses may include, but are not limited to:
- Rent or mortgage payments;
- Utility payments;
- Capital investments in business equipment;
- Payroll expenses;
- Operation or supplier costs.
Grant Awards
The City anticipates awarding maximum grant awards of $5,000 per business in order to provide as many grants as possible. The City reserves the right to revise the maximum award amount after determining the number of eligible applications received.
Priority of Funding
City of Takoma Park staff will make discretionary grant award decisions after the application deadline. Staff will prioritize funding based on:
- Business Revenue: the grant award cannot exceed 50% of the business’ annual revenue (for example, if a business demonstrates an annual revenue of $5,000, they will only be eligible for a maximum grant award of $2,500);
- Business Location: efforts will be made to ensure an equitable geographic distribution of grant awards;
- Prior COVID-19 Relief Awards: businesses that have not received funding from other government COVID-19 relief programs will be prioritized;
- Minority-Ownership: businesses with minority, woman, and/or local-ownership may be prioritized.
Contact
If you have any questions about the grant application or the eligibility criteria, please contact the City of Takoma Park at [email protected] or 301-891-7119.
The planning team will brief the City Council of Takoma Park on existing conditions on March 9 and the Montgomery County Planning Board on March 31.
WHEATON, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), and the City of Takoma Park are holding a virtual presentation to the community on the existing conditions within the study area of the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment. During the meeting, which will be held online on Zoom on March 29 from 6 to 8 p.m., the Planning team will share timeline and process information as well as answer questions from participants about the plan and process. Advance registration is required. Live translation services can be provided upon request when community members register. The deadline for live translation requests is 5 p.m. on March 22.
Register for Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Existing Conditions Presentation.
The Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment will re-envision the Washington Adventist Hospital and University campuses, the Erie Center, as well as the area along Maple Avenue. The plan, which will update related portions of the 2000 Takoma Park Master Plan, is being developed in partnership with the City of Takoma Park, with collaborative engagement with community members, property owners, and other stakeholders.
The team’s presentation to the community will focus on the latest data since the 2000 Takoma Park Master Plan related to land use, zoning, transportation, environment, and Parks’ facilities. This analysis will serve as the foundation for the eventual plan recommendations expected by 2023.
Ahead of the March 29 virtual community event, Montgomery Planning will brief the City Council of Takoma Park on the existing conditions of the Minor Master Plan Amendment on Wednesday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m. Community members may consult the City Council’s agenda for more information, including how to watch the briefing online via live stream.
The Planning team will present the same existing conditions presentation from the community event to the Montgomery County Planning Board on Thursday, March 31. The last time the team appeared before the Planning Board was in September 2021 when the Board approved the plan’s Scope of Work. Following the presentations, the slides will be available in Spanish, French, and Amharic, in addition to English, on montgomeryplanning.org/takomapark.
To stay up to date on the progress of this plan, sign up for our eLetter. You can also reach out directly to the project team with any questions or comments about the plan:
Melissa Williams, Project Lead
301-495-4642
[email protected]
About the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment
Before moving to White Oak in 2019, the Washington Adventist Hospital was one of the largest employers in Takoma Park and contributed to the community for over 100 years. Now Montgomery Planning, in partnership with the City of Takoma Park, has the unique opportunity to revisit the area and update related portions of the 2000 Takoma Park Master Plan with the Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment. The Minor Master Plan Amendment will re-envision the Washington Adventist Hospital and University campuses, the Erie Center, as well as the area along Maple Avenue. The planning team will work with community members throughout the planning process to guide the area’s growth.
About the Equity Agenda for Planning
Montgomery Planning recognizes and acknowledges the role that our plans and policies have played in creating and perpetuating racial inequity in Montgomery County. We are committed to transforming the way we work as we seek to address, mitigate, and eliminate inequities from the past and develop planning solutions to create equitable communities in the future. While it will take time to fully develop a new methodology for equity in the planning process, we cannot delay applying an equity lens to our work. Efforts to date include:
- Developing an Equity Agenda for Planning. The Planning Board approved Equity in Master Planning Framework, and Montgomery Planning staff is implementing its action items.
