DDOT appears to have backed of the proposal to install sidewalks on University Terrace in Palisades. According to the City Paper, despite support from Councilmember Mary Cheh, DDOT has postponed the construction to continue to study the issue.
Isn't this public property in a city, no less?
Showing posts with label Palisades. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Palisades. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Palisades Archeology
Palisades Museum of Prehistory Director Doug Daupin explains his efforts to understand the current process for preserving artifacts in the neighborhood.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Palisades Park Update
A recent announcement for an upcoming Palisades Citizens Association meeting mentioned as a primary discussion point the entrance to the Palisades Park:
This meeting will feature a discussion of design ideas for the Palisades Park entrance (and other neighborhood issues of concern) with Mayor Adrian Fenty, Council member Mary Cheh, and Department of Parks and Recreation Director Clark Ray.
Also, for those who have not received a copy of the newsletter, I am attaching a
link to the PCA website ( www.palisadesdc.org ), which features an excellent article by Mark Binsted on what can be done with the entrance to Palisades Park. In it, he updates everyone on DC¢s efforts to come up with a design, and discusses various options that have been discussed in the past as a way to jumpstart ideas and comment.
The post on the PCA Listserv prompted a few comments:
Now that we have more space why not have a one way u-shaped road going in and out of the parking area in a continuous loop and make room for more parking? Surely all this could be engineered with enough green space, planting, and built in traffic control to assure appropriate speed as well as lovely views, so that neighbors will not have to look at a parking lot. The temporary driveway built for the construction work shows the possibilities. There would seem to be plenty of room for better access, more parking, and some kind of square-like space.
I'm not sure I see the likely use of a basically empty, large green square on the Sherier Place side, since usually parents and grand parents want to be near where their children are, which will be up by the playground. Perhaps there is another group of park users who have been under-served by what we have now, who do not want to be near the play ground or the ball fields or the rec center, or out behind the rec center looking over to Virginia. It seems to be intended by the designers as a gathering place but I'm not sure there is a lot of demand for gathering there. The empty lot we have always had there (next to the torn down house) has always been used simply as a pass through to the recreational areas. If there is a group, perhaps older residents who do not want to go up the slight hill, perhaps the gathering space could be reduced somewhat so as to accommodate more other users of the park as well as improved traffic flow.
I can imagine that the large empty green squares so loved by the designer of the designs in the newsletter might be used, but I can also imagine that they wouldn't be used all that much, or wouldn't need to be quite so large to accommodate those who might use them. It's hard to know, but the parking would certainly be used, since the cars are already there most weekends.
Another option:
The main group of users that is actually underserved sometimes and potentially underserved at others is people wanting to use the park as recreational green space. While the improvements to the park are lovely, professional, and raise the standard of what constitutes a neighborhood park to new heights, one thing that is missing is space for general recreation. This might include children older than playground age playing soccer or football, but not in one of the leagues that seem to be able to and desire reserve the green space at a higher frequency than before. One of reasons parking has become an issue is that the park improvements have increased out of neighborhood traffic as our park is now a true city park, rather than a neighborhood park. It is desirable by all organized recreation groups and community use appears to be more difficult. While there are ways that the entrance can be improved to facilitate multiuse (benches on the sides, shrubbery to block parking, etc.,) it would be wonderful to increase the amount of open space that can be used on an adhoc basis. Has the idea of moving the parking lot closer to Sherrier, lining it with Leyland Cyprus (to hide it from residents), and then having the current parking used as open green space (two small for organized leagues, but just the right size for kids pickup) been considered?
Now that there is a wide open space in that area, it will be interesting what design and use ideas are floated and implemented.
This meeting will feature a discussion of design ideas for the Palisades Park entrance (and other neighborhood issues of concern) with Mayor Adrian Fenty, Council member Mary Cheh, and Department of Parks and Recreation Director Clark Ray.
Also, for those who have not received a copy of the newsletter, I am attaching a
link to the PCA website ( www.palisadesdc.org ), which features an excellent article by Mark Binsted on what can be done with the entrance to Palisades Park. In it, he updates everyone on DC¢s efforts to come up with a design, and discusses various options that have been discussed in the past as a way to jumpstart ideas and comment.
The post on the PCA Listserv prompted a few comments:
Now that we have more space why not have a one way u-shaped road going in and out of the parking area in a continuous loop and make room for more parking? Surely all this could be engineered with enough green space, planting, and built in traffic control to assure appropriate speed as well as lovely views, so that neighbors will not have to look at a parking lot. The temporary driveway built for the construction work shows the possibilities. There would seem to be plenty of room for better access, more parking, and some kind of square-like space.
