The City held another meeting on the proposed Chuck Brown Memorial Park at the Center of Aging today. The meeting was to unveil their new concept for the Park and pavilion. Here is the old plan and concept of the pavilion:
The new concept, which will have only 200 seats and much more greenery and open space is below:
What do you think?
10:27 am The new park’s seating has been reduced by more than 40%. The concept will resemble a Roman amphitheater. The playground area is to remain as is.
10:29 am The entire height of the Pavilion will stand 26′ high with the Tower being the highest point, nine feet higher than the pavilion itself.
10:33 am Concerns about sound from the Amphitheater by area neighbors was answered with “the sound ordinances will be enforced”. There will not be restrooms built because they cannot be maintained and for potential drug issues. They will provide a “restroom pad”. Users of the Amphitheater will be responsible for bringing in Porto-potties, their own lighting and equipment.
Parking and security will need to be part of the permit process.
10:40 am “the goal is to not have big events here….but I don’t know that honestly”
10:42 am Jon Mandel: “the city has negotiated with a local church to use their parking lots during events.”
10:43 am The scape will block line of sight of MPD to see into the park, which they currently have. Concern over security. Also concern about the huge morals of Chuck Brown. “I don’t want to have to look at a huge moral everyday” – resident
Response on MPD line of sight is that they are spacing scape enough for police to see through and mesh design will allow to see “shadows”
Photo of morals and tower:
10:50 am The Mayor ignoring residents concerns borders on the “line of scandal” using tax payer money for something like the Pavilion. “It can be a memorial for Chuck Brown but without pavilion and amphitheater”.
“It isn’t about go-go music, I don’t want to hear music all the time.”
10:55 am “quality of life of residents has not been addressed. This isn’t a racial issue.”
10:57 am City official basically says that this new pavilion is the only way to clean up the park.
10:58 am “We have 600 children homeless in this City…the Mayor is running a dictatorship….I’m sick of it…. If Mayor wants it, put it in his backyard,” says 57 year resident.
rhodeislandavene.com 
are there renderings of the “tower” anywhere? i’ve often thought that the hookers and homeless who camp in Langdon needed a siege tower to fend off the throngs of park revelers.
Wow…it sure would have been nice for this meeting to be properly publicized. As is, they did a bang-up job of getting the NIMBYs out in full force, it seems. But, hey, who knows. Maybe the city actually actually wants to kill the project. Ho-hum…can’t have anything nice because a handful of people with too much time on their hands don’t want anything.
Honestly having seen such stages and pavilions in many different cities, the simple fact is they are a a waste of money. They are never used. Unless you have someone actively managing the space and seeking performances, it will mostly just sit empty. Especially in a random residential area not int he center of the city. What group exactly would be wanting to make use of this?
Nathaniel,
There is a Chuck Brown group at windmeupchuck.com that constantly uses the Howard Theatre. This amphitheater would be their next venue and home! Doubt if they would help maintain it. The Mayor is flooding the DC Schools with classes on Go-Go. So, they’ll also try to use the amphitheater for that, too.
I have many concerns about even a 9 foot high amphitheater. Police won’t be able to see in from 20th Street, only through mesh if well light from 18th Street, with lots of eye-strain.
Why not just fix what’s already there? It has always been as ugly as it now is. Use extra money for new recreation center!
This Chuck Brown amphitheater in no way should be connected with the new Woodridge Library that is being built. The community needs a new recreation center. Put the focus there. The new library will have a patio for viewing movies outdoors, so the present amphitheater is sufficient.
Also, need to reduce the number of people who can use current amphitheater. Although amphitheater was built for 200+(?), reduce it to just seating for 50 or 75. That looks like all it can hold now!
NIYMBYs rule!
Reblogged this on Vergo Productions.
The “only” way to clean up the problems in the park? Whose idiotic idea is that?
A much better way to clean up the problems in the park — and force greater police presence for the area — would be to build the new Brookland Middle School at Langdon Park. This would also allow a true co-location between the school and rec center, and would provide area residents with much-needed, improved recreational facilities.
Why not reallocate the amphitheater money to the $50 million that’s already budgeted to build the middle school? The surrounding neighborhood at Turkey Thicket doesn’t want their rec center taken away for a middle school. Let’s spend tax dollars where they will help both schoolchildren and the greater community!
Kathy,
Langdon deserves as much respect as Turkey Thicket! The residents are working hard with the city to clean up issues in Langdon Park. The outcry from the residents at numerous meetings has been for a new recreation center, and not a co-located Ward 5 Middle School. Turkey Thicket will not get all the recreational resources it needs with that Middle School coming. Neither would Langdon. It’s just a bad deal. Just wait for Taft to be available.
Does the Langdon community really want an amphitheater? That land could be better used for a soccer field, community gardens, etc. There is not much flat land in Langdon Park as it is.
We’ve been told that people like to come to Langdon to party! The best solution is to remove the amphitheater. Put in a soccer field for use on weekdays. And put this temporary venue in on weekends, like they use at Oxon Hill Run Park! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fndICStEixw
Isn’t there already an amphitheatre in the park? As for putting a school here- Kathy why would you want to take away a park and place a school there? And Woodie- you realize Taft won’t be available for a couple of decades? My children may have children by then. Where will they go in the mean time?
The city govt. is an ongoing assault on the people’s concerns, and arrogant, we really need to cleanout the city council, get local ,, sensible folks in power. Community committees to review and control, and veto all this stupid , wasteful stuff,,,fight for McMillan, Brookland green at the metro. What is going on here is atrocious ,,, the govt. makes life miserable,,,organize,,, they are a disaster!!!