Comments for “Eastern Market Metro Park Study”
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An interactive water feature would be a natural way to create an area that can attract kids and families as a compliment to the playground
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Playground here
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I don't think it's supposed to be part of the plan, but it does seem as if all of D St here could be closed to increase the size of the park and limit the issues at the intersection with 8th St. If not closed all together, maybe narrowed.
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Another place where people make an informal path through the grass. A prime place to formalize what is already happening.
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If this tent is so often present, perhaps a permanent, more attractive and more suitable structure should be included in the future park?
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The future park needs good shade trees, strategically placed paths, and good seating. I'm always surprised that this park seems mostly like a place to pass through and less like a place people actually want to be.
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Like its sister crosswalk south of Penn Ave, cars rarely stop at this crosswalk, but instead just rush through the light on Penn Ave. Very dangerous and should be rethought.
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Drivers rarely stop at this stop sign, making it extremely dangerous to cross here.
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People walk through the grass here all the time turning it into a dirt path. Clearly, it's an avenue that pedestrians seek, so perhaps it should be formalized with a sidewalk.
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This area (north of Penn, between 8th & 9th) is currently run down and a bit 'dirty' w/ the unkempt landscaping and worn brick. It would be great as a playground area for kids, including some sort of water element. The area just generally needs to be "spruced up", more open and welcoming, and more usable.
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Need to improve traffic flow on 7th Street. Improve turning lanes on 7th and 8th streets. Enhance crosswalks in all crosswalk sections. More enforced parking in the area. Restrict all heavy truck and bus traffic from Navy yard to Pennsylvania ave. Currently used as avoidance of 8th street by trucks and buses. Eliminate enclosed bike boxes. Improve bike parking Eastern market metro. It is one of few metro stops that have bike racks and it should be improved. Consolidate newspaper boxes to improve appearance. Restrict parking on Plaza by metro employees at all hours. Improve rodent control.
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Cars speed up to catch the light crossing Penn - racing through the crosswalks on D. This always feels like dangerous place to cross the street - given this should be more of a walking area than a highway, slowing traffic in some fashion would be appreciated.
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There is a serious rat and cockroach problem over here. Can the design to something to help this please?
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Please don't cut down any of the trees in the area. They are beautiful and provide much needed shad.
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I love having Capital Bikeshare here, but there are no bike lanes in this area. A shared lane along Penn (to an existing bike lane area) would be helpful. Hopefully it can slow traffic as well.
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I would like to express my strong opposition to the fact that meeting are being held during the height of the Summer when people are away and can not be present to express their concerns and ideas.
I am aware that there is discussion about using the metro plaza as a site for music, food trucks and gatherings. I am very much opposed to these types of activities being held on this portion of the plaza becasue it will create a great deal of noise and traffic in or residential neighborhood. I live within ear shot of the metro now and without all this it is extremely noisy. I all ready have to deal with the massive number of bars and fast food places on 8th St. BArracks Row promised a totally different type of environment. Now it is dropping even lower and becoming a fast food heaven with the proposed food trucks! Is the overall plan to mimic Coney Island? Thanks but NO THANKS.
I am one of many neighbors that has this point of view. I am not alone. Planning meetings during the vacation season so that people can not attend and also rushing this through is an outrage. Angela Scott -
1) Please ensure that the metro side of the plaza (parcel 4) is a park -- a green space that offers relief from the glaring sun in the summer and buffers the residents from the traffic of Pennsylvania Avenue.
2) Please incorporate the existing trees in the design. A number of close-in neighbors have contributed countless hours to their nurture To start over and delay for another 20 years the development of the tree canopy so badly needed at the metro would be too sad.
3) Please ensure that the metro side does not become a place of business. In particular, do not turn it into a venue for food trucks or other food sellers. We in the nearby blocks are already inundated with Popeye and Chipotle and 7/11 wrappers and food scrapes.
4) Food will contribute to the already terrible rat problem on the plaza and food trucks will contribute to existing exhaust and heat problems.
5) Please be cognizant of the massive rat issues on the metro side of the plaza. That means no food -- see above -- and, critically, landscaping that discourages rats from lurking and burrowing.
6) Specifics re rodent resistant landscaping: Critically, foliage at ground level should be extremely sparse. With the exception of plants such as well spaced miniature mondo grass, plants should be chosen for their ability to be pruned so that foliage grows no closer than two feet to the ground.
