Budget and Park News

I just received Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans' weekly newsletter and there were a few items of interest to our neighborhood worthy of discussion.

The budget passed by the D.C. Council include earmarks of $250,000 for the Friends of Kennedy Recreation Center and $150,000 for Shaw Main Streets as well as $1 million for Neighborhood Investment Fund (NIF) "target areas" in Shaw and Logan Circle and $250,000 in support of Bread for the City. 

I have a few questions... what programs or improvements will the $250,000 to the Friends of Kennedy Recreation Center support?  Is there a list of board members for this organization (I could not find any information available online) and when precisely do they meet to decide the allocation of these public funds?  There may be neighborhood residents interested in participating in this process.  I am assuming that the $150,000 to Shaw Main Streets supports programs such as the Green Team and the Executive Director's salary.  Anything else?  Does anyone know how the million dollars in NIF funds will be allocated?  Having met recently with Bread for the City, I know their intake is way up and funds are down, so I am sure the support comes as good news.

Councilmember Evans' newsletter also discusses the park on the 600 Block of N Street NW.  Here's what it says:

• "Working with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Councilmember Evans and Mayor Fenty directed that immediate repairs be made to the park at 7th and N Streets in Shaw which had become littered with trash, and a place with reported illegal night time activities. A new plan has been designed to redevelop the park and make it much more attractive and welcoming to the neighbors. Until construction begins later this year, DPR has fenced in the property. The fence is locked at night, but open during the day to give neighbors access to this green space. The trash has all been picked up, the grass mowed, and the trees trimmed. Neighbors stopped by on Wednesday, June 3 to help with the final clean up, and several families with children stopped by and remarked on the welcome changes. “We’re happy that the park can will be accessible and used by the neighbors during the summer until construction can begin,” said Evans. Sherri Kimbel is Evans’ liaison with DPR. skimbel@dccouncil.us"   

Mavel Tov!  Should these minor steps have taken a decade?  Take a look at the state of disrepair it was in, and had been in, just a few weeks ago -- overflowing bags of beer cans, trash, broken concrete, weeds, sneakers in the trees. (maybe my posts do some good)

DPR officials were present at the May ANC 2C meeting.  At that time, DPR represented that it had not yet started redesigning the park and that they would come back to the community this summer with a proposed design or alternative designs. While DPR stated that no funds were needed for the design process since it was being done internally, the actual work would need to be sent out for bid and require funding.  In the last 30 days, has DPR completed a design, as the Councilmember's newsletter states?  That would be great news and I believe the community would look forward to the opportunity to see it! 

Are funds in place for rebuilding the park?  Forgive my skepticism, as the neighborhood has gone through about four community meetings, a survey or two, past undelivered Councilmember promises, several solicitations from the United House of Prayer to purchase the property, and a couple of murders while waiting to see this park finally renovated.  If it is not in the 2010 budget, are we looking at 2011?  I'm hoping for sooner.