Here are some of the issues facing Takoma Park.

Our City Budget: Our FY 2025 general fund expenditures are currently budgeted to exceed our revenues by $1.6 Million. We are dipping into our rainy-day fund to cover the gap, but that is not sustainable. We can’t keep spending more than we take in year after year.  And we cannot keep raising taxes, either, without forcing out renters and homeowners on fixed incomes: about one in five TP homeowners is considered cost burdened by the cost of their housing.

Ward 1 has a higher percentage of single-family homes (versus rental apartments or multifamily dwellings) than other wards of the City; both homeowners and renters experience (through raised rental rates) the bite of taxes that are 53% higher this year than in unincorporated Montgomery County.

The Council will need to set priorities and make difficult decisions with the budget, taking a close look both at ways to save money (expenditures) and at how we raise revenues (preferably without relying ever more heavily on taxing private homeowners rather than commercial property).

I’ve already begun talking with the new City Manager, who brings years of experience to the job, about how to enhance efficiency and implement cost saving options (like leasing vehicles rather than purchasing them, sharing construction and maintenance equipment with other municipalities, and reassessing maintenance schedules).

On the City Council, I will work for a budget process that starts earlier and is more open and transparent, and one that makes room for considering whether there are services that could be provided by the County rather than the City to keep our costs down. Finding new sources of revenue (such as taxing derelict properties) can be explored, but we also need to set clear performance metrics and meet them efficiently.

Housing Affordability and Development in Takoma Park: The cost of a house in Takoma Park has gotten more and more out of reach with rising home values, and because availability in this largely built-out community is very limited.

While it can’t shield renters entirely from rising local taxes, Takoma Park’s rent stabilization program is uniquely effective in keeping rents relatively affordable by Montgomery County standards: renters pay an average of about $700/month less for 2BR apartments in Takoma Park than elsewhere in MoCo. (MoCo just enacted a county-wide program that is less far-reaching than ours.) Lower rents mean that renters can have housing stability and keep their kids in our terrific local schools. We need to protect rent stabilized housing with reliable tax abatement programs, and support for rehabilitation programs: it is far cheaper to keep than to construct new affordable and deeply-affordable housing. Having a generous supply of both makes Takoma Park a uniquely diverse and welcoming community.

At the same time, we can encourage increasing the number of housing units available on the market for both renters and home buyers, by looking to creative ways to incorporate such additional housing compatibly into Takoma Park’s varied neighborhoods. Ward 1 has many creative examples already: Large houses with ‘accessory dwelling units’ that are attached or in separate out-buildings, small apartment buildings interspersed with single family houses, two-family houses, and live/work units along our Old Town main streets, to name some of them. Many more such units could be created – and encouraged with smart local tax policies. Other Wards, and Hospital Hill, have opportunities for brownfield redevelopment, or new development, and a Takoma Park-wide plan, with specific targets for how many housing units we aim to preserve or see constructed, is the place to start.

The recently-adopted Minor Master Plan Amendments for Maple Avenue and the Washington Adventist Hospital site (the MMPA) opened the door to a great deal of potential increased density in those areas; it also risks displacing current residents. The Council will need to be vigilant in reviewing proposals under those new zoning rules, to make sure that current residents aren’t displaced, and that green spaces are protected, stormwater is managed and traffic is tolerable.

City Projects and Initiatives: One day soon we will have a bigger new library to enjoy. Unfortunately, its price tag has risen from the approximately $7 million initial estimate to over $15 million and counting. Other big city-managed projects are contemplated (such as a new Rec Center). We need a better process in place before we break ground on the next big project, and I would work to make sure that happens, while keeping the Rec Center renovation on the Council’s agenda.

Development at the Takoma Metro: The Mayor and City Council did not represent our city’s interests forcefully enough in the recent proceedings. Our local officials should be strong voices for the MD side of the line when cross-jurisdictional matters affect both Maryland and DC residents – especially with WMATA being a multi-jurisdictional body.

When EYA (the developer) first proposed to develop the Metro-owned lot in the early 2000’s, I served on the Citizen Advisory Board representing Takoma Park. In that plan, EYA proposed luxury 2-car-garage townhouses, with a configuration that degraded transit services and impaired access to the elevator. Our then-mayor, Kathy Porter, and Ward 1 City Council member, Joy Austin-Lane, actively engaged in opposing that egregious design. Facing opposition, EYA came back with a second proposal. Again, then Mayor Bruce Williams and the City Council stepped to protect transit users and neighbors.

The design that has now been approved, eliminating all transit-user parking, is not consistent with WMATA’s mission to “maximize ridership and transit access.”  Many MD metro riders use the parking lot to avoid driving to downtown DC, thereby reducing urban congestion and emissions. (Contrary to some claims, the Takoma lot is heavily utilized and Fort Totten lacks spaces to accommodate all of these vehicles. I know because I helped to conduct “car counts” in both lots.)

Private development in that space and transit user parking are not inherently incompatible if the scale of the development allows for both and parking is put underground. That should have been done at the Takoma Metro, but it was not.

Finally, the height of the planned development is significantly greater than all the other new apartment buildings approved by the DC Historic Preservation Commission and DC Government in the immediate Takoma DC neighborhood, and the only one with parking above ground (the cheaper, less attractive option). It is also the only one that is right on the Maryland line, facing Maryland neighbors. These outcomes might have been mitigated if our local officials had been more outspoken and involved, supporting housing but also supporting our community’s access to transit services and a higher quality design.

