A tiny patch of not long vacant land has recently become a topic of conversation, and a few listserv emails. The patch of land is in ANC 6A, but it is close to the boundary of 5B, so people on both sides of the line have taken notice. If you have an interest in the land's future, you might want to check out the meeting below-
ANC representative Raphael Marshall will host a neighborhood meeting on 7 May 2007 at 7pm SHARP at the Holy Names Church, 900 Block of 11th Street, NE Between I and K Streets.
The agenda will include the proposed usage of land at Florida, West Virginia and 9th streets for a possible dog park, flower garden, etc.
I am pushing for a community sponsored dog park with assistance from pet stores, the Humane Society and environmental groups. Please come support a new dog park in this spot.
Thanks
Russ
39 comments:
i dunno.
are we absolutely *positive* we can't fit a condo in that space?
Wait, the empty patch to the east of West Virginia, or the west side(where the houses used to be) or both sides? Either way, good idea. It's already pretty popular with dog owners. I used to take my dog there, but it got over grown with weeds.
My understanding is that we are talking about where those two townhomes once stood.
@soflo
dc came out last week and cut the grass and picked up the litter. it looks pretty good at the moment.
For those interested in dog parks, there is a considerable movement to support a dog park at Kingman Field (13th and D St. NE), and a formal application has been submitted to the city by the Hill Hounds group. Important meetings are coming up this week:
Tuesday: North
Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association (NLPNA)is meeting on Tuesday the 6th at 7:30 pm at Lane Memorial CME Church at the corner
of 14th and C Streets NE to vote on the application.
Thursday: ANC 6A is meeting May 8th, at 7 PM at Miner
Elementary School, located at 601 15th St NE. According to the published agenda, Kingsman
will be discussed later in the evening (8pm or later).
For more info, see:
http://www.gopetition.com/online/17809.html
I'm not sure that either of those two spaces, much less any plot of land in this area, is a good place for dogs to run off leash.
While the idea is great, the reality is that they turn into large mulch and dust bowls.
Check out the plot of land at the intersection of 17th, New Hampshire and Swann(Dupont).
I, personally, would rather see the land act as a visual gateway into an area of the city that is seeing new life, rather than a gated area that is brown and dusty from activity.
I would prefer to see a human park.
I agree with anon 9:31. I just moved around the corner from there on Kent and the patch seems to small for a dog park and would be much better served as a community garden or better yet, just a well maintained piece of multi-use land.
A pocket park could be a possibility. I'd worry about a community garden, at least as far as edibles are concerned due to the vast amount of car exhaust you would see at this location.
I don't know the size of the triangle, but the rules for dog parks are a minimum 1000 square feet, although some exception can be made given a good argument. (995 feet would probably be ok, for example!)
I'm glad people are talking about doing something with that plot. But I don't think adding constant dog barking to the abundant fire and ambulance sirens would be good for the residents near the area. I have enough of this already with my two dogs.
imo a dog park would bring more people out using the space than a human park .. as noted above it's a noisy intersection anyway so i don't see how dogs would make it much worse .. of course i'm a biased former dog owner across the street :)
I'd like to see a pony trot park because little horses have no place to go in the city but I will accept any use.
If they're going to build a dog park on that vacant land they'll have to put up a fence. The cars zipping by along florida ave is not safe for dogs.
Thanks for the heads up Chris. I'd be fine with a grassy area people can take their dogs on the leash. There isn't really any green space in the area now (thus the no pet signs near Wilson elementary's lawns).
But please, no DC maintained "flower beds", i.e. sickly looking plants with exposed dirt (no mulch) growing weeds and mold, and covered in litter. Same for bushes which are allowed to grow out of control and become rat havens. Grass may be boring, but much easier for DC to maintain.
what about a statue of martin luther king?
or better yet, a little needle exchange outpost for the local residents?
no?
maybe dc mpd could set up a gun exchange shack on the plot.
no, no, no! wait, i know! we could make it the largest drug free zone in NE DC! that's one way to set an example!
I hate dogs.
I would prefer a human park.
Dog parks always play a roll in the gentrification process in urban areas. This is how it goes: Working class (yeah, even though you're a lawyer, you go to work everyday, right? That means you're working class. Same for the director of a non profit) folk look for housing in close in areas. "Affordable" housing is in a sketchy area, but golly the housing stock is cute. And there's a guy that just bought eight building on the main commercial strip and he really knows how to start and run a business. All that's good and all, but newcomer just doesn't feel safe...a dog, yes! Great for security, good way to get out and meet people and gee now that newcomer thinks about it, he/she's wanted a dog for sometime. Now newcomer needs a place for fido to frolick. Patch of green space convenient to house and newcomer has noticed some others there with a dog or two. More people move in, more people adopt dogs (the police say it's the best security - even better than bars!). The green space is now a lively little hive of post work socializing in the gentrifying hood. And what a lovely park it's become, no more riff raff, hardly any needles and condoms any more [drug users and prostitutes don't mix well with dogs]. Dog owners are helping maintain the park too. Wow, this is such a nice park now, everybody is enjoying it, dog owners and non dog owners a like. And the neighborhood is much better compared to 5-10 years ago. Lot's of people moving in that don't even see the need for a dog for security purposes. Not everybody likes dogs. But everyone likes parks. Mmm, dogs' access to the park should be limited. All that poo, pee, that's not very sanitary for the little ones. And those dogs, they're loud, and dangerous! Let the turf battle ensue over this restored green space.
