Hearst Playground story in Current

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems to me the people who are opposed to the pool are in a serious case of group think. It must be some of the older residents who don't really use the park or socialize with the younger families. ("everyone I know is opposed to the pool")

Really, there is overwhelming support for this. Please don't try to fight it, it will just divide the neighborhood. Why not push for hours of operation that maximize usage but minimize perceived wear and tear? How about advocating for gathering areas so the neighborhood can come together there.

Another thing, we should be pushing for a 12 months design, so when the pool isn't being used, the space can still be programmed.

Clearly you weren't at the meeting in the Hearst gym a couple of weeks ago. There was overwhelming support against. And, I'm a young person with kids at the school and who use the lower fields for sports after school and on the weekends. We also use the tennis courts at least once per weekend when it's not raining. Don't tell me what to fight or not fight. I will fight for what I believe is right. And that is not having a pool at Hearst. If you've attended the meetings you would know that DPR and DGS have both basically said you can't keep your existing facilities and have a pool. And Mary Cheh just says "don't worry, we will just move stuff around." Yeah, b/c that works well. You may continue to fight for, but you absolutely may not tell people with opposing views not to fight it. You sounds like a dictator.

[Anonymous]

I live a couple blocks from Hearst park and my main concern is parking for this pool. Our street is unzoned parking and as such we can literally only park our cars on our block and nowhere else in the neighborhood since we do not qualify for a RPP. There are already times when I cannot park my car and have to hope that someone moves within the two hour parking restriction so that I can retrieve my car from a surrounding street and move it to an unzoned place. This also causes problems when we have guests/workers/etc. since we also do not qualify for a visitor's pass and have to hope there is an available spot on the block for them.

So I'm concerned that people will use our block to park on when visiting the proposed pool and we will be even more SOL with the parking situation.

[Anonymous]

I live about a mile away from Hearst. I'm all for a pool there, because it would be an extra place for me and my kids to swim in the summer.

But quite frankly, if I lived in the Hearst neighborhood, I wouldn't want a pool there, because it will draw lots of additional people, cars, trash, maintenance trucks, etc. It's sort of like having a high school in your neighborhood - seems great at first, but it actually is something of a nuisance for people who live there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems to me the people who are opposed to the pool are in a serious case of group think. It must be some of the older residents who don't really use the park or socialize with the younger families. ("everyone I know is opposed to the pool")

Really, there is overwhelming support for this. Please don't try to fight it, it will just divide the neighborhood. Why not push for hours of operation that maximize usage but minimize perceived wear and tear? How about advocating for gathering areas so the neighborhood can come together there.

Another thing, we should be pushing for a 12 months design, so when the pool isn't being used, the space can still be programmed.

Clearly you weren't at the meeting in the Hearst gym a couple of weeks ago. There was overwhelming support against. And, I'm a young person with kids at the school and who use the lower fields for sports after school and on the weekends. We also use the tennis courts at least once per weekend when it's not raining. Don't tell me what to fight or not fight. I will fight for what I believe is right. And that is not having a pool at Hearst. If you've attended the meetings you would know that DPR and DGS have both basically said you can't keep your existing facilities and have a pool. And Mary Cheh just says "don't worry, we will just move stuff around." Yeah, b/c that works well. You may continue to fight for, but you absolutely may not tell people with opposing views not to fight it. You sounds like a dictator.

You are right, I wasn't at the meeting. Like hundreds of your neighbors who support this, we are too busy to attend every community meeting, much less any of them. Only people who are motivated against something take the time to show up at those things. We have sent our emails to the Councilmember and will continue to monitor the progress from our new ANC Commissioner, who was steadfast for this during his campaign. We expect him to follow through on that support.

Sorry you disagree.

[Anonymous]

, I wouldn't want a pool there, because it will draw lots of additional people, cars, trash, maintenance trucks, etc.

Don't know about this. We live a few blocks from Upshur Pool, which doesn't have parking, and there's pretty much no change in the amount of pedestrian or car traffic when the pool is open vs. when it is closed. Same thing with trash, etc.

[Anonymous]

Because the trashcans at Hearst currently aren't completely overfilled by the end of every weekend.

[Anonymous]

Just so we don't let innuendo get in the way of facts, here is the project website: http://dgs.dc.gov/page/hearst-park-and-pool-improvement-project

And within, there is a 16 slide presentation given at the public meeting referenced above.

