Res 04-21
ANC 3F RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF BALL FIELDS
AT FORT RENO NATIONAL PARK
WHEREAS, Fort Reno National Park, located in both ANC 3E and ANC 3F,
is part of the Fort Circle Parks system, which was established to preserve
and link together the sites of the forts that defended the District of Columbia
during the Civil War; and
WHEREAS, although the earthworks and other fortifications of Fort
Reno no longer exist, the general topography of the fort can still be observed,
including the high ground -- where the fort was located and which is now
the site of the US Army Corps of Engineers water supply reservoir and DC
Water and Sewer Authority 4th High Pump Station -- and the flat area to the
south -- where soldiers camped during the Civil War (see 1861 sketch at Attachment
A) and which today looks much as it did then; and
WHEREAS, this flat area for years has been used by residents of ANC
3F and others as a multipurpose ball field for both soccer and softball games,
as well as for individual forms of recreation, including golf, frisbee, strolling,
dog walking, picnicking, reading, landscape painting, bird watching, and
star gazing; and
WHEREAS, in response to interest from schools and athletic leagues
in renovating this ball field and creating additional ball fields at Fort
Reno Park, the National Park Service (NPS), after conducting an environmental
assessment, concluded that no action should be taken without a Phase II historical
resources assessment of subsurface deposits associated with both the Civil
War encampment and Reno City – initially a settlement of freed slaves that
grew up around the fort but later developed into a biracial community of
small houses -- unless measures were taken to preserve the underlying stratigraphy;
and
WHEREAS, on December 3, 2003, the Rock Creek Park division of NPS
and District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) entered
into an agreement that DPR would “maintain the existing ball field” [sic]
and “develop and maintain a new ball field” in the southwestern portion of
Fort Reno Park after receiving written approval from Rock Creek Park staff
of construction drawings and specifications for the proposed new ball field
and of a landscape maintenance plan (to include mowing frequency, ball field
grooming, fertilization, litter pick up, and turf renovation schedules);
and
WHEREAS, Rock Creek Park has stated that in developing and maintaining
these ball fields, the historic setting of Fort Reno Park must be preserved
to the fullest extent possible; the sense of open space must be maintained
and people allowed to circulate freely throughout the park; the underlying
soil may not be disturbed; there may no lighting for night games, no bleachers,
no artificial turf, and no perimeter fencing around the park; and other fencing,
such as for safety, must be minimal; and
WHEREAS, at a joint single-member district meeting held by commissioners
for ANC 3E04 and ANC 3F06, DPR presented two designs for ball fields at Fort
Reno, Option A and Option B, both with two fields in the existing playing
field area along Chesapeake Street – one of which would be a regulation-sized
(360’ x 225’) soccer field -- and a new youth soccer field to the north between
the reservoir and Belt Road, which would be built partially on fill to level
out the playing surface; and
WHEREAS, in Option A, the regulation-sized soccer field would overlap
a soft ball field in the area along Chesapeake Street; a new 15-18’
high back stop would be added for the softball field, but no foul line fences;
a 150’ x 300’ youth soccer would be build just to the north of the softball
and soccer fields; and all trees between the fields and one tree near the
intersection of Belt Road and Donaldson Place would have to be removed; and
WHEREAS, in Option B like Option A, a full-sized championship (360’
x 225’) soccer field would be built along Chesapeake Street , but instead
of a softball field there would be a full-sized (90’ diamond) baseball field
with 325’ foul lines; the baseball diamond would be closer to Chesapeake
Street than the existing softball diamond and the one proposed in Option
A; the soccer field would be slanted so as not to overlap the infield of
the baseball diamond; a 16-foot high fence, 20 feet from Chesapeake Street,
would stretch 215 feet along the first base foul line to protect cars and
pedestrians from foul balls; a similar fence 8 feet high and 135 feet long
would be built along the third base line by the tennis courts; the youth
soccer field would be pushed further north and would require a five-foot
high retaining wall at Donaldson Place; the pin oak that screens the existing
back stop and several other trees would have to be removed, but some trees
between the fields could be saved; and
WHEREAS, residents have commented on advantages and disadvantages
of both options:
(a) Advantages of Option A:
· This option offers more free passage for others
using the park;
· It keeps Fort Reno Park looking more as it did
during the Civil War;
· It would allow those who play softball at Fort
Reno now (schools, leagues, neighborhood pick up games) to continue playing;
but disadvantages of Option A:
· The overlap between the soccer field and softball
infield would create dangers for soccer players, who could get hurt running
on the bases and “skin” of the softball field; and
(b) Advantages of Option B:
· Because the soccer field is outside the baseball
infield, this option is safer for soccer players, who would not get hurt
running over bases and the “skin” of the infield, nor would they scuff up
the infield from their play;
· Ward 3 does not currently have a full-sized baseball
diamond;
