City Provides Update on Volta Park Renovation

Representatives of DPR provided an update on the Volta Park renovations Monday night at the library. About seven hardy souls braved the elements to attend and at least an equal number logged in virtually.

The presentation was led by Chris Dyer, DPR community engagement manager, and Peter Nohrden, a DPR landscape architect. Nohrden provided the substantive bulk of the presentation, which included the following main points:

• The construction was delayed (it was supposed to start this fall) due to extensive archeological work that needed to be performed to ensure the work wouldn’t disturb any graves left over from the old cemetery.
• Thankfully this archeological study determined that the work could move forward.
• The bulk of the project is aimed at reducing the erosion and water run-off. And to that end a large French drain will be constructed across the field, ultimately linking with a proper storm drain near Volta Place.
• The grass near the baseball infield will receive brand new sod. The grass further out will be aggressively aerated and re-seeded.
• The backstop will be fixed up but stay as is.
• The dirt areas along the first and third baselines will be replaced with a wood chip surface that will be bound with an adhesive to remain in place.
• The benches will be also fixed up but stay basically as is.
• There will be a new ADA ramp that will go from the upper 34th St. entrance down to the northwest corner. It will be gradual enough that it will appear more like a path and not need hand-railings.

Which brings me to the fence. The plans still call for a new fence running across from the tennis courts to 34th St. DPR justifies this fence several ways. The first is that it states that while the community largely feels that this is a grass park that happens to have a baseball field in it, the city considers it a baseball field that happens to have some extra grassy areas. As such, DPR believes that a fence delineating the field from the other grassy area is necessary.

This is especially true, DPR argues, because so many people treat the northwest corner of the park as a de facto dog park. Erecting a fence, in DPR’s reasoning, provides a measure of division between the “dog area” and the field. Under DC law, whether leashed or not, dogs are completely prohibited from sports fields. By erecting a fence, DPR argues that it is making it legal to have a dog in the park at all.

The proposed fence would have two 10 foot wide gates that could be open for events such as Volta Park Day. I was disappointed to learn at the meeting that they will otherwise be locked shut. I will push back on this and try to leave (at least one) unlocked to allow for easier passage around the park. At the very least I expect DPR to adopt an idea that came from the crowd to put in one or two small (unlocked) gates.

It’s fair to say that opinions on the fence are divided in the community. Personally I see both sides of the argument and have been encouraging those upset to lodge their complaints directly with DPR. But fence or no fence, we all can agree that the park needs a dramatic rehabilitation and this is the plan the city is going with.

As for timing, the hope is to secure the permits and begin work this winter. The work will take several months. Moreover the new grass will require time to get established without being used. As a result, the field will be off-limits until late spring-early summer. I pressed DPR about aggressively re-seeding the northwest corner too. They seemed open to the idea but cautioned that it would mean that this corner would also be fully out of commission for the same length of time. They wanted to hear from the community on this. What do you think? Would you accept having to stay off the entire field for a few extra months if it meant a better grass field? Or would you prefer the northwest corner be open again as soon as possible, with less improvements to the grass. Let me know!

And let me know if you have any questions or concerns! Email me at 2e02@anc.dc.gov.