If you don't believe the above, look at Lincoln Park, Stanford Park, Congressional Cemetery, etc. Each park has struggled on and off with dog access issues where years ago, no one cared about dogs using these derelict green spaces. Those parks were too sketchy and considered down right dangerous to wander through - look at them now.
@the dog
white people love dogs haha
re: "newcomers" and their dogs.
Hmmm, that's weird. How come I keep seeing "old timers" walking chubby, partially domesticated pit-bull mixes with either massive pendulous testicles or rows of saggy titties?
C'mon. Admit it: Everybody LOVES doggies!!!
bb - you missed the point. It's about the life cycle of green space in urban areas. Not about "newcomers" and "old timers" affinity for dogs.
yeah, dogs are a clear sign of "gentrification", and the subsequent need for dog parks.
i buy that as much as i buy harris teeter groceries in NE DC.
oh, wait. i don't yet.
your thinking is VERY old school.
but it's a funny argument. the kind of thing that i might have written in high school, some 20 years ago.
most gentrifiers on capitol hill (and surrounding areas) work hard, and have cats because they're easier to deal with.
your dog 'argument' belongs in the doghouse.
looks like poo poo missed the point too.
looks like the point was
VERY
BADLY
MADE.
more.concise.and.succinct.please.
or maybe we're all dumbsh*ts, and you're just misunderstood....
Zzzzz....
Whoever didn't get the point about the dogparks is either VERY naive or not very savvy(or maybe alittle dense?). "the dog said" is spot on.
Perhaps "the dog said..." could follow up with a post that makes the point a bit more succinctly, rather than meandering about like a ladybug floating on a dry sycamore leaf that drifts along an the lazy eddies of the north fork of the Shenandoah River after a light spring rain.
I have no problem with dogs, but it does seem to be an awful big thoroughfare to bring any large number of dogs there. I see that leading to a potential trgedy.
I'm not advocating for the dog park...I'm just saying that what he posted is pretty much how it has worked in the popular dog parks he mentioned(from 20 years experience). Certainly people have the right to voice there opinions and desires about what they want in that particular spot of land.
I sort of enjoyed the writing....wish my dog was that talented :).
You guys are crazy, anytime somebody brings up changes to the area you shoot down the idea before it even is discussed in a formal meeting. Fucking dog haters!
anon 11...I think you are over reacting.
Wow, how quickly every molehill is promoted to a mountain on Frozen Tropics. Seriously, do most of the people commenting actually know where this spot is? We're talking about a pretty small parcel of land. Two row houses were there, probably built a century ago before Florida Ave was a main thoroughfare, long since abandoned when they tore them down last year. It would be great to debate all the possible uses on this blog, but again we're not talking Lincoln or Stanford Park sized area here. People do not hang out there now, it's an EMPTY lot. Can we have an adult conversation about its possible uses without dragging gentrification, crime, urban planning politics, and other pseudo-intellectual BS into the conversation? If not, I’m sure the city would be happy to sell the plot to another condo developer as Poo Poo suggests.
Very true SoFlo,
I suggest the people attend ANC Marshall's meeting to get an idea regarding possible uses. I'm not sure that we know who controls the land at this point. That may take some investigation.
Soflo, is it possible that we could send our comments to you for vetting before posting so we can make sure they fit into the kind of discussion you'd like to see here. I feel awful that you're disappointed the discussion didn't remain linear. Did you see the comment under the post about XII, the restaurant/club? Some jerk started talking about Sticky Rice when the thread should really have only been about XII. I get angry just thinking about it. I don't know what people think this is, an open discussion forum?! Thank you for addressing this ongoing problem with this neighborhood blog.
People can discuss whatever they want to Mad. But really, how often do you see a constructive conversation start up again after 30 back and forth “you’re an idiot” “no you are!” anonymous posts? If it’s too much to ask people to be civil, and it probably is with an open-access online blog, perhaps Inked could look into a blog provider like Typepad that allows discussion threads. Then people can have their flame wars in a separate thread. I don’t want to police other people’s discussion Mad, I just find it hard to have a conversation when the guys at the next table are shouting at each other.
I hate to play kindergarten teacher, but...keep it nice people, and do please watch the language. I like to think this is a blog for all residents, and some are alienated by that kind of thing.
but I am looking forward to a pony trot area so I can rustle some ponies.
As an aside, I saw Raphael Saturday when he was handing out flyers for the meeting tonight. I saw him again handing out more on Monday. He's a pretty cool guy. He took the time out to talk to me and two of my neighbors. I think he does a lot for a volunteer.
During the 7 May meeting it was decided a committee would be formed do design a proposal for land use on the empty lot at the intersection of Florida Ave NE, 9th St NE, West Virginia Ave NE and L St NE. The group agreed it should be a park of some sort which would allow people to sit and kids to play. It was suggested it should be fenced due to Florida Ave traffic but a natural fence is a possibility. It was agreed that this location should beautify the area as well as to serve as a gathering place for neighborhood residents.
If you are interested in participating in the planning of the park proposal or have ideas you would like heard, please email ANC6A01@gmail.com.
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