Revisiting ideas for 4th & L

Back in February this blog wondered aloud if a dog park could be the answer to transform the gravel lot at 4th & L from blight into a contributing use. Unfortunately shortly thereafter investigation of the deeds for the land by MVSNA officers showed that the land appeared to be under title to Bible Way church rather than the District.

While nothing has fundamentally changed on that front, the "Before and After" Community Garden concept rendering created by John Thompson is too slick not to share.



This 4th & L lot would be a great site to put temporary urbanism to practice. Rather than allow the eyesore to persist indefinitely it would be outstanding if a temporary use, such as a community garden, could be identified for the next 5+ years. Then once K Street blossoms and the streetcar arrives the lot could be developed.

Downtown Park and Open Space User Survey

The DC Office of Planning has a new online survey (link) regarding Downtown Parks and Open Spaces:

The DC Office of Planning is beginning a study to examine access, availability, and programming for park and open spaces in DC's Downtown and the emerging high density neighborhoods north of Massachusetts Avenue. The study will focus on what improvements are needed to better serve Downtown's workers and growing residential population. As part of this examination, we will look at both how we can better use existing parks such as Franklin Square and the many triangle parks, such as Gompers Park, but also plan for new parks and open spaces in areas where they are needed.

By completing this survey you will help us better understand how to plan for these parks to better serve area residents and workers. If you would like more information on this effort, please contact Thor Nelson at (202) 741-5241 or by email at thor.nelson@dc.gov or Emily Yates at (202) 442-7704 or by email at emily.yates@dc.gov

Plans for Chinatown Park

The following is from a Downtown BID document created on 9/10/2009.

Rendering from Downtown BID; Click to enlarge

Reservation 72 (Chinatown Park)

• Owned by National Park Service
  
• Bounded by 5th, 6th, Eye and Massachusetts Avenue, NW.
  
• Refurbishment plans begun by Yeni Wong and Chinatown 6-8 years ago.
  
• Downtown BID asked to intercede.
  
• Accomplishments:
  • Completed design plan
    
  • Developed project budget ($139,000)
    
  • Identified $96,000 in funding
    
  • Gained approvals of:
    • National Capital Planning Commission
      
    • U.S. Commission on Fine Arts
  • Coordinated with District Department of Transportation to complete streetscape surrounding the park (2 of 3 sides already are in Downtown BID area streetscape plan)
• Remaining tasks:
  • Raise remaining $43,000
    
  • Secure approval of National Park Service for sidewalk paving materials
    
  • Continue to urge DDOT to complete all 3 sides
• City's Chinatown Cultural Development Strategy calls for even greater improvements. The current project should be regarded as Phase One.

Bundy Lot meeting Thursday night

An organized group of our Shaw neighbors to the north will be meeting Thursday night with the Office of Property Management to discuss a vacant lot at 400 P Street. Residents support a dog park while the government believes the Safe Shores organization moving into the building needs parking.

See flyer below for meeting details.


While I'm an outsider on this issue and unavailable to attend to support, I do hope a compromise can be reached between the two parties. Safe Shores shouldn't be pushed to park on the street if promised parking by the district government. However, I've read compelling arguments that suggest the organization does not need a massive surface lot with 100 parking spots. Hopefully a balance can be achieved.

Linked up: Parks, Billboards, Doormen and RPP

Shaw - A Vacant lot on 10th Street, NW between L and M Streets is planned to be transformed into a park [Renew Shaw and Greater Greater Washington]

Mount Vernon Square - Cary Silverman discusses the need for DCRA to crack down on illegal billboards [The Other 35 Percent and Lifein MVSNA]

Yale Lofts - District Chatter reports Yale Lofts is considering a video doorman.

Ward 6 - Councilmember Tommy Wells' blog introduces the Residential Parking Protection Pilot Act and engages in some Q & A.

Seasonal flower bed at 2nd and Mass Park

The improvements to DPR Park 1089 at the confluence of 2nd, Mass and H Street continue this month. In late March Casey Trees, with the aid of 68 volunteers, planted 34 new trees at the park.

This month the seasonal flower bed at the western edge of the landscaping will be planted. Last week a volunteer roto-tilled the grass under and the CID hopes to have red salvia planted this Friday if the clean team can remove all the remaining roots out of the soil.


The next phase of improvements, which include transferring lighting, benches, bike racks and trash cans from the Art Walk will not occur until the City Center DC project begins. The Deputy Mayor of Economic Development, Neil Albert, remains optimistic the City Center development will start in the fall after the Washington Kastles tennis season is complete.

Artwalk lights and benches

With the tree planting completed the next major upgrade to the 2nd and Mass park in tentatively slated for the fall. The plan from DPR is to transplant the lighting, benches, bike racks and trash cans from the Art Walk when development of the Old Convention Center site begins.




