tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24458552053388042562024-03-08T15:32:39.357-05:00The RP Coffee HouseR.I.P.Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-72446390573077303832008-03-08T16:10:00.003-05:002008-03-08T17:29:45.480-05:00Local artist Gerald King's drawings from the Bookshop concerts<a href="http://geraldking.com/Drawings/Sketches/MusicJunctionDraw.htm" target="_blank">http://geraldking.com/Drawings<wbr>/Sketches/MusicJunctionDraw<wbr>.htm</a><br /><br />Gerald says "For those of you who remember the Riverdale Bookshop and “Music Junction” you may be interested in browsing a recently added page to my web site.<br /><br /><a href="http://geraldking.com/Drawing/Sketches/MusicJunctionDraw.htm" target="_blank">http://geraldking.com/Drawings<wbr>/Sketches/MusicJunctionDraw.htm</a><span> </span><div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> <p>I’ve put up 100 sketches I did while attending Saturday performances from 2001 to 2005. These are on-the-spot pencil sketches of the musicians and audience during live performances. Though I am not a courtroom artist, nor was my intent here to do portraits, some may recognize the people portrayed. </p> <p>I dedicate this page to Audrey and Simon for providing Riverdale Park some unique history. Those of us, who were fortunate enough to be there and helped keep the Bookshop alive, should cherish our memories, and hope someday the community spirit and vitality of that brief period will occur again." </p> <p>Gerald King<br /></p><p><span><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks for sharing these, Gerald. -- Dwight</span><br /></span></p> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-91625869881439335142007-09-25T13:44:00.000-04:002008-12-09T15:18:35.073-05:00Moving on... please join me on the Riverdale Park Wiki<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://rpwiki.wetpaint.com/"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RvlUjLtsFDI/AAAAAAAAApE/zncJvc6CPGM/s320/rp+wiki+front+page+image.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114211815272485938" border="0" /></a><br />I've enjoyed writing about some of the issues that interest me -- and, in some case, others as well -- about our lovely town, and posting them to this blog. And I've certainly enjoyed hearing from many of you that you've read some of it, and thought it was worthwhile -- the positive feedback has been great. But increasingly I've felt that a "blog" was much too personal to accomplish what I was actually interested in doing... I believe that what we need is a good wiki for all things Riverdale Parkian. So that is where I'm going to be putting my energy now, not this blog.<br /><br />I assume you've read something on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page"><span style="font-style: italic;">Wikipedia</span></a>, the free, on-line encyclopedia, at least once or twice? A <span style="font-style: italic;">wiki </span>is a cooperative, all-hands-on-deck website that is constantly under construction. And unlike in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Outer Limits</span>, where <span style="font-style: italic;">they</span> are in control, in the Wiki World, <span style="font-style: italic;">we</span> are in control. Read something and know it to be incorrect or incomplete, or out of date? Don't mutter to yourself -- change it! Edit! Rewrite! Add a paragraph, or a whole new page! Find some information on recycling that you think everyone in the town could benefit from? By all means, post it to TownTalk. But -- and this is what led me to the wiki idea -- TownTalk (or any email list) is so ephemeral. Read it today, forget it by tomorrow! So, instead -- or in addition -- put it on the wiki, and it's there for good, for you or anyone else to return to at any time.<br /><br />I see the <a href="http://rpwiki.wetpaint.com/">Riverdale Park Community Wiki</a> as a combination bulletin board, Welcome Wagon, soap box, scratch pad, photo album, scrap book, file cabinet, encyclopedia, yellow pages, Rolodex, 'Whole Earth Catalog,' entertainment guide and community center. This is not, "Build it and they will come." This is "Build it -- and let's use it!"<br /><br />(Have you seen the <a href="http://www.hyattsvillewiki.com/">Hyattsville wiki</a>? They've done some great things over there -- much good information that is useful to anyone, certainly anyone in our area.)<br /><br />So, see you over on the <a href="http://rpwiki.wetpaint.com/">RP Community Wiki</a>? <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">--Dwight</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-21127774264570348612007-09-04T09:37:00.000-04:002008-12-09T15:18:35.341-05:00I love my MARC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RuNq1CCjX1I/AAAAAAAAAoU/qjrkyUQJJTQ/s1600-h/P6250033.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RuNq1CCjX1I/AAAAAAAAAoU/qjrkyUQJJTQ/s320/P6250033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108043861681463122" border="0" /></a>One of the many factors that weighed in on our decision to buy our home in Riverdale Park, was the convenience that the MARC service offered in terms of my getting to work, and leaving the car at home!<br /><br />These stats about the DC Metro area come from the AAA and were published in today's <span style="font-style: italic;">Washington Post</span> (9/4/07), Metro section, p. B2:<br /><br />3.3 million vehicles in the area<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">1.7 million people who drive to work alone every day</span><br />900,000 people headed to school every day (schools and colleges)<br />700,000 people riding Metro (is that actually people? or trips?)<br />446,000 people riding Metro's buses<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">70,000 people riding trains into Union Station</span> </span>(MARC, VRE, Amtrak)<br /><br />Only 70,000?!? Wow. Obviously the MARC trains aren't convenient for everyone - but for a town like Riverdale Park, I have to think that the MARC is a very underutilized resource.<br /><br />From our lovely MARC station in Town Center, it is a 10 minute ride to Union Station - for me it's then another 15 minutes by Metro to Farragut North. All told, half an hour or 35 minutes door to door, from my home on Riverdale Rd to my office in NW. I nominally pay $100 for a monthly MARC ticket and $2.70 per day (roundtrip, Union Station to Farragut North) on the Metro -- but due to Uncle S<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RuNrIiCjX2I/AAAAAAAAAoc/bYYw9I__kxQ/s1600-h/P6250064.