Letter
Dear Mr. Siegel:
In its meeting of 17 September, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed and approved the new concept design for the proposed Washington Canal Park at 2nd Street between I and M Streets, SE. The Commission members expressed strong enthusiasm for the concept design and noted that the sequence of open park spaces will be an attraction for the surrounding community as well as the city.
In their discussion, the Commission members identified several issues for consideration in the development of the design. Noting the large expanse of the paved area in the southernmost block, they supported the use of fabric structures and possibly additional trees to provide shade, and they encouraged the installation of benches for visitors. They questioned the distance between the open play lawn and the toy storage pavilion in the central block and suggested that the play lawn could be located closer to the pavilion. While supporting the general design of the pavilion elements along the east side of the park, the Commission members raised concerns about the safety of overlooks and bridges and the potential for damage from unsupervised use, such as skateboarding. They also recommended simplicity in the treatment of paving materials, possibly to limit the typical installation to scored concrete and decomposed stone and to omit precast concrete pavers.
The Commission looks forward to seeing a final design proposal for this significant community resource. As always, the staff is available to assist you with future submissions.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, AIA
Secretary
Steven A. Siegel
Development Director
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 317
Washington, DC 20004
cc: David Rubin, OLIN
Christopher VanArsdale, Canal Park Development Association