- Prioritizing equity in Thrive Montgomery 2050. Community Equity is one of the three priority areas of our county General Plan update, Thrive Montgomery 2050.
- Focusing on equity in upcoming plans. Equity is a central focus of the Silver Spring Downtown and Adjacent Communities Plan, the first master plan to launch since Montgomery County’s Racial Equity & Social Justice Act passed. All upcoming plans and studies will have an equity focus.
- Created an Equity Focus Areas mapping tool and developing a Community Equity Index. Equity Focus Areas in Montgomery County have high concentrations of lower-income people of color, who may also speak English less than very well. Montgomery Planning developed this data-driven tool to identify and map these areas to assess potential racial and social inequities and produce master plans that will foster more equitable outcomes for communities in Montgomery County. The Community Equity Index will expand on the previous Equity Focus Area analysis, creating a more robust, diagnostic tool providing additional detail of critically selected neighborhood characteristics relevant for equity analysis countywide.
- Viewing management and operations through an equity lens. Our efforts are not limited to the master planning process. Management and operational functions like communications and human resources are developing approaches, tools, plans, and training to ensure that we look at everything through an equity lens.
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Per the City of Takoma Park:
Recently, the CDC has shifted its focus from community transmission to community levels as the basis for their guidance regarding recommended COVID-19 preventative measures. Montgomery County currently has a “low” community level as of this past Monday, March 7. The City of Takoma Park will be adjusting our protocols and lifting our mask mandate.
Effective Wednesday, March 9th, masks are not required indoors but strongly encouraged for any unvaccinated visitors in any City buildings or facilities, where social distancing is challenging, and/or when there is direct interaction between the public and employees.
As safety and health remain our #1 priority, the City of Takoma Park will continue to have KN95/N95 masks and rapid test kits available for the public and employees as necessary. We will continue to monitor the community levels and will be prepared to shift our protocols when appropriate.
Takoma Park City Council will begin meeting in the Auditorium of the Takoma Park Community Center in March starting Wednesday, March 9. Meetings will be conducted in a hybrid format, with the City Council and most staff typically present in the Auditorium. Participation on Zoom will continue to be an option for community members who do not wish to or cannot attend meetings in person.
For members of the public who wish to comment on Zoom, the city will continue to request registration on Zoom before 5 pm on the day of the meeting.
The public may view the meetings on City TV (RCN – 13, HD 1060; Comcast/Xfinity – 13, HD 997; Verizon Fios – 28), on the City Council Video Page of the City Website; on YouTube, or on Facebook.
Please note the City’s Mask Mandate is still in effect.
Other Public Meetings
City Boards and Committees can continue to meet on Zoom or may resume in-person meetings. However, we encourage providing a Zoom option even if meetings are held in the Community Center. Several meeting rooms are equipped with Smartboards that enable a hybrid virtual/in-person meeting. View the City Council, Board, Commission, and Committee Meetings page to see the complete list of upcoming meetings.
“Keep an eye out for new parking meters on Carroll Ave” says the City of Takoma Park.
Three new parking meters will be installed in front of 6940 Carroll Ave, across from CVS, where previously there were none. The installation will occur as soon as ordered materials arrive, according to a news release from earlier this week.
The new meters will help turnover parking spots more frequently in support of nearby businesses. The zone will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Rates for the meters will be consistent with other City meters in the area, currently $0.75 per hour.
The City of Takoma Park has street, metered and off-street metered parking. Residential areas may have parking restrictions. Look for signs near the curb. Comprehensive information on parking in Takoma Park is available below on this page.
The Takoma Park Police Department is responsible for parking enforcement within the City of Takoma Park. The City of Takoma Park does not enforce parking regulations on private property, with the exception of fire lane and handicapped parking enforcement in private parking lots.