Note: Construction to begin this winter. There will be no trees removed as part of this project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems to me the people who are opposed to the pool are in a serious case of group think. It must be some of the older residents who don't really use the park or socialize with the younger families. ("everyone I know is opposed to the pool")

Really, there is overwhelming support for this. Please don't try to fight it, it will just divide the neighborhood. Why not push for hours of operation that maximize usage but minimize perceived wear and tear? How about advocating for gathering areas so the neighborhood can come together there.

Another thing, we should be pushing for a 12 months design, so when the pool isn't being used, the space can still be programmed.

Clearly you weren't at the meeting in the Hearst gym a couple of weeks ago. There was overwhelming support against. And, I'm a young person with kids at the school and who use the lower fields for sports after school and on the weekends. We also use the tennis courts at least once per weekend when it's not raining. Don't tell me what to fight or not fight. I will fight for what I believe is right. And that is not having a pool at Hearst. If you've attended the meetings you would know that DPR and DGS have both basically said you can't keep your existing facilities and have a pool. And Mary Cheh just says "don't worry, we will just move stuff around." Yeah, b/c that works well. You may continue to fight for, but you absolutely may not tell people with opposing views not to fight it. You sounds like a dictator.

You are right, I wasn't at the meeting. Like hundreds of your neighbors who support this, we are too busy to attend every community meeting, much less any of them. Only people who are motivated against something take the time to show up at those things. We have sent our emails to the Councilmember and will continue to monitor the progress from our new ANC Commissioner, who was steadfast for this during his campaign. We expect him to follow through on that support.

Sorry you disagree.

Also a survey was done by Friends of Hearst Park that showed very strong support for the pool from the surrounding community.

[Anonymous]

Could we give back the $13 million DC is planning to spend on this pool, and instead get $13 million more put into the budget for Deal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could we give back the $13 million DC is planning to spend on this pool, and instead get $13 million more put into the budget for Deal?

Pool funds are out of the capital budget. You could reprogram it for Murch or Shepherd or another school modernization project but not for annual expenses at Deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could we give back the $13 million DC is planning to spend on this pool, and instead get $13 million more put into the budget for Deal?

Pool funds are out of the capital budget. You could reprogram it for Murch or Shepherd or another school modernization project but not for annual expenses at Deal.

That isn't how our elected officials wanted to dedicate the monies. Councilmember Cheh has for years heard complaints about a lack of outdoor pool in the Ward. Bravo to her for finding a solution and getting it funded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems to me the people who are opposed to the pool are in a serious case of group think. It must be some of the older residents who don't really use the park or socialize with the younger families. ("everyone I know is opposed to the pool")

Really, there is overwhelming support for this. Please don't try to fight it, it will just divide the neighborhood. Why not push for hours of operation that maximize usage but minimize perceived wear and tear? How about advocating for gathering areas so the neighborhood can come together there.

Another thing, we should be pushing for a 12 months design, so when the pool isn't being used, the space can still be programmed.

Clearly you weren't at the meeting in the Hearst gym a couple of weeks ago. There was overwhelming support against. And, I'm a young person with kids at the school and who use the lower fields for sports after school and on the weekends. We also use the tennis courts at least once per weekend when it's not raining. Don't tell me what to fight or not fight. I will fight for what I believe is right. And that is not having a pool at Hearst. If you've attended the meetings you would know that DPR and DGS have both basically said you can't keep your existing facilities and have a pool. And Mary Cheh just says "don't worry, we will just move stuff around." Yeah, b/c that works well. You may continue to fight for, but you absolutely may not tell people with opposing views not to fight it. You sounds like a dictator.

You are right, I wasn't at the meeting. Like hundreds of your neighbors who support this, we are too busy to attend every community meeting, much less any of them. Only people who are motivated against something take the time to show up at those things. We have sent our emails to the Councilmember and will continue to monitor the progress from our new ANC Commissioner, who was steadfast for this during his campaign. We expect him to follow through on that support.

Sorry you disagree.

Also a survey was done by Friends of Hearst Park that showed very strong support for the pool from the surrounding community.

A survey filled out only by those who knew about it. And yes, I'm happy to leave work early and get a babysitter to attend meetings on important community issues.

[Anonymous]

I knew of the survey through the local listservs. But it was shared extensively via email, the ANC etc. If you didn't know about it, then you aren't much engaged in the community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I knew of the survey through the local listservs. But it was shared extensively via email, the ANC etc. If you didn't know about it, then you aren't much engaged in the community.

Agree that it was shared extensively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're near Turtle Park in AU Park. We'd like to see the pool located over here. Lots of kids in the neighborhood.

+1