I'm not sure I see the likely use of a basically empty, large green square on the Sherier Place side, since usually parents and grand parents want to be near where their children are, which will be up by the playground. Perhaps there is another group of park users who have been under-served by what we have now, who do not want to be near the play ground or the ball fields or the rec center, or out behind the rec center looking over to Virginia. It seems to be intended by the designers as a gathering place but I'm not sure there is a lot of demand for gathering there. The empty lot we have always had there (next to the torn down house) has always been used simply as a pass through to the recreational areas. If there is a group, perhaps older residents who do not want to go up the slight hill, perhaps the gathering space could be reduced somewhat so as to accommodate more other users of the park as well as improved traffic flow.
I can imagine that the large empty green squares so loved by the designer of the designs in the newsletter might be used, but I can also imagine that they wouldn't be used all that much, or wouldn't need to be quite so large to accommodate those who might use them. It's hard to know, but the parking would certainly be used, since the cars are already there most weekends.
Another option:
The main group of users that is actually underserved sometimes and potentially underserved at others is people wanting to use the park as recreational green space. While the improvements to the park are lovely, professional, and raise the standard of what constitutes a neighborhood park to new heights, one thing that is missing is space for general recreation. This might include children older than playground age playing soccer or football, but not in one of the leagues that seem to be able to and desire reserve the green space at a higher frequency than before. One of reasons parking has become an issue is that the park improvements have increased out of neighborhood traffic as our park is now a true city park, rather than a neighborhood park. It is desirable by all organized recreation groups and community use appears to be more difficult. While there are ways that the entrance can be improved to facilitate multiuse (benches on the sides, shrubbery to block parking, etc.,) it would be wonderful to increase the amount of open space that can be used on an adhoc basis. Has the idea of moving the parking lot closer to Sherrier, lining it with Leyland Cyprus (to hide it from residents), and then having the current parking used as open green space (two small for organized leagues, but just the right size for kids pickup) been considered?
Now that there is a wide open space in that area, it will be interesting what design and use ideas are floated and implemented.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Palisades Park: An Update
A post on the Palisades Listserv reports the following with respect to the Palisades Park and Playground:
As we move into a new phase for the Palisades Park, Mary Cheh got the District government to appropriate $400,000 for park improvements to the park entrance, in this year's money. This is great news and hopefully can avoid another decade or so of not taking action -- and very heads up on our councilmember's part. (She also appropriated funding for the Palisades stormwater management study, as well as seed funding for Palisades Village -- two more excellent pieces of news for the neighborhood.)
At any rate, Cheh and Parks and Rec Director Clark Ray will be at the Palisades Citizens Association general meeting that will take place on the first Tuesday of February to talk about improvements to the park entrance and collect ideas and input from all comers. This is for February 5, 2008 at 7:30 pm, as always at the Rec Center.
The idea is to make this process as transparent as possible. As this email string illustrates, there are many different ideas and points of view, and the meeting can and should be a forum for civilized, polite discussion, and allow for this issue to perhaps be addressed more comprehensively than your friendly neighborhood listserve. I should also mention that as part of the park's bigger renovation, there were two detailed concepts/options developed for the park entrance lo these many years ago that were temporarily shelved when the save-the-house issue came to the fore. These have also been revived and will be discussed at the PCA meeting.
At any rate, now that there is funding another major obstacle has been overcome, and -- please come to the February meeting! And feel free to thank Mary Cheh for the wonderful news on all three programs for the Palisades.
As we move into a new phase for the Palisades Park, Mary Cheh got the District government to appropriate $400,000 for park improvements to the park entrance, in this year's money. This is great news and hopefully can avoid another decade or so of not taking action -- and very heads up on our councilmember's part. (She also appropriated funding for the Palisades stormwater management study, as well as seed funding for Palisades Village -- two more excellent pieces of news for the neighborhood.)
At any rate, Cheh and Parks and Rec Director Clark Ray will be at the Palisades Citizens Association general meeting that will take place on the first Tuesday of February to talk about improvements to the park entrance and collect ideas and input from all comers. This is for February 5, 2008 at 7:30 pm, as always at the Rec Center.
The idea is to make this process as transparent as possible. As this email string illustrates, there are many different ideas and points of view, and the meeting can and should be a forum for civilized, polite discussion, and allow for this issue to perhaps be addressed more comprehensively than your friendly neighborhood listserve. I should also mention that as part of the park's bigger renovation, there were two detailed concepts/options developed for the park entrance lo these many years ago that were temporarily shelved when the save-the-house issue came to the fore. These have also been revived and will be discussed at the PCA meeting.
