Anonymous wrote:Screw Stoddart and its surrogates who want to put plastic on he field. It works fine as is. Plastic fields create heat and are as permeable as concrete.

No it doesn't. It is a chronic dust bowl. And when it isn't a dust bowl, it is a mud bog. And to boot the selfish doggie people leave their dogshit all over the place, so it becomes a health risk for the people who are using it to run around.

It is a failure for anyone who wants to use it except the close by neighbors who like the peace and quiet and the dog people who let their dogs shit at ill and don't clean up after them. Most of these are the same people.

What do environmental studies show? Is there any benefit to turf as it might require less maintenance?

If you know about turf, please try to convince me of its benefits...

Screw Stoddart and its surrogates who want to put plastic on he field. It works fine as is. Plastic fields create heat and are as permeable as concrete.

Anonymous wrote:
You also realize that whether or not there is a pool, the field is going to be turned over, right? If the field is as heavily used as you say it is there is no way to maintain natural grass on it, so turf it is.

Nope. No turf.

Can you cite any heavily used grass sports field on the east coast? At any level, pro, college, high school? FedEx filed is a disaster and it's only used 12 days a year and without the dog poop

You also realize that whether or not there is a pool, the field is going to be turned over, right? If the field is as heavily used as you say it is there is no way to maintain natural grass on it, so turf it is.

Nope. No turf.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Except you have to live in a certain area to belong to those other nearby pools, either in McLean Gardens or in certain special parts of Cleveland Park. No thanks.

Destroy portions of Hearst Park field, tennis courts, playground and mature tree canopy for another pool that charges membership fees?

No thanks!

You know that when you use words like "destroy" you are overstating things a bit and that people on the fence will not take you seriously, right? Tone it down a bit sweetie.

You also realize that whether or not there is a pool, the field is going to be turned over, right? If the field is as heavily used as you say it is there is no way to maintain natural grass on it, so turf it is.

True. Much better to say "replacement" of portions of the field, tennis courts, playground and trees by a pool. It sounds much sweeter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Except you have to live in a certain area to belong to those other nearby pools, either in McLean Gardens or in certain special parts of Cleveland Park. No thanks.

Destroy portions of Hearst Park field, tennis courts, playground and mature tree canopy for another pool that charges membership fees?

No thanks!

You know that when you use words like "destroy" you are overstating things a bit and that people on the fence will not take you seriously, right? Tone it down a bit sweetie.

You also realize that whether or not there is a pool, the field is going to be turned over, right? If the field is as heavily used as you say it is there is no way to maintain natural grass on it, so turf it is.

When will Mary Cheh release her Gosplan showing where the pool, deck and pool house will be situated?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Except you have to live in a certain area to belong to those other nearby pools, either in McLean Gardens or in certain special parts of Cleveland Park. No thanks.

Destroy portions of Hearst Park field, tennis courts, playground and mature tree canopy for another pool that charges membership fees?

No thanks!

You know that when you use words like "destroy" you are overstating things a bit and that people on the fence will not take you seriously, right? Tone it down a bit sweetie.

You also realize that whether or not there is a pool, the field is going to be turned over, right? If the field is as heavily used as you say it is there is no way to maintain natural grass on it, so turf it is.

Well apparently there's always been a fee schedule. And it's never been used before.

And when DPR starts charging fees, where do you think they'll start? Wards 7 and 8? Or west of Rock Creek Park?

Anonymous wrote:So, no fees for Hearst pool?

There will be a pool fee schedule, which may or may not be suspended at any point in time. There, isn't that clear?

So, no fees for Hearst pool?

I asked DPR about the fees via Twitter.

They said that by law they had to update the fees they are authorized to charge for everything - field use permits, parties, pavilion rentals and pool fees. But that they have NO intention of actually charging DC residents to use pools.

Very confusing how they communicated this. But no fees and no plans to start collecting them.

The pool advocates no longer have a leg to stand on. If the pool is going to charge fees, there is no difference between a public pool and the many pools in the area that one can join. It is also a way to keep interlopers out. The park is free now. Restricting access while damaging the environment is a non-starter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, how many years will it take for the fees to go away?

My bet is they'll never be implemented in the first place.

Please give me some hope. Why do you think this?

For the same reasons they just cancelled fees on fitness centers -- they can't collect the money.

There are some good people there, but DPR is an agency that struggles to do anything. Collecting money from the public is a very complicated thing to do, you need credit card processing, protocols for handling cash, lockboxes, accounting. Fees are going to deter users, while at the same time they're trying to boost use of their facilities, EOTP most of them are lightly used. It just doesn't make sense for them.