I counted over 20 lights surrounding the Art Walk on the South and North ends.

Include Chinatown Park in streetscape upgrades

From Miles Groves of the DNA:

DDOT will be presenting their Downtown Streetscape (trees and streetlights) report, which will disclose whether they will include trees and streetlights in the area around the proposed Chinatown Park at 6th and Massachusetts Avenue. We need concerned residents who are concerned about the plight of Chinatown Park to attend the ANC 6C meeting which will be held at the Heritage Foundation at 214 Mass Ave NE starting at 7PM this Tuesday. As you can see from the agenda, several items are being covered.

We need to show DDOT that the neighborhood is concerned with the state of Chinatown Park and the delays to include the public space streetscape improvements that the National Park Service wants to see put into place before the renovation of the park begins.

Please try to come and bring neighbors. Some of us have spent exhaustive hours trying to get this work done and we need to show public support to the ANC and to DDOT.

Reservation 72, aka Chinatown park, bounded by 5th, 6th, Mass and I

Upgrading the park has long been discussed but continues to be postponed due to NPS control of the land and lack of funds. The streetscape money presents an opportunity to infuse life into the project. The Chinatown Revitalization Council would like to renovate the park in a way that incorporates Chinese Heritage. Triangle residents would like it to be a lively space and not just a worn patch of grass.

Tree Planting Photos

Great turnout at today's Casey Trees planting event for the park at 2nd and Mass. Roughly 68 volunteers participated including a brief visit from Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells.

Volunteers came from many sources including large groups from Price Waterhouse Coopers, Congress for the New Urbanism, the MVT CID Clean Team, AIPAC, DPR, Tommy Wells staff, and neighboring residential buildings. With direction from Casey Trees staff and Citizen Foresters the volunteers planted 34 trees and removed several Forsythia bushes.




I teamed up with a Citizen Forester from Burtonsville and Sarah Moulton, the community planner from DPR who designed the park's new concept, to plant two Ginkgos along Mass Ave. We had a couple of good chuckles about the new soon to debut Amy Poehler NBC sitcom called Parks and Recreation as we found a bone in the dirt.

Water for the trees was run from a fire hydrant on 2nd Street to fill the 25 gallon ooze tubes. The water source at the park should be functional within the next month. The next upgrade for the park, after the water supply, should occur in the fall with benches, trash cans and lighting will be transplanted from the Art walk to this park. The availability of these materials is dependent on the redevelopment of the Old Convention Center site moving forward.

Last Call: Tree Planting event tomorrow

Reminder: please consider registering to participate in the tree planting at the park at 2nd and Mass on Friday March 27th. The planting takes place from 9:00AM to 1:00PM.

Click image to visit Casey Trees calendar entry

Reminder: Tree Planting event on Friday March 27

Reminder: please consider registering to participate in the tree planting at the park at 2nd and Mass next Friday March 27th. The planting takes place from 9:00AM to 1:00PM.

Click image to visit Casey Trees calendar entry

Updated Design for 2nd and Mass Park

Last night a meeting to discuss improvements to DPR Park 1089 at the confluence of 2nd, Mass and H Street was held. Attendees included residents from the Sonata and Madrigal Lofts, two officers of the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association, MVT CID executive director Bill McLeod, Daniel Conner from Tommy Wells office, several organizers from Casey Trees, and a representative the Department of Park and Recreations (DPR).

The focus of the meeting was to unveil the new DPR design for the park and details for the Casey Trees sponsored community planting on Friday, March 27th (sign up).

Click to enlarge; rendering from Dept of Park & Recs (DPR)

The most significant change from the July 2008 Design was the change in tree species. The plan no longer calls for transplanting the River Birches from the Art Walk as those trees would require irrigation. The new landscaping plan focuses on "weed trees" like Ginkgos and Chinese Elms.

Phase I - Spring 2009

• Casey Trees will plant 34 new trees with volunteers from community and Price Waterhouse Coopers
  
• Two existing Japanese pines and one Golden Rain tree will remain
  
• Forsythia surrounding the Golden Rain tree will be removed.
  
• Seasonal flower bed will be planted (May?)

Phase II - Fall 2009

• Pavement will be repaired
  
• Benches, bike racks and trash cans will be relocated from Art Walk
  
• Art Walk lighting planned to be relocated, but needs to be cut down from towering 25" parking lot scale to a pedestrian scale.

Phase III - TBD

• Louis Dreyfus Property Group, the I-395 Air Rights developer, has expressed interest in contributing funds to enhance focal point of park (fountain, statue, etc...)

Please consider volunteering for the Casey Trees community planting on March 27th.

