Section 10-A806. PROS-1.3 PROTECTING THE VALUE OF PARKLAND

 

806.1A park can be a symbol of a neighborhood’s vitality and character, or an emblem of its disorganization and lack of spirit. Too often, our parks have not been treated as the resource for revitalization and community empowerment that they should be. Some suffer from deferred maintenance, illegal dumping, and crime-others struggle to accommodate competing needs within limited space. A lack of consistent policies on park management has led to use conflicts within some parks and in some cases, land use conflicts between parks and the neighborhoods around them. 806.1

 

806.2Washington’s parks should be viewed as a limited and precious resource, no less valuable than the neighborhoods they serve. This requires that a consistent set of principles be followed for park design, programming, and planning. The following policies provide guidelines for systematically managing the District’s parks to protect their long-term value. They are supplemented by more detailed park management guidelines in the Parks Master Plan. 806.2

 

806.3Policy PROS-1.3.1: Balancing Competing Needs

 

Manage the District’s parklands to protect and enhance their open space character while also accommodating a range of recreational activities. Park activities and facilities should be designed in a way that makes the best possible use of each space while minimizing conflicts between different recreational uses. 806.3

 

806.4Policy PROS-1.3.2: Parks and Environmental Objectives

 

Use park improvements to achieve environmental objectives such as water quality improvement, air quality improvement, and wildlife habitat restoration. 806.4

 

806.5Policy PROS-1.3.3: Protecting the Triangle Parks

 

Maintain the District’s open space triangles as neighborhood amenities supporting a range of activities. These activities should vary based on the setting of each triangle, and should range from planted “islands” to more active spaces. The triangles should be designed in a way that mitigates stormwater runoff and air pollution from adjacent corridors. 806.5

 

806.6Policy PROS-1.3.4: Conversion of Parkland/Open Space

 

Protect the basic function of District parks as public open spaces and prevent parkland conversion to other uses. In the event that there is no other viable alternative to conversion, require that an equivalent or greater area of parkland is acquired and improved in the vicinity of the impacted site. 806.6

 

806.7Policy PROS-1.3.5: Park Buildings

 

Require any new structure on District-owned parkland to be sited to minimize impacts on existing recreational activities and facilities, avoid encroachment onto athletic fields, and to retain as much of the site as possible as useable open space. Public buildings that do not relate to recreational needs should be discouraged from locating on city parkland, especially in areas with parkland deficiencies. 806.7

 

806.8Policy PROS-1.3.6: Compatibility with Adjacent Development

 

Design and manage park activities and facilities including recreation centers in a way that is compatible with nearby residential and commercial uses. 806.8

 

See also the Historic Preservation and the Urban Design Elements for additional policies and actions related to historic natural areas and the squares, circles and triangles associated with the L’Enfant Plan. See the Infrastructure Element for policies on the siting of communication towers (in parks and elsewhere).

 

806.9Action PROS-1.3.A: Open Space Zone

 

Establish an Open Space zone district to cover District-owned parks, community gardens, and other lands where long-term open space preservation is desired. Develop limits on lot coverage and impervious surface coverage in this zone that recognize and protect the basic value of parkland as open space. The zoning provisions should ensure that any future construction within parks is limited to park-related uses and facilities. 806.9

 

806.10Action PROS-1.3.B: Transfer of Triangles to DPR

 

Consider the transfer of maintenance responsibilities for triangle parks from the District Department of Transportation to the Department of Parks and Recreation to recognize their primary function as parkland. 806.10

 

See also the Environmental Protection Element for policies related to preventing development on land adjacent to parks that would hinder access, destroy views, or otherwise compromise the value of parkland.

 

806.11Action PROS-1.3.C: Site Plan Review

 

Require that plans for the redesign of individual parks or the development of park facilities are reviewed by appropriate District agencies to ensure that they advance the city’s goals for better public recreation facilities, environmental protection, open space preservation, historic preservation, public safety, and accessibility. 806.11

 

notation

The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.