Take out the winter and the heat of the summer and you get about the same with the tennis courts, except it is 2-4 people at a time. Huuuuuge usage there.

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty more public tennis court options than public pool options, and like I said, it isn't like demand for the courts is bursting. Besides, a pool can be used by far more than 2 or 4 people at a time.

... but for barely three months a year... and that's when DPR actually maintains it.

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the need for a pool. Why does ward 3 need a pool? Francis, Volta and jelleff are all easily accessible. Cheh can't clutter up the city with tall buildings and crapoy condos and destroy parks. Move to shirlington of that is what you want

Shut ze vuk up. Commissar Cheh vill do vat zhe vants.

I don't get the need for a pool. Why does ward 3 need a pool? Francis, Volta and jelleff are all easily accessible. Cheh can't clutter up the city with tall buildings and crapoy condos and destroy parks. Move to shirlington of that is what you want

There are plenty more public tennis court options than public pool options, and like I said, it isn't like demand for the courts is bursting. Besides, a pool can be used by far more than 2 or 4 people at a time.

Anonymous wrote:The park is very heavily used after school each day. The small turf field is used just about every day until the lights go out.

The big grass field, such as it is, is used on most weekday afternoons by both Hearst Rec/afterschool as well as Stoddert practices.

The area that isn't that heavily used are the tennis courts. Not at all during the days and sparingly on evenings and weekends. That isn't to say they aren't used, but it isn't like all three courts are always used every day all day until dark.

That would be where I would look to install a small pool and deck. Before you all start clamoring for the tennis courts, realize there are courts behind the Second District police station, at UDC, at Chesapeake, Palisades, Turtle Park, Lafayette and Livingston Playgrounds. Most of them get some usage, but they are not packed to to capacity. Further, there are a dearth if private clubs, St Albans and Sidwell to name two that are an easy walk. Rosedale has its private court which is literally never used. What a waste that was.

I'd stay away from the private tennis court argument if I were you. First of all, not everyone can join a private tennis club (and the single Rosdale court, if my recollection serves, is a homeowner assoc.). Second, the same thing could be said about a swimming pool: there are a number of private pools in the immediate area, some of which are very easy to join (Beauvoir), others have residency requirements (Cleveland Pk Club) and others are run by associations (McLean Gardens, Vaughan Pl). It seems a shame to destroy the Hearst tennis courts, a bunch of mature growth trees and maybe part of the field for what, at the end of the day, would be a pretty small sized pool.

and more courts at Ft Reno. I am sure there are plenty of others I am not counting.

The park is very heavily used after school each day. The small turf field is used just about every day until the lights go out.

The big grass field, such as it is, is used on most weekday afternoons by both Hearst Rec/afterschool as well as Stoddert practices.

The area that isn't that heavily used are the tennis courts. Not at all during the days and sparingly on evenings and weekends. That isn't to say they aren't used, but it isn't like all three courts are always used every day all day until dark.

That would be where I would look to install a small pool and deck. Before you all start clamoring for the tennis courts, realize there are courts behind the Second District police station, at UDC, at Chesapeake, Palisades, Turtle Park, Lafayette and Livingston Playgrounds. Most of them get some usage, but they are not packed to to capacity. Further, there are a dearth if private clubs, St Albans and Sidwell to name two that are an easy walk. Rosedale has its private court which is literally never used. What a waste that was.

Anonymous wrote:I hope that the mayor is not taking the attitude that since parks in Ward 4 and others outside Ward 3 have lots of artificial turf, not enough shade trees and plenty of concrete, that Hearst should look like that too.

"Alice Deal for all" worked so well as a slogan, that Bowser's now touting surf (with concrete not sand) 'n' turf for all.

What Hearst Rec needs is a clean modern sanitary rec center for the afterschool program to keep our kids safe. One where the toilets work there is indoor play space. Plenty of Ward 4 kids attend that school, and Mayor Bowser should know that!

I hope that the mayor is not taking the attitude that since parks in Ward 4 and others outside Ward 3 have lots of artificial turf, not enough shade trees and plenty of concrete, that Hearst should look like that too.

As a Hearst school parent, a Rec after school program parent, a public pool user, a Stoddert soccer parent, a Rec T-ball parent, a tennis player, a lover of ancient oaks and a DC voter, I just don't see how they can shoehorn a decent pool into the park without significantly impacting the soccer field and destroying the wonderful old trees.
Anybody who says "I walk by this park and it does not get significant use" is not visiting between 3:15 and 6 pm during the school year when all the little kids' soccer and T-ball teams and tennis classes are out there. Several days a week from early fall to summer.

My cousin's uncle's boyfriend, who is friends with someone who drives the Mayor around town said that the Mayor cannot wait to do the first cannon ball at Hearst.

Let's start rumors.

Yay!

The back channel talk at DPR is that the Hearst pool can't happen without significant shrinking of the field and tennis courts and that everyone is looking for a way to drop this hot potato.