2nd and Mass Park Meeting

This Thursday a meeting to reveal DPR's updated design for the 2nd and Mass park and for Casey Trees to share logistics of the March 27th tree planting.

From MVT CID executive director Bill McLeod:

Interested in Mount Vernon Triangle's largest park -- the Triangle Park (DPR Park 1089)? Come to a community meeting to learn about the new design for the park, as designed by the Department of Parks & Recreation.

The meeting will be held at Second Baptist Church (816 3rd Street NW) -- on February 26 at 6:00 p.m until 7:00 p.m. The tree planting is scheduled for March 27 starting at 8:00 a.m.

The below rendering was presented by DPR's Sarah Moulton at the July 2008 meeting for this park.

Rendering from Dept of Park & Recs (DPR)

Casey Trees is still accepting registrations for the tree planting on Friday March 27th.

Click image to visit Casey Trees calendar entry

What can be done with 4th & L?

At the February MVSNA meeting there was a brief discussion on the corner of 4th and L. This area of course is along the primary trouble spot for prostitution in our area. The district owns vacant land to the east of the intersection that could be used to transform this seedy pocket and create more eyes on the street.

View Larger Map

How to best transform this city land is not a straight forward proposition. Long term DDOT goals are to reconnect L Street NW and 3rd Street NW over I-395 (rendering). Another long term possibility is the truncation of I-395 at Mass Ave which is being studied. I don't personally anticipate much movement on either of these items in the next 8-10 years.

I do think that preserving an unobstructed L Street right of way so that these future DDOT plans are not undermined is extremely important. However this limits the development potential of the city's L parcel.

Click to enlarge; Yellow=District parcel, Blue=Future L St segment, Red=Future 3rd St segment

Leaving the parcel vacant for 5-10 years should not be an option. A temporary use of the land seems to be what the doctor ordered. The two primary options would be a dog park or community garden. While I am not a dog owner I would lean towards a well lit enclosed dog park. The year round and around the clock use would be greater. I also wonder if the hookers wouldn't just raid a community garden for food or vandalize it when no one is around.

Would the opportunity to unleash their beloved canines be a strong enough draw to pull dog owners from Mass Ave hi-rises or from north of N.Y. Ave to this currently seedy spot? Would area dog owners show enough commitment to go through the lengthy petition process? Would they have enough critical mass to create a dog owner coalition, similar to Shawdogs.org, to maintain the grounds? I hope the answers are YES as this may be our best option to clean up this stretch of Fourth street.

UPDATE [2/19/09 @ 11am] This older satellite image from Microsoft's Local Live shows the homeless trailers that Si Kailian mentioned were at this location not too long ago.

Park Improvements at 2nd and Mass (update)

UPDATE (11/21/2008 3:30pm) - MVT Bill says copies of the volunteer commitment letters have been left at the lobby desks of the Madrigal and Sonata buildings. 12 signatures are needed by Tuesday the 25th.

---

I've got an update from DPR and the MVT CID on the proposed improvements for the park at 2nd, Mass and H Streets.

Jul 2008 Rendering from Dept or Park & Recs (DPR)

The MVT CID will be submitting a proposal to Casey Trees this month to donate and plant both large and small trees in the park, as well as some native groundcovers underneath the trees. If the proposal is approved by Casey Trees, planting will happen in the spring. ***** The CID needs two community members to pledge a commitment for each of the six trees, contact MVTBill@downtowndc.org to help. ***** The commitment is minimal as the CID will be adding the watering responsibilities to the Clean Team if funding for irrigation cannot be secured.

DPR's proposed plan also involved salvaging materials from the Art Walk at the Old Convention Center site. These materials include benches, bike racks, trash cans and lights. The timeline for securing these materials depends on Hines Archstone staying on track for their redevelopment of the Old Convention Center site.

Lastly, DDOT is still set to provide grant money for moving the hardscape pieces from ArtWalk park, as well as fixing up the concrete, coping and the central circular wall. DPR is still looking for funding to pay for light installation and possibly irrigation for the site.

2nd and Mass Park cleanup this Saturday

There is a park cleanup event at 9AM on November 15th (Saturday) at the 2nd and Mass Ave NW Park.

From the MVTCID:

Come join your neighbors for a park clean up at the 2nd and Mass Ave NW park. We will sweep, rake, weed, and pick up trash at this Triangle park. Please bring gloves and wear your work clothes.

I've contacted DPR's Sarah Moulton to see if there is further update on the proposed improvements for this park.