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RuNrIiCjX2I/AAAAAAAAAoc/bYYw9I__kxQ/s320/P6250064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108044196688912226" border="0" /></a>am's penchant for providing perks to the middle class, I save a quarter of that by purchasing the tickets with pre-tax dollars through my employer. If I go to the office 20 days a month on average, that's effectively <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">$3.60 per day for the MARC + $3.89 per day for Metro = $7.49 per day total -- and the car stays in the driveway. If I drove to work I'd pay more than that just for the parking downtown -- never mind the gas, wear and tear on the car, and increased insurance premium</span>. And if I drove to the Metro, I'd save the $3.60 for the MARC everyday -- and use it to pay $3.50 for parking! (Plus it would cost me additional for the longer ride on Metro).<br /><br />I believe that in my one year of riding MARC to work, I was unable to get a seat just one time. And I can take my coffee on board and savor it all the way to Union Station if I want to (unlike Metro). And then there's the comraderie with all the other MARC regulars... All in all, I love my MARC!<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-22765551931253090612007-07-29T14:17:00.000-04:002007-07-29T14:20:56.233-04:00Is it just me? Or did the CSX fix of our RxR crossing not fix anything?Does anyone think that our Queensbury Rd RxR crossing is any smoother now than it was prior to the CSX repair job in June? To me, it seems just as jarring as ever.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I'm still wondering when the new crossing gates will be installed. While setting up at the Farmers' Market last week, around 2:30, I witnessed a pretty close call as someone weaved their car through the gates that were already in their down position. Fortunately, the train was moving at a moderate speed...<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-61641030939678801552007-07-29T14:14:00.000-04:002007-07-29T14:16:48.567-04:00Anyone got a Cafritz update?We were unable, unfortunately, to attend either of the Cafritz meetings this past week... And I see their website has yet to be updated (presumably, they'll be filling in the "goals" section). Would anyone care to give us an update of what was said by presenters and those attending from our community?<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-34329141007658806382007-07-16T10:29:00.000-04:002007-07-16T10:52:55.620-04:00A golden opportunity to build momentum for hiker-biker issues in Riverdale ParkThere is an extraordinary opportunity for Riverdalians interested in promoting hiker/biker trails to meet with our county's Bicycle and Trails Advisory Group (BTAG) along with the Hyattsville Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee at a convenient local, evening meeting<br />(Tuesday, July 17, 7 pm, Hyattsville City Hall, 4310 Gallatin Street. South on Route 1, pass Franklin's Restaurant, turn right onto Gallatin St, it's on the right, directly across.the street from the post office.)<br /><br />Anne Villeacres of the Hyattsville committee invited us and she feels this meeting is a good opportunity for us to make contacts, learn about and create local energy for improving trails in RP.<br /><br />Below is the email from BTAG announcing the meeting. I definitely plan to attend (as does Rob Oppenheim) and we would love to have you join us.<br /><br />Much work has already gone into the Trolley Line bike trail project. Personally, I'd like to help in any way I can, to build on that foundation, and see Riverdale Park continue to become a greener,<br />friendlier and safer place for pedestrians and bikers.<br /><br />About BTAG...<br /><br />The County Executive's office created BTAG to coordinate, advise and set bike trail development priorities and plans. BTAG meetings are normally held during office hours in Upper Marlboro,<br />so this is a rare chance for interested citizens to attend a local, evening meeting. It's my understanding that this evening meeting is, at least in part, in recognition of the dedicated, energetic and successful efforts of the Hyattsville Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee.<br /><br />Regular participants in BTAG meetings include the County Executive's Office, the Planning Department, the Parks Department, the Department of Environmental Resources, the State Highway Administration, the Department of Public Works and Transportation, the National Park<br />Service (NPS), several Bicycle and Trail Clubs, municipalities and civic associations.<br /><br />More info about BTAG is available on their web page:<br /><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.mncppc.org/Btag/BTAGmain.html" target="_blank">http://www.mncppc.org/Btag<wbr>/BTAGmain.html</a><br /><br />More info about the Hyattsville Bike an Pedestrian committee is available here:<br /><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.hyattsvillewiki.com/page/Bike+and+Pedestrian+Safety+Committee" target="_blank">http://www.hyattsvillewiki.com<wbr>/page/Bike+and+Pedestrian<wbr>+Safety+Committee</a><br /><br /><br />Here's the email announcing the meeting from Fred Shaffer of BTAG:<br /><br />---------- Forwarded message ----------<br /><br />"Shaffer, Fred" <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:Fred.Shaffer@ppd.mncppc.org">Fred.Shaffer@ppd.mncppc.org</a>> wrote:<br />Subject: BTAG Quarterly Meeting<br />Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 13:43:22 -0400<br />From: "Shaffer, Fred" <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:Fred.Shaffer@ppd.mncppc.org">Fred.Shaffer@ppd.mncppc.org</a>><br /><br />The next quarterly meeting of the Prince George's County Bicycle and Trails Advisory Group (BTAG) is scheduled for:<br />Tuesday, July 17th<br />7:00 PM – 9:00 PM<br />Hyattsville City Hall<br />4310 Gallatin Street<br />Hyattsville<br /><br />Please note the Tuesday meeting date and evening meeting time. This change from our usual meeting time was done to better coordinate with the Hyattsville Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee.<br /><br />Light refreshments will be served.<br /><br />Issues on the agenda include:<br /><br />Sidewalk retrofit/pedestrian safety needs in Hyattsville<br />Possible mountain bike skills park in Hyattsville<br />Master Plan of Transportation (Trails Element) – re-initiation and<br />upcoming fall workshops<br />South County Master Plan "Listening" Sessions with Trail User Groups<br />Paint Branch Trail Extension<br />Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail crossing of Paint Branch Parkway<br />BTAG letter to National Harbor<br /><br />It will also be my pleasure to introduce Dan Janousek, a new planner in the Transportation Section at M-NCPPC. Dan will be spending approximately 50% of his time working on bicycle, trail, and pedestrian issues, and will be a big help ensuring that all of the trail projects, area master plans, and inter-jurisdictional coordination get the time and attention that they warrant. In addition to working with BTAG, he will begin by working on some subdivision review applications and the Subregion V Master Plan update. We will also be working together to bring the Trails GIS Layer up-to-date. Dan has previously worked on bicycle and trail issues in Montgomery County. Please forward to me additional agenda items. I can be reached via e-mail or at (301) 952-3661 for questions or comments.