The Georgetown Metropolitan

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Here’s you April Northwest Georgetown ANC Update:

Volta Park Renovation

The hottest topic for our neck of the woods these days is surely the Volta Park renovation. This $700,000 project will bring many improvements to the park, although some of the elements are producing community disagreement. In all, the project aims to provide the following:

• Re-sodding the main grass field which is currently in a terrible shape
• Repairing the irrigation system
• Repairing and regrading the baseball diamond in order to eliminate its current dangerous condition
• Install a French drain along the first base line to address the extensive erosion along the park’s southern border
• Provide a new backstop and bleachers for the baseball diamond
• Install a new 4 foot fence across the northwest corner of the park
• Provide ADA access points for the park
• Install additional amenities, such as new trash cans, a water fountain, and other seating, budget permitting

While nearly everyone welcomes improvements to the park, I have received concerns about some of specific items listed above. Firstly, many residents object to the proposed 4 foot fence. This is where is would be located:

The fence would replace the temporary rope fence that is there now. The Department of Parks and Rec. (DPR) representatives characterized the new fence as an “outfield fence” for the baseball field. But they also acknowledged that the purpose of the fence was primarily to keep dogs off the newly repaired field. It would, in effect, informally recognize the northwest corner of the park as a dog park without the substantial investment that would be necessary to construct an actual official dog park. Of course, DPR reps are quick to point out that all dogs must remain on-leash at all times in the park. By proposing an informal dog park, though, DPR is acknowledging that the leash law is observed mostly in the breach at Volta.

This is obviously a delicate issue that produces strong passions. For every resident that has expressed a concern to me that this new fence would sever the pastural feeling of the park, I’ve also heard other residents who welcome the fence and complain about walking through dog poop or having their child’s tee-ball games interrupted by off-leash dogs. This range of views is very much present among my fellow commissioners. For that reason, the ANC has decided to remain neutral at this point on the issue of the fence.

There are also concerns about the new backstop and the proposed bleachers. These concerns relate both to aesthetics and concerns for the health of the bordering historic osage trees. In both cases I am hearing that lesser is better. At this point we have not seen any specific plans or renderings, so while we welcome hearing about the community’s concerns, the ANC is reserving its judgment until those plans emerge.

DPR has promised to submit their proposals for review by the Old Georgetown Board. The ANC will push to hold them to that promise. And when that review occurs, I do expect the ANC to weigh in on the design of the fence, backstop, bleachers, and any other physical element of the plan. For the fence, on top of obvious questions about aesthetics, another primary concern will be to include gates to enable the fence to open widely when not in use. For the backstop and bleachers, I expect that keeping the designs on the minimal side will be our aim. We also will strongly encourage Urban Forestry to consult closely on the project to protect the trees.

Of course the public is also invited to chime in both now and during the Old Georgetown Board process. Submit your comments to DPR’s Chris Dyer at christopher.dyer@dc.gov. Once the designs reach the Old Georgetown Board, the email contact there is Georgetown@cfa.gov.

Assuming the project does not encounter any significant obstacles, the work should commence in the fall. As the project would include a newly sodded field, it will require one full growing season with no use. This will mean the field will be closed for much of 2024. This will obviously be a disappointment to many (particularly dog owners) but it is a necessary step to ensure the long-term health of the new field.

Speaking of Volta Park, the Friends of Volta Park are holding a spring clean up Saturday April 8th at 8:30. Please come out at help spruce up the park!

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Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Georgetown Cupcake closes NYC and LA stores.
• New chocolate shop coming to old cat cafe space on O St.

The mayor released her budget proposal for fiscal year 2024 yesterday. And several items would affect Georgetown, were it to be enacted into law. Here are some of the highlights:

One major change that would impact Georgetown is the mayor’s proposed changes to the Circulator bus system. She proposed to cut all the lines except the Georgetown-Union Station, the National Mall, and the Congress Heights-Union Station routes. This would mean ending the Dupont-Rosslyn route, which also serves Georgetown. (It also would seem to forestall any expansion of any Circulator lines, such as the long dormant plan to extend the Georgetown-Union Station line up to National Cathedral). The Council may push back on this proposal, but for now it would seem that Georgetown is likely to be down to one Circulator route.

On the positive side, the Mayor proposed some specific line items that would directly benefit Georgetown. This includes $3.3 million for a renovated Hardy Middle School cafeteria and $400k for Book Hill Park. Somewhat mysteriously, the mayor also proposed $3 million for a Georgetown safety and mobility project on Wisconsin Ave. I have no idea right now what that would entail, or how it might (or might not) interact with the ongoing Georgetown transportation study. I hope to learn more soon!

I was disappointed to not see any proposed money to be spent to save the historic trolley trestle through Foundry Branch. But hopefully the Council can be persuaded to add it in (it was on Council Member Frumin’s budget request letter). Stay tuned!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Shouk now open!
• Argument for a Madeleine Albright statue on GU’s campus.

This week for Georgetown Time Machine, I’m taking a dip back into the collection of photos I received that were taken of commercial storefronts in Georgetown in 1993. This particular photo shows the western side of the 1600 block of Wisconsin Ave. And on the right of the picture you will see a shop that was beloved by many long timers: the French Market.

Of course I’m not referring to the annual street fair called the French Market that occurs on this same block. The French Market you see in the photo above was a gourmet food store that opened 1958 and had a deep history, as described by the Post in 1971:

The gourmet market was a mainstay for the Georgetown community (and DC at large) for decades, but eventually all good things must come to an end. In the late 80s, the brothers wanted to retire:

It took the brothers a little bit longer to actually close the shop, which they finally did in 1995. But the same year two of the three brothers turned right around and reopened as a new version of the French Market in a condo in Chevy Chase, MD.

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Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Georgetown spring bloom tour on March 25th.
• The “Foster” in Long and Foster passes away.

In what could be a very interesting event, former Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans will be joining Carol Joynt for her next Q&A Cafe. It’s April 4th at the George Town Club:

https://twitter.com/caroljoynt/status/1636169549325189120

Evans, of course, resigned in disgrace in 2020. But then he tried to win his old seat in the spring primary and lost badly. He ran a distant seventh, with just 376 votes. But it sure seems like he is thinking about running again next year when Brooke Pinto is up for reelection (if you zoom in on the picture below, you can see the phrase: “CRIME CRIME CRIME -> Jack Evans 2024” written on the piece of paper in front of Evans):

Tipster: Jack Evans posts on Facebook “discussing future plans” (??) pic.twitter.com/CqTqVJFWkp

— Cuneyt Dil (@cuneytdil) October 12, 2021

All of which should make for an interesting discussion, which Joynt will adroitly lead!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Sneakerhead shop Atmos is partnering with New Balance.
• New headcoach for the Men’s Hoyas, can he right the capsized ship?

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