Park Improvements at 2nd and Mass (update)

Brief update from DPR's Sarah Moulton on the proposed improvements for the park at 2nd and Mass:

"Just wanted to provide everyone with a quick update on the 2nd and H Street Park grant application. I’ve just been told by DDOT that there is an application review meeting this week, and they should be making a final decision on which proposals will receive funding by the end of the month. I will let you know what happens as soon as I hear any news. Please feel free to pass this along to others who may be interested in the future of the park!"

More Streetscape improvements plus bike racks on L Street

The streetscape on L Street NW in front of Safeway is close to being completed. The fencing and bike racks have been installed. We've had previous updates of the streetscapes on July 3rd and July 28.

fencing installed around the 120 year old oak tree

2 bike racks immediately in front of Safeway

4 bike racks installed close to entrance of City Vista L

I'm told K Street will also have bike racks later this year.

Park Improvements at 2nd and Mass (proposed)

Last night a meeting to discuss the park at the confluence of 2nd, Mass and H Street was held. Attendees included, but not limited to, residents from the Sonata, a representative from the office building at 251 H Street, our MVT CID executive director Bill McLeod, president of the MVSNA Cary Silverman, Thor Nelson from the Office of Planning and Sarah Moulton from the Department of Park and Recreations.

The park is presently an under utilized eyesore. The heavy traffic surrounding the park isolates it. Homeless sleep in the park with one often camped inside the center ring of bushes. There was also talk of a recent illegal BBQ (by homeless?) at the park. The park is not well maintained, safe or inviting.

Funding is not presently available to perform a major overhaul of the park. Long term this could be negotiated with the developer seeking air rights over I-395 but improvements are needed in the short term. The Office of Planning (OP) has identified a transportation funds grant program that could provide the modest funding needed for small scale improvements including critical irrigation. With this intersection being one of the busiest in the city it qualifies and has the visibility to increase likelihood to receive the grant. However the grant will require that ongoing park maintenance is secured. If this comes together the improvements could begin as soon as October.

Rendering from Dept or Park & Recs (DPR)

The Department of Parks and Recs (DPR) has developed a set of design guidelines for the site. These cite the short term objectives for the park to be primarily beautification of the space and creation of a marker for the surrounding neighborhoods and the immediate area on Massachusetts Ave. DPR has also identified materials and plants that could be relocated from the Art Walk at the Old Convention Center site to keep costs down.

From the Draft document distributed by DPR:

Short Term Scenario Implementations Guidance:

• Provide a minimal, but bold planting pallet to be both low maintenance and highly visible to passing motorists.
  
• Focus tree planting on streets edges and in areas with significant soil depth.
  
• Install focal artwork or monument to create a sense of place and draw for the area.
  
• Provide benches and other seating to allow lunchtime gathering and passive use of the park
  
• Preserve existing pavement areas and repair where needed
  
• Implement "quick fix" pedestrian safety measures like: new cross walk painting, adding parking lanes to Mass Avenue next to park

Discussion turned more towards the homeless impact on the park. The Central Union Mission is opening a 150 bed shelter at the Gales School within a year just a block from the park. DPR's position is that parks are an amenity for everyone including the homeless. It should be designed to be safe and engage all people.

Cary Silverman expanded upon his previous point of the Gales School shelter opening and pointed out that the isolation of the park is appealing to the homeless. He suggested the space needs a draw to bring surrounding residents across the busy streets to the park. There is no design for a prominent draw in the short term plans. An expenditure of a fountain or statue could be taken on longer term. A Sonata owner chimed in with the benefits of the park embracing dog owners. Dogs owners want green space to walk their pets and most presently walk to the Building Museum. She suggested the added benefit to the community that dogs tend to discourage vagrancy"scare people who know they are where they shouldn't be." I don't think she's suggesting anyone shouldn't be at the park. But people shouldn't be camping in the bushes . McLeod made note of this as he said "durable grass".

Lastly, an important message was put forth that this park would NOT be THE PARK for the Triangle. Both DPR and the MVT CID want a larger more central green space less isolated by heavy traffic. There are some alternative that are being studied regarding this but they were not shared in the meeting. One possibility I have previously seen in the Mount Vernon Triangle Transportation and Public Realm Design Project suggests a park along a new extension of 3rd Street built out over I-395.

Note: Cary Silverman has also covered the meeting on his blog. Cary is spearheading a "Friend of the (name TBD) Park" effort.

Reminder: Park at 2nd and Mass meeting tonight

Tonight the MVT CID and the Department of Parks and Recreation
are hosting a meeting to discuss the park 2nd and Mass Ave NW. The meeting will be at Second Baptist Church (816 3rd St NW) at 6pm.

Image from Cary Silverman

From MVT CID Bill McLeod

We will be discussing: current uses of the park; maintenance needs; landscaping needs; infrastructure needs; and future uses for the park. The DC Department of Parks & Recreation and the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District are organizing this meeting.