Mt. Vernon to Get New Park

I've taken a decidedly optimistic tone in the title of this post.  After years of drama, the Department of Parks and Recreation has developed a design for the park on the 600 Block of N Street NW. 

Over the past three years or so, through a half dozen meetings and community surveys, the District has asked the community what it would like to see in the concrete jungle, the unnamed park, on the 600 Block of N Street NW.  The approach was simply to have an open forum for discussion. Some residents believe the areas youth are most likely to take advantage of basketball courts, others would prefer to have more than a single tennis court in the east side of the Ward.  Some residents would like the park to include benches.  Others express legitimate concern that benches would lead to loitering and continued gang problems.  Some suggest a playground.  Others might prefer to maximize green space.  Finally, some would prefer the land not remain a park at all and urge the city to sell it off for more housing or yet another surface parking lot. 

Up until recently, the DC government had thrown up its hands and walked away, claiming that our community lacks consensus. The city did not provide any guidance as to what is possible for the size of the site and what is in the city's budget.   It didn't present any tangible options to consider, to discuss, to tweak.  That was unacceptable and times have fortunately changed.

Let's hope that DPR presents a design that we can all be excited about and provides a starting point for reaching consensus!

DC Department of Parks and Recreation's Office of Planning and Capital Projects invites you to a community meeting on plans for the redevelopment of the 7th and N Streets Park.

For further information, visit dpr.dc.gov or call 202-671-0421.

A History of the Park

July 6, 2006                 Activist and Mayoral Candidate Chris Crowder Killed in Park.

October 10, 2006          ANC 2C votes 3-1 to support the transfer of park to United House of Prayer.  UHOP states that they do not have any final plans for the space.

January 9, 2007            First DPR meeting on park renovation held at Kennedy Recreation Center.  It was a large turnout with an open mic format.  DPR makes no commitments other than to fix broken park lighting.

Apprx. July 2007            Lights work in park for the first time in many years after DPR repairs.

October 30, 2007          Meeting scheduled by DPR to discuss park renovation is cancelled to be rescheduled for a future date.

November 19, 2007        Councilmember Jack Evans hosts neighborhood meeting on future of park at Kennedy Recreation Center.  Decision is reached to distribute a survey in order to gain community consensus.  Evans states that he will we will budget for the renovation in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2008/2009 and that the funds would available on October 1, 2008.

December 2007            Online survey distributed via ANC Commissioner Chapple’s website; paper surveys distributed by various neighborhood groups.

January 14, 2008           Councilmember Evans and DPR Director Clark Ray hold follow up meeting at United House of Prayer.  UHOP led a “vote” as to whether those in attendance supported Bishop Madison’s request for the city to sell the park to UHOP.  About 85 or 90 of the 100 in attendance stood up to show their support.  Council Member Evans closing words: "We are going to move forward without moving forward."

July 28, 2008                 Another person is shot and killed in the park.

April 28, 2009                Photos of the condition of the park.

May 5, 2009                  Bridget Stezney of DPR reports at ANC 2C that DPR fixed broken lighting and that they will be fixing the fence and adding gates that lock.  She also notes DPR is on a redesign plan to be shared in the spring or summer.

Early June 2009             DPR cleans up trash and weeds in park, fences perimeter.