Residents Unimpressed with DPR Construction Plans
At a meeting of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission for Ward 3 E Thursday, residents expressed frustration over the Department of Parks and Recreation’s planned construction in Chevy Chase Park, which the commissioners said is over two years in the making. “We’ve almost reached the point where we consider this a joke,” said Commissioner Beverly Sklover.
Many elements of the project remain undecided, despite the fact that construction starts on Monday. According to a document written by the Director of DPR outlining the plans and process for Chevy Chase Park, issues still under consideration include the “finalization of an environmental assessment, decision about the use of the ball field as an off-leash dog area during certain times of the day, resolution around parking in the cul-de-sac immediately across the street [from] the park” and a “resolution around policies for lighting schedules.”
But attendees still had other ideas for the park that they wanted addressed. Jenean Mann, vice president of the Northwest Neighbors Village, a non-profit organization created to help senior residents of Chevy Chase live independently, proposed that a corner of the park be a designated area for seniors. One attendee also noted that there is a “desperate need for handicap accessibility” in the park. Decisions on both issues were postponed pending further information.
“We have been told so many different things by this agency,” said Sklover to John Stokes, the Chief of Staff for DPR who gave the presentation for the project to the ANC, “I don’t think you understand the frustration here.”
Some at the meeting questioned why the construction was allowed to begin without results from an environmental impact assessment. “Since there are no lights going in, the project is environmental impact exempt,” said Stokes.
Some also expressed concern over the budget for the project. “$5 million,” said Barbara Bergman, a Chevy Chase resident, “$5 million, when they have to fix the schools.”
According to DPR, the budget for the project is $3.1 million, which many at the meeting feel is excessive when there are other matters that the city should address. “I don’t see why Chevy Chase ballpark is receiving the lion’s share,” said Pat Cunningham, who lives near Chevy Chase Park, “The project is great, if the city can afford it.”
Bergman also said she disagreed with the project’s main purpose, which she said was to highlight the little league teams that use the baseball field. “They want it to be as much like the big leagues as they can make it,” said Bergman, “You know they put in stadium seating? It’s sort of sick.”
Stokes informed those at the meeting of what to expect during construction, saying that the work hours will be between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. “So if they start unloading equipment at 6 a.m., is it fair to comment on that?” asked one attendee, to which Stokes said the crew should be held accountable for following the specified plan.
According to the plan for the project written by the Director of DPR, the construction in Chevy Chase Park will be finished in April 2011.
A large portion of the meeting was also spent discussing crime within Ward 3 E. In a presentation by the Metropolitan Police Department, Shannon Williams reported that several burglaries and robberies had taken place within Police Service Area 202, which includes Ward 3 E, in the last two weeks. She reminded residents to lock their doors and windows.
Williams reported that crime is down overall, but some attendees said that they were worried by any crime at all. One Fort Gaines resident said, “The last burglary people remember in my area was 15 years ago, so this uptick is unusual.”
One officer said that residents could help the police department by identifying people who “don’t belong in the neighborhood”. “Don’t be bashful,” he said.
Some also voiced concern over police response time, which another officer at the meeting said was about 5 minutes, a statement which Commissioner Matthew Frumin said MPD ought to be held to.
The Commissioners also voted on grant applications by the Lisner-Louise-Dickson-Hurt Home, the Alice Deal Middle School PTA, and the Northwest Neighbors Village, all of which passed.
ANC-3E includes parts of Tenleytown, American University, and Friendship Heights and is one of 37 ANCs in Washington D.C. There are 5 Single Member Districts (SMDs) within ANC-3E, each represented by a Commissioner elected for a two year term. ANC-3E meets every second Thursday of the month at St. Mary’s Church located at Fessenden and 42nd Street, NW. For more information, visit http://anc3e.org.
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