Laurel Avenue Closure: Recently the City of Takoma Park commissioned a traffic study to determine the likely impact of closing the remaining southbound lane of Laurel Avenue between Carroll and Eastern to traffic, and re-routing vehicles to other streets. It found that about 210 vehicles travel through the block at peak hours, and they would all be re-routed through the surrounding residential streets. The study offers suggestions about how to do that efficiently – but its authors were not asked to delve into some far more fundamental questions, or consult directly with the community, before considering the smooth flow of cars and trucks. They were simply asked to conduct a traffic study.

Before we consider permanently closing Laurel Ave (as opposed to, for example, closing it on weekends or during the Farmer’s Market) we need a far more in-depth conversation with the affected community. For example, there is a preschool and a public charter elementary school on the block of Willow Street, NW DC that would be most heavily impacted by the re-routing of vehicles during weekday morning rush hours – a DC street that is already in gridlock and that poses a pedestrian challenge with many parents dropping off young children. A traffic study without community consultation does not bring this fact to light.

Climate change, equity, and sustainability in Takoma Park: How We Reflect
Community Values: We feel the effects of climate change more each year.
According to the Center for Climate Integrity, the average annual precipitation in
Maryland has been above the long-term average (1950-2014) since 1995. The Univ. of MD reports that “Maryland’s climate is trending towards warmer and wetter conditions with more extreme weather events. Temperatures have already risen about 2.5°F, and the number of very hot days (maximum temperature over 95°F) has increased.” We also have had flooding stormwater problems throughout the city and in people’s homes.

In 2019, Takoma Park adopted a Declaration of Climate Emergency, in which we set a goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2035. In addition, in 2017, we adopted a Resolution committing the City to “Systematically and Deliberately Apply a Racial Equity Lens in its Decision-Making,” recognizing that seemingly neutral policies and practices can sometimes contribute to inequities.

It is important that we use that racial equity lens as we work towards meeting our critical climate goals.

Tree cover is vital to keep the city cool, reduce stormwater runoff, provide wildlife habitat and absorb CO2. The city commissioned an assessment of its tree canopy in 2022, which showed an overall loss of about 3.4% in tree cover between 2009 and that’s a bad trend. It also showed that tree cover varied considerably from ward to ward:

We can’t plant trees everywhere, but the report offers a guide for further planting that suggests where we should look next. It points to the biggest bare spots, which are clustered in Wards 4, 5 and 6. Following this guide is an important step forward in meeting our City’s equity goals, and I support doing so, and devoting resources for it.

Stormwater Management: Takoma Park chose to take on the responsibility for
managing stormwater, which is difficult and complex. There are city-run projects around town (such as the corner of Cedar and Tulip) and we pay impact fees based on impervious surfaces on our property to help cover the costs for such projects. But flooding persists, and worse problems are foreseen due to increased storm intensities and frequencies in future.

We cannot solve flooding problems on public or private property in isolation: cooperation and collaboration in planning and execution of watershed management is essential.

If elected, my goal is to strengthen the ties between the city government’s stormwater management program and those of community groups and local volunteers (some of whom are genuine experts in the subject matter). Working together in coordination we can save money and reduce harm. (I wrote about this topic during my career as an environmental lawyer.)

Energy conservation: In the last few years, Takoma Park has set ambitious energy efficiency and conservation goals, which I support. To achieve these goals, we must act in ways that are consistent with our other city priorities, like (a) equity and (b) prudence in budgeting. Thus, for example, I would work for a systematic assessment of whether leasing some city vehicles (like police patrol cars) could speed up the conversion to an electric fleet which would reduce our carbon footprint. It could also reduce vehicle purchasing and repair costs, which would enable us to reduce the structural budget deficit. It might then allow us to redirect some funds to other conservation and energy efficiency programs such as building retrofits that support affordable rental units remaining low in cost.

Our City staff developed an ambitious, detailed matrix of actions to advance towards the Net Zero goal. They called for benchmarking current energy usage in City buildings (commercial and residential) and then “requiring the establishment of minimum energy efficiency standards” for both. It may be time to ask for an update on progress on this strategy, with careful attention to cost impacts on smaller businesses, houses and apartment buildings so that we do not inadvertently drive out income-restricted residents or lose naturally-occurring affordable housing in the name of energy efficiency. (And Life Cycle Assessment shows that demolition and new construction generates more emissions than retrofitting.)

Climate- and People- Friendly Streets and Sidewalks: As former chair of the
Complete Safe Streets Committee and a member of the County DOT’s Vision Zero Equity Task Force, I have worked for us to be a pedestrian-friendly city and county that pays special attention to neighborhoods that have been underserved. On the Council, I would continue to aim for prioritizing sidewalk and traffic calming investments in the spots where the safety risks and the foot traffic (especially for school children and other vulnerable groups) are most significant.

Bikers, walkers, wheelchair users and transit users of all kinds need a more regular presence in City affairs. I would work with fellow Council members to reinstitute the Complete Safe Streets Committee. Its first assignment ought to be to develop recommendations for the Council on actions it can take to address impacts of Purple Line construction on pedestrians, bikers and bus users. Takoma Park should be preparing as best we can to maximize the benefits of the Purple Line’s arrival while minimizing safety risks.