<span style="font-family:Times;font-size:16px"><p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Town Talkers,</font></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">My ward report didn't make it into this month's Town Crier, so for those interested, I thought I'd post a copy here rather than leave it another month. Thanks,</span></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Alice</span></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">------------------------------------------------</span></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Ward 1 Report for April Town Crier</font></p><p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Alice Ewen Walker</font> <br></p><p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Spring is finally here and I’m looking forward to getting reacquainted with neighbors as we all get outside more. The Farmer’s Market will open earlier this year on April 9<sup>th</sup> and continues every Thursday from 3:00 to 7:00 pm through the fall. We look forward to several new vendors this year, including J-Wen Farms and Dairy, which will bring dairy products – a welcome addition.</font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">The developers of the Cafritz property continue to meet with representatives of the Town of Riverdale Park along with elected leaders from College Park and University Park. We recently had opportunity to review their traffic projections for the development. I expressed some concern with the market comparables that were used to project traffic burden. While I remain very supportive of the mixed-use development concept for the site, I believe we need to base our decisions on sound data. I anticipate that the development team will review the traffic figures incorporating the feedback received at our meeting.</font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">The town attorney has reached a milestone in title work related to the plans to build a hiker-biker trail along the trolley line right-of-way connecting our town to College Park and Hyattsville. We will be coordinating next steps with Councilman Eric Olson who has been such a strong supporter and leader for the effort. There are still many steps ahead of us to bring the project to fruition, but I’m pleased that we have had steady progress both on the design front with the technical work undertaken by M-NCPPC and the legal work performed by the town.</font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Since January, our code enforcement team has been working with the county fire inspector and homeowners’ insurance company to move action forward at 4602 Queensbury Road, which experienced a fire in December. Unfortunately, both the county and the insurance company were severely delayed in performing necessary fire inspections of the property. This is why the property was not cleaned up promptly after the fire. Our code enforcement team is continuing to work with the property owner, county, and insurance company to ensure that the clean up and repair of this property moves forward with speed. In addition, the house at 4603 East West Highway recently experienced a devastating fire. This property has long been in failing condition and with the damage from the fire, my expectation is the property will need to be condemned and torn down. I have asked senior staff to begin work now to undertake the condemnation process, which can be lengthy.</font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">On April 18<sup>th</sup> the town is hosting one of the major volunteer sites for Anacostia Watershed Society’s giant Earth Day Clean Up. We expect volunteers from throughout the DC area as well as a contingent of guests from Ipala Guatemala. Please bring your family out for a morning of volunteering to help make our trails, river, and parks as clean and green as possible. The project starts at 9:00 am and will take place along the Northeast Branch starting in the park off Riverside Drive. Bring gloves and wear long pants.</font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">I believe that in the coming year, code enforcement will be more important than ever as the town experiences, like many communities, the continued impacts of the housing downturn and foreclosure crisis. The code enforcement department has created a list of vacant properties in the town to assist our enforcement and security efforts. If there is a property in your area that you believe is empty, please call or email our code supervisor, Colleen Ferguson to alert her to the status.</font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">Chris Martin, a Riverdale Park resident and local teacher, has approached the town with a great student project he plans to lead this summer to install a mural within the town at a neglected underpass or other location. This will be a great way to involve young people in service and add vitality to our town.</font></p>
</span><br>-- <br>Alice Ewen Walker<br>Councilwoman, Ward 1<br>Town of Riverdale Park<br>