<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-44313622119319826252007-07-11T09:02:00.000-04:002007-07-11T10:08:34.433-04:00Cafritz Web Site Up & Running<span style="font-style: italic;">Well, the long-anticipated Cafritz Property web site is now up and running -- here, I've lifted the "Events/News" page, which describes the upcoming meetings on their calendar. The URL is <a href="http://www.cafritzpop.com/">http://www.cafritzpop.com/</a></span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Community Meeting</span></strong><br /> <span style="font-size:85%;">Thursday, July 26th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Riverdale Elementary School </span> <p></p><p class="indent"><span style="font-size:85%;">Meeting Overview: Develop the Design Plan</span></p> <p class="indent"><span style="font-size:85%;">Presentation and discussion of draft design principles for the Cafritz project area.<br /> We will develop draft design principles for each of the nine categories that we have used to solicit community ideas, input and concerns. We will use those principles, modified to include the input from our July sessions, to guide the development of a conceptual plan for the Cafritz site. </span><strong>This meeting will be replicated in its entirety on July 28th. </strong> </p><p class="article"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Community Meeting</strong></span><br /> <span style="font-size:85%;">Saturday, July 28th from 10:00 am to noon Riverdale Elementary School </span> </p><p class="indent"><span style="font-size:85%;">Meeting Overview: Develop the Design Plans<br /> <strong><span style="font-size:78%;">The subject matter of this presentation will be identical to that of the July 26 meeting.</span></strong></span></p> <p class="article"><strong><br /> <span style="font-size:85%;">Community Meeting<br /> </span></strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Thursday, September 15th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Riverdale Elementary School </span> </p><p class="indent"><span style="font-size:85%;">Meeting Overview: Refine the Design Plans</span></p> <p class="indent"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:85%;" >The concept plan will be discussed and will include information on the following: building heights, land uses and locations, the developmentprogram, street network and circulation patterns, parking locations,open spaces, neighborhood bike and sidewalk connections, publicamenities, sustainability features and storm water retention.<br /> </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><strong>This meeting will be replicated in its entirety on Sept. 18th.</strong></span> </p><p class="article"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Community Meeting<br /> </strong>Saturday, September 18th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Riverdale Elementary School </span> </p><p class="indent"><span style="font-size:85%;">Meeting Overview: Refine the Design Plans</span><br /> <strong><span style="font-size:78%;">The subject matter of this presentation will be identical to that of the Sept. 15 meeting.</span></strong><br /> </p> <p class="article"><img src="http://www.cafritzpop.com/images/heading_news.jpg" height="35" width="275" /> </p><ul><li><a href="http://www.cafritzpop.com/pdf/Community_Workshop_1.pdf"> Download Press Release</a></li> June 20, 2007<br /></ul> <p class="article"><img src="http://www.cafritzpop.com/images/heading_community_past.jpg" height="35" width="200" /> </p><ul><li><a href="http://www.cafritzpop.com/event2.html">Community Summary Session</a></li> June 14th, 2007<br /><br /><li><a href="http://www.cafritzpop.com/event1.html">Community Workshop </a></li> June 2nd & 7th, 2007<br /><br /><br /></ul><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-68820011975633512952007-06-26T11:44:00.000-04:002007-07-10T07:01:36.312-04:00Live from Riversdale: The Blues<span style="font-style: italic;">This announcement is stolen wholesale from the <a href="http://therpmuse.blogspot.com/">RP Muse blog</a>:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >M.S.G. The Acoustic Blues Trio: Free Concert @ Riversdale Mansion June 27, 7pm</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pgparks.com/places/eleganthistoric/riversdale_intro.html">Riversdale Mansion</a> hosts a series of free outdoor concerts during the summer and the next one features <a href="http://www.acousticbluesmsg.com/index.html">M.S.G. The Acoustic Blues Trio</a>. M.S.G. perform Piedmont style blues. The trio consists of Jackie Merritt (Hampton, VA) on harmonica, Miles Spicer (Riverdale Park, MD) on guitar, and Resa Gibbs (Hampton, VA) singing. This is one talented group. Come join the fun next Wednesday (7pm, 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park, MD 20737)!<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-1486253081769958812007-06-26T08:29:00.000-04:002007-06-26T13:32:39.705-04:00"Four-quadrant safety gate" -- where are you?On my way to the MARC this morning, I noticed that the portable warning signs are gone; the detour signs are down; the heavy equipment is gone; it's as if CSX is done with the upgrade work at our RxR crossing -- and the "four-quadrant safety gate" is nowhere to be seen. Inquiring minds do need to know...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">UPDATE: Mayor Archer has today provided new information to <a href="http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk">TownTalk</a>, namely that the installation of the new gates will be carried out in a separate phase of the work, dates TBA.</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-38783937000127933602007-06-25T10:54:00.000-04:002007-06-25T21:42:56.241-04:00"Four-quadrant Safety Gate" countdown continues...You know you live in a quiet town when the closing of a RxR crossing brings out legions of curious onlookers. The area around our MARC station was a popular destination this weekend, as CSX began its reconstruction of our RxR crossing on Queensbury Rd. one week later than originally announced.<br /><br />The road is open again as of this morning, but my observation last night and this morning indicates that while the grade work appears to be done, there is as yet no visible progress on replacing the old crossing gates with the new "four-quadrant safety gate". Presumably they will continue the work next weekend?