AFRH comment

[from the new AFRH listserv]

Subject: Impression of Soldier's Home development

The interest I have is the lack of really useable park land in this part of northwest. This is a wonderfully located piece of land for that purpose. There's high density development to the west of this area -- Columbia Heights and Georgia/Sherman Ave. And there's all of the area of Petworth, that is essentially single family unit type buildings with no really functional recreational park area. This site would be beautiful for that kind of thing. 

If you've been to Atlanta recently, I'm thinking something along the lines of Piedmont Park in midtown Atlanta. It's a beautiful, large, slightly rolling area that people use for playing ball, walking their dogs, playing tennis, picnicing, biking etc. It's heavily used and provides a real area for recreation and repose in the middle of a fairly dense residential area. People move to the neighborhood to be near the park. 

I know that this would entail the city or National Park Service being able to make an attractive offer to the Soldier's Home as an alternative to this plan. But I just think it could be something that really transforms the city.

It seems like there's possibly a window of opportunity here that once gone, will be lost forever.

Sandy

Comments

[Reyn]

Does anybody in our neighborhood (who's following these developments) work on the Hill? We've got to start thinking about how we can reach people there.

[Erin]

I agree with Lisa's idea for a 'peace and tranquility zone,' but I think we might have a better chance of getting the support (congressional, veterans, current Soldiers home residents, etc.) necessary for a portion of this land to be saved for a park if we dub it "Veterans Park." "Citizens United to Save Veterans Park" has a nice ring to it. The land being made open to the public is the main thing.

I also agree that including better public tranportation, such as bus service, into any development is very important.

[Lisa]

And on a more personal point (regarding a veterans' memorial), this city is already a little too fat with memorials to soldiers and wars. Sign me up when we dedicate the first gun-free, badge-free, security guard-free 'peace and tranquility' zone.

[Lisa]

Any development MUST include non-auto access, in fact, all possible ways to discourage more cars. One downside to the current AFRH site is that it's underserved by public transit. (Biking is fairly safe around here, still.) Development must work with coordinated planning for transit connecting the existing rail stations, and serving the hospital center. Quality of life and the massive trees of the site will not otherwise persist.

[AJS]

There will be lots of development on the AFRH site, particularly along N. Capitol Street which is a large thoroughfare that can handle the increased traffic. I don't know of anyone who is suggesting there should be no development.

What we are talking about is just one of the several parcels on the AFRH property, a beautiful patch of historic land that would make a perfect park for the 500,000 residents of the City of Washington.

This would be the perfect place for a Veterans Memorial Park: on the site of the original Soldiers Home (the forerunner of today's Veterans Administration), near Lincoln's summer home and a spot that has been continuously farmed by retired soldiers since the 19th century.

[Annie Raymond]

Creating park land on the property sounds like a nice idea but I think it should be one portion of the larger development plan. I attended a lecture recently on Smart Growth that focused on this region. It is clear that growth in this area will continue well into the future and one of the best ways to minimize impacts on our environment and watersheds is to create concentrated, mixed use developments in areas with existing infrastructure like those being proposed for this site. This should not exclude parkland however, as providing community open spaces is also a principle of smart growth. If housing and retail is not created in already existing urban areas it will happen elsewhere including on existing farmland and natural areas.