· Trees in the middle of the park that are important
to and frequented by birds more commonly found in open areas rather than
urban neighborhoods, like flickers and Eastern king birds, would be preserved;
But disadvantages of Option B:
· The soccer field would be too close to the reservoir
fence for players, spectators, or other users trying to circulate through
the park;
· The edge of the soccer field would be next to
the “skin” of the baseball field, too close for soccer players to be able
to define the edge of the field well;
· Players on the youth soccer field could get hit
by home runs from the baseball field if permits are issued for both fields
at the same time;
· Persons walking through the park during a baseball
game would be at risk of being hit by a baseball, even if they were far from
the baseball diamond;
· The baseball diamond itself is a bit tight, with
no room for a dugout and only a minimal distance between the base line and
foul fence;
· The high fence along Chesapeake Street, stretching
beyond the open space formed by Fort Drive and 40th Street, would be visually
intrusive for both users of the park and for those approaching the park along
Fort Drive and impair the historic sense of place;
· The length of the fence along Chesapeake Street
would significantly hinder access to the park for all users, as well as block
passage of the new walking trail being planned to connect the Fort Circle
Parks, as approved by the National Park Service pursuant to the 2003 Management
Plan/Environmental Assessment for the Fort Circle Parks (see map from the
Draft Management Plan of the proposed trail route through Tenleytown, Attachment
B);
· Research shows that foul baseballs often are hit
so high and hard that no foul line fence could protect pedestrians along
Chesapeake Street, visitors to the park, and tennis players;
and
WHEREAS, residents and representatives of schools and athletic leagues
have posed other questions:
· Whether persons circulating through the park can
gain access to Donaldson Place by the retaining wall;
· Whether irrigation can be installed to help maintain
the fields or artificial turf if irrigation is impossible;
· Whether the building at the corner of Chesapeake
and Belt Road can be rehabilitated for rest rooms and a maintenance facility;
· Whether the land to the east of the proposed youth
soccer field that is surrounded by silt fences, infested with rats, and full
of rusty beams could be incorporated into the agreement and used for ball
fields;
· How traffic generated by the new fields can be
assessed and managed;
· Where new trees will be planted;
· Whether to upgrade the path to Deal to stem erosion;
and
WHEREAS, many people have expressed a desire for more ball fields
for practice and games in all sports, including baseball, softball, soccer,
and lacrosse; and
WHEREAS, others have asked for comprehensive planning for Fort Reno,
including a master plan, review under Section 106 of the Historic Preservation
Act, and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from the 2001 Environmental
Assessment; and
WHEREAS, the plans given to ANC 3F by DPR have numerous inaccuracies
and omissions about existing conditions, including the misplacement of the
existing back stop, several trees that do not exist, and no indication of
the water and electrical utilities that could be affected by redevelopment
of these fields,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, ANC 3F does not object to the agreement
to develop and maintain ball fields in the designated area in Fort Reno National
Park, so long as the historic setting of the park and sense of open space
are preserved and all visitors are allowed to circulate freely throughout
the park; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, ANC 3F supports the restrictions set
forth by Rock Creek Park on fencing, lighting for night games, and bleachers,
although ANC 3F is not opposed to free-standing benches for teams and spectators
like the ones currently in use at Fort Reno; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, ANC 3F does not support either Option
A or Option B, but requests that DPR develop a third option similar in configuration
to Option B but with a 60’ softball diamond instead of a 90’ baseball diamond;
with at least 15 feet clearance between the large soccer field and the reservoir
fence on the one side and the softball diamond infield on the other; with
the back stop placed farther back from Chesapeake Street, as it is now; with
preservation of the pin oak by the back stop if at all possible; and with
a means for users of the park to gain access into the park around the retaining
wall north of the youth soccer field; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, ANC 3F requests that DPR use more accurate,
up-to-date existing conditions plans in developing this option; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, ANC 3F recommends and urges that DPR,
engaging the National Park Service, investigate and study carefully the use
of an irrigation system or artificial turf; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, ANC 3F supports upgrading the path to
Deal to stem erosion; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, ANC 3F recommends that Rock Creek Park
work with DPR, DC Historic Preservation Office and HPRB, residents, schools,
athletic leagues, community groups, and ANC 3E and ANC 3F to address planning
issues for Fort Reno Park.
___________________________________________________________________________
Approved by a vote of 6-0-0 at a duly noticed public meeting of ANC 3F on
June 21, 2004, with a quorum present (a quorum being four).
/s/ Karen Lee Perry
/s/ Cathy Wiss
Karen Perry, Chair
Cathy Wiss,
Secretary