<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Some photos taken around the crossing and Town Center over the weekend are here: <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/dwightrholmes/TownCenterQueensburyRdRxRCrossing">http://picasaweb.google.com/dwightrholmes/TownCenterQueensburyRdRxRCrossing</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-27990706555989515412007-06-25T10:07:00.000-04:002007-06-26T08:48:58.932-04:00Brentwood Wants to Be More Like Us? (Tax hikes in Brentwood & Cheverly)On the subject of taxes... With our new property tax bill due to arrive shortly, I presume, there have been two recent articles in <span style="font-style:italic;">The Gazette</span> that caught my eye. One, <a href="http://gazette.net/stories/062107/portnew202334_32364.shtml">"Town taxes to nearly double in Brentwood"</a>, reports that Brentwood has voted itself a tax increase in order to buy into Mt. Rainier's police force protection. Raising their rates from 24.8c per $100 of assessment to 47.6 -- nearly double -- is a pretty dramatic statement that they want the additional security that comes with having a hometown police force, and are willing to pay for it. I guess they want to be more like us! Time will tell if this partial buy-in gets them what they want.<br /><br />Cheverly is also raising its taxes, according to the article <a href="http://gazette.net/stories/062107/landnew201157_32361.shtml">"Cheverly gets second tax increase in two years"</a>, but only by 3c (from 45 to 48c per $100) this year after a 5c raise last year. Reportedly, the town is battling a continuing budget deficit.<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-35023544580316010372007-06-24T17:05:00.001-04:002007-06-26T13:15:32.462-04:00Cafritz summation -- from Rethink College Park and both local papers, The Gazette and The SentinelStill waiting for the Cafritz team to post its findings from the series of "community workshops" to its website, as promised... Meanwhile, we have three articles reporting on what was said, from <span style="font-style: italic;">Rethinking College Park</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Gazette</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Sentinel</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rethink College Park's</span> Chris Ellepola has posted his writeup for us , summarizing the community input offered at the Riverdale Elementary meetings.<br /><a href="http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/425/"><br />http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/425/</a><br /><br />I won't quote from Chris' article here, because the entire thing is well worth the read. I will point out that the most crucial item in his writeup is the observation that the Cafritz team's "report out" on June 14th omitted one entire range of views that had been expressed by some area residents at the meetings: Namely, their preference that the property NOT be rezoned at all, and instead be developed as a single family residence neighborhood -- if at all. (I would venture to say that most of the people arguing for no development at all, or at least no rezoning hail from either University Park or the section of College Park just north of Cafritz. But Hyattsville Councilman Chris Currie argued eloquently for the same in his screed which can be read on the <a href="http://route1growth.wordpress.com/2007/06/13/questions-to-ponder/">Route 1 Growth blog</a>.)<br /><br />The Ellepola article also includes the announced schedule of further, upcoming Cafritz meetings, also to be held at Riverdale Elementary, which is as follows:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">THURSDAY, July 26TH</span> (7-9pm) & <span style="font-weight: bold;">SATURDAY, July 28th</span> (10am-12pm)<br />Two identical meetings, to share the team's "design principles."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SATURDAY, September 15th</span> (10am-12pm) -<span style="font-weight: bold;">TUESDAY, September 18th</span> (7-9pm)<br />Two identical meetings to share their "concept plan."<br /><br />Earliest possible groundbreaking: Fall 2009 (assumes successful rezoning -- see Dineen O'Connor quote from <span style="font-style: italic;">The Gazette</span>, below).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Gazette</span> article, by Maya T. Prabhu, "Waiting for the details on Riverdale project: Owners of Cafritz property to seek rezoning to allow retail on undeveloped tract near Route 1," is available at:<br /><a href="http://www.gazette.net/stories/062107/hyatnew202417_32379.shtml">http://www.gazette.net/stories/062107/hyatnew202417_32379.shtml</a><br /><br />The most interesting items in this article are the quotes from University Park Mayor Tabori and from Dineen O'Connor, the responsible representative for our area on the Planning Commission.<br /><br />Mayor Tabori summarized input from several UP residents at the meetings: <blockquote>‘‘An important issue for us is where the entrance and exit are going to be. Is it going to be right on Route 1 and across from us?”</blockquote><br /><br />(To which I would respond, "Of course it's going to be on Route 1!" How could it not be? I would think the question is 'what additional access routes will there be, besides Route 1?')<br /><br />O'Connor shed some light on what's involved assuming the Cafritz team proceeds and applies for the zoning change (to change the property's zoning from single family residences to multiuse zoning):<br /><br /><blockquote>"The developer has to either prove there was a mistake in the original zoning...or prove that there has been a change in the character of the area to warrant a re-examination of the property,” she said.<br /><br />O’Connor said it typically takes the Planning Board a year to decide.</blockquote><br /><br />Our town is represented in the article by Ward 2 representative Kate Sharpe, who (rightfully) is quoted as commenting that "It’s hard to make a decision one way or the other when we’re so early in the process." <br /><br />There's also an article in<span style="font-style: italic;">The Sentinel</span>, <a href="http://www.thesentinel.com/359857391427743.php">"Developers seek feedback on Cafritz property</a>," by Raechal Leone. It features quotes from Mayor Tabori and another UP resident, along with a College Park resident -- and none from any Riverdale Parkies. The gem from this article is the line "[University Park] Town officials are already making contact with state highway administrators and politicians." I bet they are.<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-27299604171126014572007-06-20T08:50:00.001-04:002007-06-25T15:17:25.362-04:00Snapshots in time...The photo labeled "Cafritz Property, 1965" (which has now been moved to near the bottom of this page) was taken in 1965, showing the Cafritz property at the top, and Riverdale Park Town Center at the bottom -- and no East-West Highway.