On March 26, 2009, DCPL gave a glimpse of some new Mount Pleasant Library expansion design concepts.
The architect referred to them as "hot off the presses" and gave the impression that they were still being developed.
Councilmember Graham asked the audience if they would consider an expansion out of the back of the library. Most agreed with their arms raised high. As a caveat, many people expected multiple expansion configurations out of the back to be discussed going forward.
This is when some in the community asked Chief Cooper to set up a working group with key community players to open a back-and-forth dialog to build the next set of designs together.
This did not happen.
On April 30, 2009, more than one month after this community meeting, two new design images finally made their way onto the DCPL website.
These show an expansion out of the back of the Mount Pleasant library rising three stories tall and extending the building to the property line.
This has raised concerns about fire safety, quality of life, and need for such an expansion, yet seemingly these new designs seem complete.
From the DCPL website...
DCPL Image One
DCPL Image Two
District Dynamos videos of Shared Backyard
Bullet Points from tenants of nearby apartments
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NEARBY BUILDING CONCERNS
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The District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) is planning a renovation
and expansion of the Mount Pleasant Library, 3160 -16th Street, NW. To
the Northwest, the library is only about 25 feet from the Park Marconi
building. The expansion will bring the library too close for comfort
AND safety - about 12 feet.
The proposed expansion is a three-story structure on the rear of the
library which is also the side and rear of Park Marconi. There is also
a planned 75-foot ramp for the South side of the library next to Park
Marconi. These expansions will have several negative impacts on Park
Marconi:
* Fire Safety. Park Marconi resides in a shared community with the
rears of 3143, 3149, 3153, 3155, and 3157 Mount Pleasant Streets backing
up to it. The rears of these buildings are as close as three (3) feet
and no more than 25-1/2 feet. With the library's planned expansion, the
maximum distance between the library and Park Marconi and the Monticello
(on Mt. Pleasant) will be only about 12 feet.
o This leaves no room for fire and emergency vehicle access.
Additionally, the Park Marconi has no fire escapes and no rear
entrance/exit and having ladder truck access is crucial. In
March, 2008, the Deauville Apartment, 3143 Mount Pleasant
Street burned to the ground. In order to reach the rear of
the third and fourth floors, firemen brought water hoses
through the hallways of Park Marconi, into tenants' apartments
and out of their windows. Though there was, thankfully, no
loss of life, over 300 residents loss everything they owned,
including their apartment homes and the property is a burned
out shell.
* Quality of life will seriously be hampered. A three-story
addition on the rear of the library will hinder light, air and quality
of life not only for Park Marconi residents; but also for all the
affected buildings. A ramp on the South side will create loiterers,
noise levels and attract the homeless residents and indigent population
that resides in Mount Pleasant. This population already makes the front
stairs and landing of the library their homes and bathrooms at night.
It will be difficult to attract the eclectic, multicultural populations
that are currently seeking to reside in Mount Pleasant.
* Property values may plunge. Lack of air, light, emergency
vehicle access and the imposition of a public structure (so close to the
building that residents can practically check out books without ever
leaving their apartment homes) could affect the value of the historic
Park Marconi building and surrounding buildings.
LIBRARY
DYNAMOS