I received a couple of renderings for the parcel that is set to be developed at 1421 Euclid Street, NW. Above is from Dantes Partners. The proposal above is for 37 rental apartments. You can see all the other renderings plus more info on the project here. Do you have a favorite?

Ed. Note: Back in Dec. Council Member Graham said that Justice Park funding was back on track. However I don’t think construction has started yet, last time I passed it.

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“Dear PoP,

I was walking over to the zoo today and saw this government vehicle stuck in a pretty odd scenario. The picture was taken on the rock creek path where it veers around the rock creek tunnel between the adams morgan and calvert street exits. I am not sure why the vehicle was driving down the pedestrian section of the path or why it tried to drive off where the forest floor has turned into inches of mud with all the rain over the last few days. The car had been there for a while today. The hood was cold and there was no one in site when i took the picture. I’m curious as to when anyone will be able to get it out. The ground isn’t going to dry for a few days. Hope the government doesn’t need that car for anything soon.”

That is pretty bizarre. It must belong to Park Police right?

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But man are these giant snow piles leaving filthy messes. There are a number of triangle parks around Petworth that look like a bomb hit them.

Has anyone else noticed these spots around town that used to hold huge piles of snow and now are big mud piles?

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Thanks to all the readers for sending the word about tonight’s second meeting.

Please join DPR
Wednesday, March 3rd at 7:00 p.m. to discuss improvement for the 11th and Monroe Streets Park
Metropolitan Police Department Substation
750 Park Road, NW

After the jump you can see the meeting notes from the previous meeting in Feb. Read Full Post

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Update – Fear not CM Jim Graham reports the good news from today’s council meeting on twitter:

“First session finally over and we did get money back for Gage-Eckington Park project. Now on to Marion’s censure etc.”

“Dear PoP,

I learned this morning that the funding for the to-be-built park at the former Gage Eckington school is once again at risk; this time by Councilmember Harry Thomas. I was wondering if you could urge your readers to contact Councilmember Thomas if they disagree with his decision, and in fact support the funding for the park. We have waited too long and come too far to see the park plans simply disappear overnight. The link below shows a letter from the LeDroit Park Civic Association President detailing the news. I believe the Council is meeting sometime today to vote on this measure.

Dear Friends and Neighbors.

This evening I learned that once again the funding for the community park at the former Gage Eckington school is at risk. Tomorrow there is a resolution on the DC Council agenda by Councilman Harry Thomas (Ward 5) to “Disapprove” of the funds for the park being allocated to the Mayor’s office as planned. In order for the Mayor’s office to move forward on the project as planned and committed to the community, the funds must be approved by the Council.

Thankfully CM Graham continues to fully supports our efforts to get the park fully funded and is working hard to remove this latest obstacle. But for some reason CM Thomas is NOT supporting the building of this park based on the motion for disapproval. (“Reprogramming No. 18-0096 Disapproval Resolution of 2010″. PR 18-0742.)

CM Thomas has recently offerred support to the community for this project (see email below) but tomorrow his actions will essentially kill the funding for this project.

PLEASE CONTACT CM THOMAS to voice your support for the Park at Gage Eckington. Encourage him to withdraw his opposition and say YES to approving the funds.

Also, please contact the other members of the committee responsible for DC Parks and let them know how much the community park means to you, your family and the communities of LeDroit Park and Bloomingdale.

The resolution will come up for a vote TUESDAY March 2, so please make your calls and emails ASAP.

Thanks,
Jeff Herron
President LeDroit Park Civic Association

SEE CONTACT & EMAIL INFORMATION BELOW (after the jump.) Read Full Post

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We had a lenghty discussion about some of the problems with the park a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to a reader for sending the following information from DPR:

“The Department of Parks and Recreation is convening three community meetings to develop a new design for the 11th and Monroe Street Park.

We are planning for a three step meeting process:

Wednesday, February 17: 1st community meeting for a general discussion of neighborhood priorities for the park,

Wednesday, March 3: 2nd community meeting with a presentation of two concept designs alternatives with a discussion of pros and cons for each,

Wednesday, March 31: 3rd community meeting with a presentation of final design concept and tentative construction schedule

I’ve reserved a room at the Columbia Heights Recreation Center (1480 Girard Street, NW). We want to start the meeting at 7:00 pm.”

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“Dear PoP,

The plight of the park at 11th and Monroe, NW continues. Despite the mayor’s pledge at a public community meeting that there were funds to renovate the “drunk park”, these funds have disappeared and have been shifted somewhere else. Why does the city continue to turn its back on the citizens of Columbia Heights? Drunks and children don’t mix. It’s just a matter of time before real tragedy happens in that park. Friends of POP: please contact the mayor’s office and let them know “no more drunk park.”

The emails for contacting the mayor’s office are:  sybongile.cook@dc.gov and neil.albert@dc.gov”

We’ve been discussing issues with this park for a few years now. Does anyone think that issues with the park have improved over the past few years?