At any rate, now that there is funding another major obstacle has been overcome, and -- please come to the February meeting! And feel free to thank Mary Cheh for the wonderful news on all three programs for the Palisades.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
City Paper: Palisades Opposes Density
Erik Wemple of the City Paper reports on the recent ANC 3D meeting where developers received community input on a townhouse development proposal on MacArthur Boulevard. Writes Wemple:
The Palisades and Foxhall neighborhoods are lovely places. They’re in the city, but not really in the city at the same time. A bus takes them downtown without transferring (city amenity). They have nice yards (not-city amenity). There are restaurants and shops within spitting distance (city). Trees are everywhere (not-city). They live in bungalows and Tudor-style residences (not sure how to classify that one.)
Well, anyhow, residents of these high-priced hoods are flexing their non-city civic muscles these days, in opposition to a plan to locate 41 new town houses on a large property on MacArthur Boulevard...
If not a city, then where?
The Palisades and Foxhall neighborhoods are lovely places. They’re in the city, but not really in the city at the same time. A bus takes them downtown without transferring (city amenity). They have nice yards (not-city amenity). There are restaurants and shops within spitting distance (city). Trees are everywhere (not-city). They live in bungalows and Tudor-style residences (not sure how to classify that one.)
Well, anyhow, residents of these high-priced hoods are flexing their non-city civic muscles these days, in opposition to a plan to locate 41 new town houses on a large property on MacArthur Boulevard...
If not a city, then where?
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Palisades House is Demolished
The Jesse Baltimore House in Palisades was taken down yesterday. The 1925 Sears kit house was symbolic of the expansion of the District residential expansion beyond the downtown core. Palisades was built on one of the of the original streetcar lines, the house was right next to the designated stop in the neighborhood. The house was in government hands since the 1950's where it fell into major disrepair. Many neighborhood residents wanted to see the blighted house removed to make the entry way to the Palisades Park more inviting. It was the focus of debate and rancor for several years.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Washington Post on Sears House
Sylvia Moreno reports on the Jesse Baltimore Sears house in Palisades.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Sibley Expansion Discussion Continues
From ANC 3D:
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D will hold a special/emergency meeting on Thursday, Oct. 25th at 7:00 p.m. in order to hear a presentation by Sibley Memorial Hospital on its plan revisions for a Medical Office Building and multi-story parking garage. The meeting will be held at Ernst Auditorium on the Sibley campus. No other ANC business will be conducted.
The special meeting must be held on short notice in order for the ANC to comply with a deadline imposed on the proceeding (Case 05-42), by the Zoning Commission. When the Zoning Commission met to vote on Sibley's proposal last spring, they decided neither to grant the hospital's application nor deny it, instead sending the hospital back to the drawing board to, among other things, reduce the size of the building. Zoning Commission chairman Carol Mitten left the door open for Sibley to re-file when it was ready, and specified that once the hospital filed revised plans the parties would have one week in which to file written comments. Sibley on Tuesday evening informed the ANC that it plans to make its filing this Monday, Oct. 19th.
The special meeting date of Thursday, Oct. 25th was chosen so that the commission may hear from the hospital and members of the public; determine how the revised proposal stacks up against the ANC's vote last December to approve a smaller MOB with a series of conditions; and file its comments by Monday, Oct. 29th. According to Sharon Schellin, secretary of the Zoning Commission, the case file is closed except for written responses from the parties. Sibley Neighbors for Responsible Growth, also a party to the case, has opposed the MOB entirely.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D will hold a special/emergency meeting on Thursday, Oct. 25th at 7:00 p.m. in order to hear a presentation by Sibley Memorial Hospital on its plan revisions for a Medical Office Building and multi-story parking garage. The meeting will be held at Ernst Auditorium on the Sibley campus. No other ANC business will be conducted.
The special meeting must be held on short notice in order for the ANC to comply with a deadline imposed on the proceeding (Case 05-42), by the Zoning Commission. When the Zoning Commission met to vote on Sibley's proposal last spring, they decided neither to grant the hospital's application nor deny it, instead sending the hospital back to the drawing board to, among other things, reduce the size of the building. Zoning Commission chairman Carol Mitten left the door open for Sibley to re-file when it was ready, and specified that once the hospital filed revised plans the parties would have one week in which to file written comments. Sibley on Tuesday evening informed the ANC that it plans to make its filing this Monday, Oct. 19th.
The special meeting date of Thursday, Oct. 25th was chosen so that the commission may hear from the hospital and members of the public; determine how the revised proposal stacks up against the ANC's vote last December to approve a smaller MOB with a series of conditions; and file its comments by Monday, Oct. 29th. According to Sharon Schellin, secretary of the Zoning Commission, the case file is closed except for written responses from the parties. Sibley Neighbors for Responsible Growth, also a party to the case, has opposed the MOB entirely.
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