Book Hill Park Improvements Proposed

Last Wednesday, the Department of Parks and Recreation hosted a community meeting to discuss the next steps in the project to improve Book Hill Park. The meeting was attended by about twenty members of the public, most of whom are either involved with the Friends of Book Hill Park or live nearby. The presentation, included below, described some of the elements that the planners are considering for the project. Here is the slide with the big picture:

The project as proposed includes both repairs to the existing infrastructure and the addition of new features. The most eye-catching of the proposed additions was the idea of a new terrace. The proposed new terrace would be in one of three locations:

At the top of the hill:

In the middle of the hill:

Or at the bottom of the hill:

The idea was generally to create a new space for people to enter into the park and enjoy the hillside view without having to tramp across a steep grassy lawn. The audience in the room was not terribly enthusiastic for this idea, especially the middle of the hill option. Option C, the plaza right above the bottom plaza, received the most support of the three. But the audience was much more interested in other additions instead.

Most of all, the Friends of Book Hill Park wants a new water spigot towards the bottom of the hill. The city reps explained that that could end up being hugely costly, which might require some sort of a public-private partnership to accomplish. But they will prioritize it and evaluate its feasibiiity.

A final element that many in the room felt strongly about was the addition of lighting to the stairs. The planners had suggested it, but stated that the lights would likely turn off around 9 pm daily. Some in the community requested that they be on all night. Curious, I took a walk down the (currently unlit) stairs after the meeting, and I have to agree. They are basically unusable at night without lights. I could hardly make each step out, even with plenty of nearby streetlights.

As for the timeline, this is what the DPR reps estimate:

According to this timeline, construction would begin next spring or summer and end by the fall. Based on my past experiences with DPR’s promised construction timelines, I would not bet even assorted Monopoly money on that. But I’m always happy to be pleasantly surprised.

Here is the full presentation. If you have any comments on the proposal, email Christopher Dyer at Christopher.Dyer@dc.gov and copy me if you don’t mind (2e02@anc.dc.gov):