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Due to all the snow melt and rain, Rock Creek was huge this weekend. I accidentally got last in the park for about an hour and despite my frustration kept marveling at how fast the creek was running. Most of the pictures were taken when I found my way…

There was even a little waterfall:

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Council Member Jim Graham sends an update of Ward 1 parks in an email:

“After the D.C. Council’s vote on Tuesday, December 14, to rescind $83 million in Parks and Recreation Contracts many of you called and wrote to me asking what that meant for Justice Park, Park View and LeDroit Park.

I am happy to report that these parks construction projects are already “back on track.” The Deputy Mayor for Economic Development has assured me that the $750K Justice Park project and the $1.2 million Park View project will be overseen by Allen Lew − Executive Director of the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization − and will move forward. This is excellent news given the great speed and success with which Mr. Lew has handled school renovations and constructions.

The final project, the LeDroit Park (former Gage school transformation) will remain in the Deputy Mayor’s portfolio and the contract for the reconstruction will be re-bid and move forward.”

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This mural is by the basketball courts and is so large it’s difficult to get it all in one shot. Part of it even comes off the wall onto the floor:

The mural is sponsored by Words, Beats & Life, the same folks who recently completed the new mural at 14th and Randolph.

The artists commissioned for the Girard Park project are Maxx Moses, Aniekan, and the apprentice is Isaiah Aladejobi.

More photos after the jump. Read Full Post

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IMG_0579, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

Last week a reader sent in some photos of new murals at Pierce Park in Adams Morgan. A commenter mentioned that there was another one near the basketball courts. Here it is. I love the earth in the middle.

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Last week I mentioned there was an opportunity for those to voice their desire to have a public park within the Old Soldier’s Home green space. I received the following email from a consultant to the Home:

“I am usually reluctant to get involved in a neighborhood discussion but was startled and disturbed by a number of factual inaccuracies in the comments section of your blog concerning the Armed Forces Retirement Home. I am a consultant to the home.
It is important for neighbors to realize that this is not a zero-sum game. AFRH has been on that site for more than 150 years. It was located on farm land that was outside the confines of the District of Columbia at the time and existed long before the city neighborhood that now surrounds it.

The land was purchased with war booty from the Mexican American war and has been held in trust by the federal government for the exclusive benefit of military retirees and combat veterans since before the Civil War. The law is explicitly clear on this point. The land cannot just be given away for other purposes. It must be used for military veterans.

The Home needs revenue because it does not receive an annual appropriation. It relies upon a Trust Fund established with that war booty and replenished with contributions from active duty military. The Master Plan for development of one corner of the campus, the southeast corner, includes a large 22 acre public park. That development is approved but presently on hold until market conditions improve. The expectation is the neighborhood will have access to a truly lovely public park when development takes place.

There are NO plans to sell any of our land. There will be long term ground leases in the development approved by the National Capitol Planning Commission which is about 77 acres. There are also NO plans for development on the portion of the campus next to the Petworth and Parkview neighborhoods at this time. The residents use that land for a golf course and for recreational purposes. More than 1,000 residents live at the Home and “Mark” should know that every single young warrior disabled by combat injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan is technically eligible to live in our community. Our youngest resident, in fact, is only 47 and is a veteran of the Gulf War. We foresee generations of veterans who will need and deserve our services.

This a long way of saying we appreciate that some neighbors look at this campus and see trees, grass and a public park but, in fact, it is a home and community of and for veterans. This is their land; they are using it every day; and we fully expect American veterans to be using it for generations to come.

And one final point, public access to AFRH has been severely restricted for more than 40 years for security purposes. The average age of our residents is 80; the oldest is well over 100 years of age. We all understand the risks and dangers of living in the heart of a busy, vibrant city. If one of our elderly residents were to be mugged, he might die. Security is an enormously important concern to our residents who have been mugged many times just steps from our gate at the bus stop on Rock Creek Park Road. Neighbors need to have some appreciation of the vulnerability of a community of older men and women.”

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Thanks to a reader for sending in the photos:

“saw the wall painted white the other day and lots of work yesterday and finally got my camera out this morning. pretty cool mural in the park and new recycling trash cans along with it. you can also see the tree pot in the background with ontario lakers painted on. i think it’s an old youth organization that i’ve seen in some historic photos but i don’t know the background.

the park got an updated dog park in earlier this year too. now if they would only fix the soccer field, which is in terrible shape.”

More photos after the jump. Read Full Post

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The Park View blog writes:

“Yet, in reviewing the CaptialSpace Draft Plan, it is clear that the issue of the green spaces belonging to the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) are not being considered as part of any master plan for the City.

Since the communities around the AFRH developed largely without green spaces due to the long-standing courtesy of the AFRH being open for use by the public, this is an opportunity to speak up and insist that these lands be opened for public use again.

Public comments will be accepted through December 8, 2009. If this is an issue that is near and dear to you, instructions for leaving public comments can be found on the CapitalSpace Contact page.”

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IMG_0458, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

I know folks have generally not been too happy with Mayor Fenty’s performance lately. But I have to give him props for fixing up tons of parks around town. It seems like every weekend I’m finding a new park that’s getting fixed up. This one is on N St., NW just east of 7th.

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