<br /><br />I grabbed this and some other overhead photos of the Cafritz area from the M-NCPPC website <a href="http://">www.pgatlas.com</a>. <br /><br />Four images cropped and scaled identically from 1938, 1965, 1993, and 2000 are available via this link: <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/dwightrholmes/CafritzPropertyAndTheParksFromAboveOverTime">http://picasaweb.google.com/dwightrholmes/CafritzPropertyAndTheParksFromAboveOverTime</a><br /><br />Of note: <br />In the 1965 shot, you can clearly see the scars of the WWII manufacturing town that occupied the site; you can also see the clear line of the Trolley Line, which had at that time been recently abandoned. Also, I see that there was a street that occupied what is now the route of East-West Highway from west of the tracks to Route 1 and on over to Queens Chapel - Adelphi. Does anybody remember what the name of that street was? I'm guessing it was Rittenhouse?<br /><br />In the 1938 shot, notice that much of what was to become the WWII manufacturing site, as well as what was to become the ERCO factory on the east side of the tracks, is essentially barren land, at least that's how it appears in the photo. Plenty of trees to the north in what is now Calvert Heights, but most of what is now the wooded Cafritz property was anything but at this time. Interesting.<br /><br />Speaking of the ERCO factory (and adjacent airport), which spanned what is now River Rd., there are some good photos and history of the place here: <a href="http://www.airfields-freeman.com/MD/Airfields_MD_PG_C.html#erco">http://www.airfields-freeman.com/MD/Airfields_MD_PG_C.html#erco</a><br />Thanks to Stuart Eisenberg for the link!<br /><br />Comparing the 1993 and 2000 views, focussing on our Town Center, it's perhaps telling (or, more likely, just coincidental) that in 1993, there are only a few cars backed up on East-West Highway at Rt. 1, heading west, and the Town Center parking lot is jammed. Seven years later, it looks like all the cars have moved out onto East-West Highway, causing gridlock, and the Town Center parking lot is nearly empty.<br /><br />"This too will pass."<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-57359253180016965182007-06-13T13:16:00.000-04:002007-06-26T13:14:06.652-04:00We're hard wired for the farmers' market!<blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">"<span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Consumers have 10 times as many conversations at farmers' markets as they do at supermarkets — an order of magnitude difference</span></span>. By itself, that's hardly life-changing, but it points at something that could be: living in an economy where you are participant as well as consumer, where you have a sense of who's in your universe and how it fits together. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">At the same time, some studies show local agriculture using less energy (also by an order of magnitude) than the "it's always summer somewhere" system we operate on now.</span> Those are big numbers, and it's worth thinking about what they suggest—especially since, between peak oil and climate change, there's no longer really a question that we'll have to wean ourselves of the current model." [emphasis added]<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Bill Mckibben, <span>"Reversal of Fortune: The formula for human well-being used to be simple: Make money, get happy. So why is the old axiom suddenly turning on us?"</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Mother Jones</span>,</span> March/April 2007<br /><br />available at: <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/03/reversal_of_fortune.html">http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/03/reversal_of_fortune.html</a><br /><br />Brian's post to TownTalk (where he talks about the oil running out, gas reaching $10 a gallon, and a time when we're all walking to do our errands, out of necessity, and won't it then be nice to have some mixed use density around us...) reminded me of this article in a recent issue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Mother Jones</span> (rest her soul -- she died not so far from here, you know).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ohwy.com/history%20pictures/mojomark.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 242px;" src="http://www.ohwy.com/history%20pictures/mojomark.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's a very interesting article on "happiness", and what a new and growing school of thought in economics has to say about it. One "finding" is that a lot of what we treat as "morality" seems to be hard wired into us genetically! "Indeed, we seem to be genetically wired for community."<br /><br />And the particular section from which I pulled the above quote seems to me to say that what we are about here in Riverdale Park is the right thing -- and we should just keep doing more of it!<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-75582035498419732252007-06-11T09:59:00.000-04:002007-06-11T10:02:07.819-04:00<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-84931806362989911562007-06-11T09:25:00.000-04:002007-06-11T10:28:46.729-04:00Reactions to the first Cafritz Property "community workshop"Am I the only one who can't wait til Thursday to hear what the Cafritz development team tells us they gleaned of the two community workshops they held? And how they see themselves proceeding from here? (I only wish I could be there on time, but a conflict will prevent that)<br /><br />I would love to hear what other people are thinking, and what they foresee as obstacles... Does this seem like just one more proposal that will likely disappoint or even just peter out in the end? Or is it really something refreshingly different? Other than save some of us a bunch on gas money and driving time, how would it change our community to have something like a Whole Foods store in town? What are the plusses? and minuses? And do we need a reality check before we start planning our errand list around having a local Whole Foods!?!? And what about Councilman Olson's proposal that the residential aspect of the project be an Over-55 community to prevent any negative impact on our area's schools?<br /><br />There's been little (no?) discussion of or reaction to the Cafritz meetings on TownTalk. Perhaps we're all waiting to hear what the Cafritz team has to say at the third and final meeting on Thursday, June 14. My own reaction continues to be conflicted: While I'm sincerely enthusiastic about the promise, I don't want to let myself get carried away -- so I remain cautious. For one, as we all know, there are a bazillion hoops to go through before the first shovel can be pushed into the ground. Moreover, it's usually healthy to be at least a bit skeptical; after all, doesn't this sound too good to be true? The Cafritz family have brought in -- along with themselves -- *seven* different professional firms or agencies (along with donuts, lunch, and a violinist) - what do they want from me? Surely, it's more than my opinion?!? (And is it more than my support for a zoning variance?)