Letter
Dear Ms. Nersesian:
In its public meeting of 20 February conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a master plan concept submission comprising three alternatives for the rehabilitation and design of the landscape at the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. The Commission commended the project team for the careful study of this nationally significant landscape and provided the following comments.
The Commission members observed that all three comprehensive and detailed alternatives include strong, promising ideas for consideration, and the final master plan will likely include components from each. In general, they emphasized the importance of enhancing the visitor experience, creating connectivity between different areas, and managing long-term ecological impacts. They agreed that the final plan should provide robust pedestrian circulation and a significant reduction in vehicular parking, perhaps leaving parking along Ohio Drive only for accessibility. They commented favorably on the potential for environmental resilience that characterizes Alternative C, which would create tidal wetland areas within and adjacent to the Tidal Basin.
Noting the area’s great popularity and heavy visitation when the cherry trees bloom in the spring, the Commission members recommended a deeper exploration of the impact of pedestrian movement—such as extensive soil compaction and broken cherry tree branches—on each alternative, observing that the final plan should continue to provide defined views and passage through the landscape. They expressed support for expanding the overall number and distribution of cherry trees to relieve the intense concentration of visitors around the Tidal Basin; however, they advised against planting continuous lines of the low-branching cherry trees along the banks of the Potomac River, recommending instead planting them in groups to allow space for visitors to sit and picnic by the river. They expressed support for the strategy to increase perimeter security at the Jefferson Memorial, protecting its setting without the extensive use of bollards. At the existing Kutz Bridge, they suggested further exploration of creating a separate pedestrian bridge instead of a wider sidewalk cantilevered from the existing vehicular bridge. They also requested further exploration of the long-term environmental performance of the alternatives.
The Commission expressed appreciation for the ambition to design for the long-term preservation and sustainability of this iconic national landscape. Please continue to consult with the staff, which, as always, is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Jen Nersesian, Area Director
Region 1 – National Capital Area
National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242
cc: David Rubin, David Rubin Land Collective
Danielle Peters, GWWO Architects