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Articles
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| Lincoln Park construction delays |
VOICE writes, "BY BEN WEINSTEIN
Construction of the walkways in Lincoln Park should be finished by the end of the month, and the fences that are blocking access to recreational space will come down at that time, according to the National Park Service.
“The project is currently scheduled to be completed April 30 this year. Of course, that’s weather permitting,” said Frank Young, facility manager for National Capital Parks-East. “Phase one is about 75 percent complete.”
But delays in the first phase of the Lincoln Park walkway work, which began last October and was originally scheduled to end in January, have frustrated residents who regularly use the park for exercise, dog walking and socializing. The park is located at the intersection of East Capitol and Massachusetts avenues.
The first phase of construction, covering the west side of the park, will cost $627,000, and the second phase about $839,000, Young said. The second phase is still unfunded, and when the money will come is unclear.
“I remain pessimistic about that date,” Northeast Capitol Hill neighborhood commissioner Nick Alberti wrote in an e-mail to the Voice. “I have not seen much progress in the past week.”"
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Alberti sent the Voice a series of e-mails that span back to October in which residents press Young for details on delays and updated schedules. They also asked Young if fences could be moved inward to open up more green space.
In an interview, Young said extended periods of cold weather and an unforeseen problem with construction materials caused the delays.
The project’s contractor, Vigil Contracting, stopped work once over the winter when it determined the base material for the walkways needed to be changed. Work stopped a second time in February because of cold weather, Young said. Work could have continued during the cold streak, but setting up heating elements would have been costly, he added.
“I’ve gotten phone calls from the community largely frustrated with the loss of recreation space,” Young said. He said the idea to move fences in during the next construction phase is “worth pursuing given the feedback from the general public.”
“We have learned some things,” Young said.
When asked whether Phase 2 would be scheduled for warmer months to avoid cold-weather stoppages, Young said his division usually pushes ahead with projects once funding becomes available and design work is complete. Also, he added, closing sections of the park would be more disruptive during warmer months when park activity peaks.
Frustrated residents have taken their complaints to Ward 6 D.C. Council member Tommy Wells.
Wells’ chief of staff Charles Allen said his office had a meeting with the staff of Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the National Park Service, and hopes to meet directly with the senator.
“They were pretty frustrated to hear about the experience that we’ve been having,” Allen said of Akaka’s staff.
Allen said the District’s problems with the National Park Service are not isolated to Lincoln Park. Ongoing maintenance problems plague many of the small federal parks around the city, including the one near the Potomac Avenue Metro station, where overgrown vegetation has aided muggers, he said.
“They are trying to help put some pressure on the National Park Service to be a better partner here,” Allen said of Akaka’s staff.
Young’s view of the Park Service’s work in the District differ. “We’re trying to improve all the Capitol Hill parks,” he said, and he pointed to progress in recent years on lighting, playground equipment and benches.
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Posted on Apr 13, 2008 22:32pm.
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