<br /><br />Of course, this is a classic case of damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't. Had they proceeded headstrong with a proposal, they'd be criticized for not soliciting community input -- and deservedly so. Instead, they've gone to great lengths to approach our elected officials, and then to arrange this series of meetings to find out what our interests and concerns are. For this they should receive credit -- and I believe they are. I certainly applaud them for their approach thus far. Nonetheless, some degree of skepticism (or cynicism) seems unavoidable, if not advisable: I guess I'll just fall back on the famous words of Ronald Reagan: "Trust, but verify." :)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />One thing I've started to wonder: Why don't the Cafritz family buy up the Riverdale Park Industrial Park and merge that in with their current holdings? </span> Or even the USPS parcel (ahem... no pun...)? (anybody know who owns that property?) When you look at the overhead views or maps, the USPS and Industrial Park properties really stand out as vestiges of the old, and obstacles to the new (at least to what <span style="font-style:italic;">appears </span>to be the future direction of the area).<br /><br />Meanwhile, there are at least three writeups of the Cafritz development and/or the workshop from last Saturday (June 2nd), published on the following blogs, <span style="font-style:italic;">Rethinking College Park</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Route 1 Growth</span>, and <span style="font-style:italic;">Life in Riverdale Park</span>:<br /><br />from <span style="font-style:italic;">Rethinking College Park (By Chris Ellepola):</span><blockquote>"The Business and Retail arm of the resource team stated that Whole Foods Mid-Atlantic President Ken Meyer has seen the Cafritz Property and said he would like to put a store there. The company is waiting on plans for the development in order to move forward. Fall is a reasonable time to expect a more definitive position from Whole Foods as to whether or not it will place a grocery store on the Cafritz Property."</blockquote><a href="http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/409/">http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/409/</a><br /><br />from <span style="font-style:italic;">Route 1 Growth:</span> <br /><blockquote>"My overall impressions were positive and I felt that the development team was interested in engaging the public in this discussion. County Council member Eric Olson termed the outreach unique and important. Although no development plans have yet been filed, one must keep in mind that the development group does have a vision for the property. Certainly the selected team members, the stated values and the workstation topics lead me to believe that this project will tend towards high-density development. The very point of having the community input meetings is to modify the original single family zoning."</blockquote><a href="http://route1growth.wordpress.com/2007/06/04/summary-of-june-2nd-cafritz-community-input-meeting/">http://route1growth.wordpress.com/2007/06/04/summary-of-june-2nd-cafritz-community-input-meeting/</a><br /><br />from a new local blog, <span style="font-style:italic;">Life in Riverdale Park</span>: <a href="http://lifeinriverdalepark.blogspot.com/2007/06/cafritz-property.html">http://lifeinriverdalepark.blogspot.com/2007/06/cafritz-property.html</a><br><br /><blockquote>"My wife and I have shopped at the Whole Foods in Silver Spring, and it is a huge store. Their food selection appears superior in terms of quality and health conscious options to a standard Giant, Safeway, Shoppers, etc. However, the prices are high, and I know some residents would be turned off by this. I still think that there would be enough interest though to justify a store. I would really hope that environmental concerns are taken seriously with a development so close to the Anacostia River. I've read a lot about how the vast amount of impervious surface at PG Plaza has really hurt the local tributaries of the Anacostia. A garage would be ideal in order to keep as much green space as possible."<br /></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-74409253907675902812007-06-08T14:21:00.001-04:002008-12-09T15:18:36.225-05:00Cafritz Property & Riverdale Park - Aerial shotsI wasn't able to get to Thursday's Cafritz "Community workshop" but am looking forward to next week's "summary" meeting. It's exciting to ponder the possibilities of what could be a very positive change for our town and the larger community.<br /><br />I grabbed a few aerial photos off of WindowsLive -- for the slide show, scroll way down, down near the bottom of the page. Here's one still shot:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmmfV7PgGeI/AAAAAAAAAWM/9YVsdVYK_kA/s1600-h/Cafritz6.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmmfV7PgGeI/AAAAAAAAAWM/9YVsdVYK_kA/s400/Cafritz6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5073761654238353890" /></a><br /><br />The above aerial shot, facing south, shows the Trolley Line trail (proposed hiker-biker trail route) cutting across the Cafritz property towards Riverdale Park Town Center, with the USPS facility to the west and the CSX tracks to the east. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">You may click on the photo to see an enlarged version.</span><br /><br />For more of these aerial photos of the Cafritz - WMATA area plus adjoining areas of Riverdale Park go to:<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/dwightrholmes">http://picasaweb.google.com/dwightrholmes</a><br /><br />and choose the Cafritz album.<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-66679945184867699282007-06-04T21:39:00.000-04:002007-06-04T22:05:42.534-04:00Cafritz' high-powered starting lineupI found these links via Google: Collectively, these represent all of the firms or agencies that were present at Saturday's Cafritz program, and listed on the back of the brochure distributed there, I think.<br /><br />[<span style="font-style: italic;">The role(s) of each group on the "resource team" is in brackets</span>]<br /><br />The one I'm not entirely certain about is this one:<br />MV+A ARCHITECTS ["<span style="font-style: italic;">Placemaking</span>"]<br /><a href="http://www.mva-arch.com/">http://www.mva-arch.com/</a><br />In the brochure they're listed as MV&A Architects -- but that would not be the only typo on the brochure, to wit, the representative of MV&A is listed as Jim Volzke; on MV+A Architects' website the name Voelzke is in the banner along with others. I'm willing to wager this is one and the same group, but can't be certain...