7) Consider using large river rocks to mulch. They are water permeable, but prevent rodents from burrowing down or up.
8) Please consider banning or curtailing music in metro side of the plaza. Sounds from the metro space travel down 7th Street and South Carolina. If there is music permitted, the hours should be limited.
9) Please do not include water features -- they are difficult to maintain and easily contribute to West Nile issues, not to mention provide a necessary water source for rats.
10) Please consider incorporating some sort of street design to slow traffic as it approaches the metro plaza from 7th and South Carolina, as well as Pennsylvania. Trucks serving the restaurants on 8th Street are increasingly using 7th Street. Cars also appear to be favoring 7th Street over 8th, perhaps because of the traffic lights on 8th. The result is more traffic jams, more frustrated drivers and more frustrated drivers who are reckless and speed. A redesigned plaza will no doubt attract more people, including children. Measure should be taken to ensure that traffic moves carefully around the metro plaza, especially near the library.
11) Please incorporate the bike boxes across from the CVS into a more pleasant design.
12) Eastern Market Metro Park needs a management team authorized to enforce rules governing the use of the Plaza. Experience has demonstrated that sometime City Police and Metro Police differ on who has jurisdiction over activities on the plaza resulting in confusion for local residence. Please put part of the planning funds toward the research and/or lobbying effort that will likely be necessary to determine which police force will have jurisdiction over the entire parcel or authorize a team from EMMP to manage this. A well designed park will encourage more users, which is great, but will only be practical if there are clear rules re usage and some police force (either Metro or MPD) have the authority to enforce the rules. As it is now, it sometimes happens that neither police force is willing to take responsibility.
13) A maintenance fund should be established for EMMP that will ensure a safe, clean, healthy environment, that does not fall into disrepair and encourage abuse.
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I would like to make sure that whatever landscaping and other features are proposed for the park take stormwater management & stormwater retention into account. This is critical for the health of the Anacostia River, would contribute to a more sustainable urban environment, and if done correctly, is a great opportunity to design a model project -- one that can teach lay persons, other urban space professionals, and our growing population of young, future environmental stewards about sustainable approaches to our built environment. The Anacostia Watershed Society has a very knowledgeable landscape architect on staff whom I would like to introduce you to. Please contact me so I have an email address to communicate with. I live a block from the Metro Plaza and am the Chair of the Anacostia Watershed Society Board. Please get in touch.
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-redesign flow for pedestrian passage from 9th & D to 8th & PA, include an asymmetric water feature in middle with low "japanese-style" bridge of the water
- put a fountain feature on one side of bridge, leave other side open for model sailboats
- add cluster seating and tables around water feature -
-establish a pedestrian and bike way down the center of parcels 5 & 2 to direct pedestrian flow from 7th St/Eastern Market to 8th St/Barracks Row to 9th St/Hill Center-Naval Hospital
- line PA Ave sides with plantings to provide relief from traffic, possibly signage about Eastern Market, Barracks Row & Hill Center
-establish rain gardens bordering roadways for runoff from PA Ave -
-establish a pedestrian and bike way down the center of parcels 5 & 2 to direct pedestrian flow from 7th St/Eastern Market to 8th St/Barracks Row to 9th St/Hill Center-Naval Hospital
- line PA Ave sides with plantings to provide relief from traffic, possibly signage about Eastern Market, Barracks Row & Hill Center
-establish rain gardens bordering roadways for runoff from PA Ave -
- close this portion of D St and expand the size of parcel 3 to be a more useable area.
- increase tree and landscape cover, and establish a rain garden to accommodate runoff from 8th St, PA Ave and the sidewalk along the old D St and 8th St. -
if drainage patterns permit, establish a rain garden to accommodate runoff from 8th St, PA Ave, and any hardscape associated with the new Hine development
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- Close this portion of D St to thru traffic & only permit a right turn onto 8th. This will expand the size of parcel 6 to permit better use and reduce traffic on the 800-block of D.
- Use the expanded area 6 for cluster seating, game tables and possibly bocce courts. -
Consider the creative use of Fortinias. They are fast growing, hold their leaves year round and can be pruned into trees (rather than bushes) so all foliage is well off the ground. Planted around the south west corner of the metro plaza they would provide shade and make a great (rodent free) screen for traffic noise.