Ward Eight for Practical & Sensible Design (WEPSD) is a coalition of leading community residents with an interest in the ever-increasing commercial and governmental development happening in Ward Eight. We want to see development that is sensitive to the current neighborhood scheme and yet practical to help our Ward grow positively.
WEPSD stands opposed to the proposed design for a new Washington Highlands Library for several key reasons:
Poor Design Plans
The Washington Highlands design plans as presented to the community on March 31, 2009 has raised many concerns and has a lot of detractors:
Does not match the neighborhood schema -- The design is very modern, space-age modern, something akin to what NASA might design for the moon. Most of the buildings in the neighborhood are brick, yet there isn't one piece of brick in the design. The pods protruding off the building look like something seen at an aquarium. Ward Eight residents are not fish.
Materials are questionable – According to DCPL documentation, the skin is largely made from aluminum and some kind of false concrete. The colors of the skin are random and not pleasing to the eye. Between the colors and materials chosen, many residents are calling this a “stick building” and wondering truly about the expected lifespan of this proposed building.
Sheltered space undesirable and wasteful – the entrance space beneath the elevated “pods” seems quite unnecessary when the space could actually be several internal rooms. It also poses a danger at night and may increase security needs for an already overburdened library security staff.
Main meeting room impractical – the floor layout plans show the main meeting room will seat 100 people in an awkward trapezoidal format forcing some rows of chairs to be two chairs wide, creating poor audience views of the front staging area, and forcing late arrivals to walk in by whatever may be happening in the front of the room. More points of access to the meeting room are needed – perhaps in the back of the room.
Protruding pods problematic – the pods that shoot off the main building is causing some major concern for library users. These pods do not have any clear sight-lines into them from library staff or security-- perhaps security cameras could help but this is an additional and enduring expense. These pods look to be serving children and young adults, the segment of library users needing most supervision. Complicating matters is the fact that the floor plans show the Children's staff work room to be completely walled in – eliminating any sight-lines whatsoever. Additionally, conditioning these rooms will be more costly – getting air into/out of the pods. Keeping these pods at appropriate temperatures will not be cost effective.
Parking on the property – WEPSD believes the placement of a parking lot right next to the library in full view of patrons looking out of library windows is impractical. There are plans by a developer to build a parking garage across the street from the library. Given residents want natural views without a parking lot blocking them and the fact that a garage will be across the street, WEPSD believes this proposed parking lot can be eliminated.
Tearing the Historic Fabric
The Washington Highlands Library came into being around the dawn of the ever-important Civil Rights era. Since 1959, this building has served as an educational beacon helping to meet the needs of under-served African Americans neighborhoods in SE/SW Washington, DC. For many Ward Eight neighbors, this building represents a community center that can be preserved and uplifted with a meaningful renovation and expansion.
WEPSD and our allies would like to see DCPL demonstrate reasonable renovation/expansion options that can upgrade the building to 21st Century technology needs, ADA compliance, and yet preserve the historic importance it has to the fabric of this community. By their own numbers, DCPL has shown that a renovation of this building, using the structure which has been deemed to be in excellent condition, would save millions of dollars.
Demolition = Hidden Problems
With the Washington Highlands Library nestled into the side of a fortified hill for fifty years, we know that the current state of the building is strong and there are no erosion issues. However, WEPSD fears that once demolition begins there will be all sorts of problems, currently hidden, that will surprise DCPL construction managers and unfortunately, and perhaps destructively, surprise the owners of homes resting on the hill just above the library property line.
In addition, the demolition will be disruptive to all neighbors living around the library -- as demolitions of similar Public Works library buildings torn down last year took weeks, and in one case more than a month, despite the heavy machinery being used.
Ward Eight has only one library serving the entire Ward. This demolition will not only be noisy and perhaps dangerous for neighbors, it will disrupt community services and community meetings for years.
A aesthetically pleasing and sensibly practical renovation/expansion of the current Washington Highlands Library would reduce all of these disruptions significantly.
Conclusion
WEPSD urges the Commission on Fine Arts to encourage DC Public Library leadership to explore renovation/expansion options before approving the currently poor design concept plans.
Ward Eight for Practical & Sensible Design
Lead CommitteeCommissioner Theresa Jones
Washington Highlands ANC 8D-07
202-561-7318
Mr. Sean Neale
Washington Highlands “Friends of the Library”
202-821-3351 // sean.1218@yahoo.com
Commissioner Von Pariss
Ward Eight ANC 8B-07
202-361-8552 // 8B07@anc.dc.gov
Join with other concerned
Ward Eight neighbors to:
SIGN ON TO THIS LETTER!
Send an email or call
with your name, phone, and
mailing address or zipcode.
202-536-4065
dclibrarydynamo@rushpost.com