<br /><br />Here are the others:<br /><br />The first one, HO&C, is intriguing: Did anyone at the meeting hear or see the term "affordable housing" anywhere?<br /><br />HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES & CONCEPTS: THE EXPERTS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING [<span style="font-style: italic;">"Livability"</span>]<br /><a href="http://www.hocmc.org/AboutHOC/Documents/HOC-Concepts-Brochure.pdf">http://www.hocmc.org/AboutHOC/Documents/HOC-Concepts-Brochure.pdf</a><br /><br />LOIEDERMAN SOLTESZ ASSOCIATES [<span style="font-style: italic;">"Environmental Sustainability"</span>]<br /><a href="http://www.lsassociates.net/">http://www.lsassociates.net/</a><br /><br />BENNETT FRANK MCCARTHY ARCHITECTS ["<span style="font-style: italic;">Open Spaces & Connections</span>"; "<span style="font-style: italic;">WMATA</span>"]<br /><a href="http://www.bfmarch.com/">http://www.bfmarch.com/</a><br /><br />H & R RETAIL ["<span style="font-style: italic;">Business & Retail</span>"]<br /><a href="http://www.hrretail.com/">http://www.hrretail.com/</a><br /><br />THE TRAFFIC GROUP ["<span style="font-style: italic;">Transportation</span>"]<br /><a href="http://www.trafficgroup.com/">http://www.trafficgroup.com/</a><br /><br />EHRENKRANTZ ECKSTUT & KUHN ARCHITECTS ["<span style="font-style: italic;">Moderator</span>"; "<span style="font-style: italic;">Graphic Design</span>"]<br /><a href="http://www.eekarchitects.com/">http://www.eekarchitects.com/</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-51835386996098437502007-06-04T10:41:00.000-04:002008-12-09T15:18:37.130-05:00How many Whole Foods can you fit in a VW Bug? or in the Cafritz Property?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmQohP1oziI/AAAAAAAAAIE/fqguQKn7KOk/s1600-h/WholeFoodsSilverSpring.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmQohP1oziI/AAAAAAAAAIE/fqguQKn7KOk/s320/WholeFoodsSilverSpring.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072223631978319394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmQoxP1ozjI/AAAAAAAAAIM/J_ic-9ErH7s/s1600-h/WFSSonCafritz.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmQoxP1ozjI/AAAAAAAAAIM/J_ic-9ErH7s/s320/WFSSonCafritz.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072223906856226354" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmQoxP1ozkI/AAAAAAAAAIU/6wn3dRkRQls/s1600-h/WFSSonCafritzX5.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmQoxP1ozkI/AAAAAAAAAIU/6wn3dRkRQls/s320/WFSSonCafritzX5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072223906856226370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I had a whole host of reactions (ranging from the very positive to the highly cynical) while attending the Cafritz Property extravaganza on Saturday (complete with solo violinist, snacks and lunch, and a high-powered team of consultants and salespersons!)<br /><br />I don't have time to write up all of my reactions & subsequent questions, but I'll throw out a few here in hopes of stirring up some discussion among others who attended...<br /><br />Clearly, they have their hearts (and wallets?) set on landing a Whole Foods. And in an interesting sort of conflict-of-interest, the marketing/business location guy that they had there happens to work for a firm that is employed by Whole Foods to help find new viable locations. Hmmm... I asked him if he could tell me how big the property is where the Silver Spring Whole Foods sits. He could not. So I did a little back-of-the-google map calculation myself:<br /><br />NOTE: All 3 photos are at same scale (and you can click on each one to see a larger image)<br /><br />PHOTO #1: Aerial shot of the Silver Spring Whole Foods complex (incl the other stores and parking lot)<br /><br />PHOTO #2: I copied my outline (red line) from Silver Spring onto an aerial shot of the Cafritz Property (white, dotted line).<br /><br />PHOTO #3: I multiplied that red outline (and rotated one of them) to determine that approx 5 of them would fit on the Cafritz Property. So the Whole Foods complex is roughly 5 - 6 acres, I reckon.<br /><br />This question of 'how big is a Whole Foods in relation to this property?' came to mind as I was seeing and hearing an ever-expanding "wish list" develop at the meeting. Included: many competing priorities. Housing, amenities, greenspace, Whole Foods, hardware store, ethnic restaurants, minimize environmental impact, hiker-biker trail, playgrounds, etc... Since shopping centers come with big parking lots, how much of your 36 acres are you willing to give up to asphalt? (BTW, I asked if they'd considered putting the parking underground and on the roof, as at the P St. Whole Foods -- "We haven't gotten that far, yet.")<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Overall, I left with an image of the magical Arabian tent from childhood cartoons -- tiny from the outside, seemingly infinitely large on the inside. So what of these many, desirable ideas will give way as the project takes shape?</span><br /><br />P.S. Here's one more: PHOTO #4 (below). On this view of the Cafritz property I've overlaid the outlines of three different Whole Foods from the Metro area: Silver Spring, P St. (near 14th St NW), and Falls Church. The Silver Spring and Falls Church stores are similar in that both have other stores in the same shopping center, and a large parking lot. Location-wise these two are most like our Riverdale Park situation. The P St. store is, of course, urban and not suburban, and is a standalone store (though surrounded by a variety of other retail, office and residential properties). It is noteworthy for having its parking on the roof and underground. (As a frequent shopper at this store, I can attest to the fact that parking is often difficult to find!)<br /><br />Obviously, with its biker-ped-friendly "hidden parking" and overall smaller "footprint" a store along the lines of the P St. Whole Foods would take up much less acreage, greatly reduce the runoff from a sprawling parking lot and leave much more land for other purposes -- including greenspace. (However, it should be reiterated that the P St. store is a standalone Whole Foods -- adding additional stores and businesses would certainly increase the footprint.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmSeQbPgFUI/AAAAAAAAAIs/hcrtZ6mIrzE/s1600-h/3+whole+foods+on+cafritz+overlay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmSeQbPgFUI/AAAAAAAAAIs/hcrtZ6mIrzE/s320/3+whole+foods+on+cafritz+overlay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072353085353891138" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-11832908927414586582007-06-04T10:37:00.000-04:002007-06-04T10:40:23.592-04:00The Coffee House is "Virtual" for now...I added the word "virtual" to the welcome message at the top of the page. One earnest reader was confused, and wrote to ask me where the new coffee house is! Don't we wish... BTW, when I first heard about Busboys & Poets coming to EYA, I figured that might also serve to satisfy our coffee house needs somewhat. But i don't see the word coffee even mentioned on their website, let alone in their menus. So maybe I'm wrong. Would still love to hear from someone who's been to the one at 14th & Columbia NW.<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-14640252176537863012007-06-01T09:54:00.001-04:002008-12-09T15:18:39.075-05:00Cafritz Property<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmQ2vP1ozmI/AAAAAAAAAIk/eam3zWDck7M/s1600-h/cafritz+property+submap.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_uTrPxAieKkA/RmQ2vP1ozmI/AAAAAAAAAIk/eam3zWDck7M/s320/cafritz+property+submap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072239265659276898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The map to the left shows the outlines of the Cafritz Property (thin red line) nestled between:<br /><br />NORTH: WMATA property which lies between Albion Rd. /College Park-Riverdale Park town line and the Cafritz Property;<br />WEST: Rt. 1, and University Park;<br />EAST: CSX RxR tracks;<br />SOUTHWEST: USPS facility;<br />SOUTHEAST: RP Industrial Park.<br /><br />Town Center connects to the property via the route of the old trolley tracks, current well-worn pedestrian path, and hoped-for future Trolley Line Hiker-Biker Trail (shown by thick blue line). You can click on the map to see it in full size.<br /><br />Route1 Growth blog has some thoughts on the future of the Cafritz property:<br /><a href="http://route1growth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://route1growth.wordpress<wbr>.com</a>/<br /><br />I guess we'll get a hint, perhaps, of what the developers have in mind tomorrow at 10 a.m...<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-31464056732422859092007-06-01T08:27:00.000-04:002007-06-01T23:55:12.982-04:00Pizza & a Novel?<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">EYA East lands Busboys & Poets Restaurant and Bookstore</span><br /><br />EYA developers (the new developments along Rt 1 in Hyattsville AND Riverdale Park) announced an agreement with Busboys & Poets to be the "anchor restaurant" in EYA East. This is EYA Phase II, which lies partially in our town, and which will help build and abut on the Hyattsville portion of the Trolley Line Hiker-Biker Trail. I've never been to Busboys & Poets, though we've often talked about going -- they've got quite a bit of press in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Post</span> and elsewhere. But it seems like an excellent fit with the concept of a Route 1 "Arts Community" while also fulfilling some of the need for more local choices in places to eat and places to hang out.<br /><br />Has anyone been to Busboys & Poets downtown? I'd love to hear what you think of it.<br /><br />They've got a nice website, with menus, etc.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.busboysandpoets.com/">http://www.busboysandpoets.com/</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-3991748901787261742007-05-31T09:23:00.001-04:002007-05-31T11:37:01.991-04:00Running errands, leaving the car at home!<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/-80UDt0I-O8" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/-80UDt0I-O8" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p><p>I am really looking forward to the day when we can get on our bikes, leave the car at home, and pedal down the Trolley Line Hiker-Biker Trail to Franklin's, or the new Busboy's & Poets at EYA... or up the other direction to Smile Herb Shop and Berwyn Café, and even on up (using the Rhode Island Ave bike lane -- imagine, an actual bike lane!) to MOM's and REI... I would also have mentioned heading over from the trail to grab a latté at Starbucks in downtown College Park -- but hopefully by that time you'll be able to get your java fix right here in Town Center!!</p><p>I post this here now in conjunction with Rob's announcement that the Hiker-Biker trail project has been added to the docket of the Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission. This is great news, indeed!<br /></p><p>In case you missed the event back on February 3rd, and haven't seen the video, I've posted the video here of the Riverdale Park Trolley Line Hiker-Biker Trail meeting that took place at S&J's and Town Center. The video includes footage of the actual trolley train that plied this route before it was taken out of action in the 1960s. (the video was taken and posted to YouTube by the Hyattsville H4X guys)<br /></p><span style="font-style: italic;">for more on this the Trolley Line Hiker-Biker Trail, see</span>:<br /><a href="http://www.hyattsvilleh4x.com/index.php?post_id=178334&comments=on">http://www.hyattsvilleh4x.com/index.php?post_id=178334&comments=on</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">also see my Google map</span> which shows the entire route (roughly 3.8 miles from Ch. Armentrout Rd/Northwest Trail (Hyattsville) to the south to Greenbelt Rd. (College Park) to the north).<br /><br />Map of Riverdale Park MD Trolley Hiker-Biker Trail and Cafritz Property<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/2wsfql">http://tinyurl.com/2wsfql</a><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-22193504689133766972007-05-31T08:27:00.000-04:002007-05-31T08:57:49.048-04:00Good news all around: Trails & Crossings...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.its.dot.gov/jpodocs/repts_te/13587/image008.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.its.dot.gov/jpodocs/repts_te/13587/image008.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Thanks to Rob Oppenheim and everyone who worked to make the new RxR crossing gate a reality -- (We assume!! Rob announced that the installation date has been moved up to the weekend of June 8-10).<br /><br />Thanks to Roland Walker for the photo of what the new RxR crossing gate will look like (above).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Presumably </span>this means an end to the kind of crazy, reckless shenanigans captured in this video which was posted by one of the Riverdale Railfans to YouTube -- and which I've added to this page (immediately below)<div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445855205338804256.post-44207537663618105382007-05-31T07:50:00.000-04:002007-05-31T08:55:52.817-04:00Hopefully, no more of these close calls!<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/cmra0WpCIDA" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/cmra0WpCIDA" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p><p>One of our Riverdale Railfans caught this video of a near miss at our RxR crossing and posted it to YouTube</p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">RP Coffeehouse</div>Dwight Holmeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040781197605066074noreply@blogger.com0