Hearst Playground Funds Assembled!
Design/construction to begin October 1

As many of you know, the Hearst Playground rehabilitation was delayed for over a year by funding issues (and delayed for almost three years before that for design issues). Funding has now been been fully approved and will come from two sources: The City of DC via the City Council, and the Department of Recreation's original budget (which had a shortfall that the City restored)

Carl Kessler, ANC3f01, reports that the restored funds, $600,000, was allocated under the Budget Support Act for FY 2007, and is available now without further ado. These monies will fund the final design. Everything except the construction documents are supposed to be completed on or about October 1, 2006 (the beginning of FY 2007).

The remaining funds for this project will be coming from DPR's Capital Projects Office funds, according to Carl Kessler, with the exact accounts yet to be determined: “DPR is committed to providing the Hearst project with $516,000.00 of DPR funds for construction, bringing the total construction funds available to approx. $1.116 million($600,00 & $516,000). Any design, administrative, and processing fees for permits, etc. incurred shall be in addition to the $1.116 million.”

We still do not have a firm timetable for an actual groundbreaking, but lisa schamess will keep you posted.

The $600,000 was made possible because of keen citizen action, including the leadership of Mr. Kessler, Barbara Beelar, Martha Black, and our own Dean and Jennifer Nielsen and Denise Dawkins who spearheaded the petition drive last year, to name a few. I am sure I have left out some names of people who helped—please forgive me. It was a huge team effort.

However, the money simply would not be there if it had not been for Councilwoman Kathy Patterson, who got it through Council. Your thank-you letters to Ms. Patterson would be appreciated, I am sure. And your vote, too, for her to Chair the Council if you are so inclined (I am just saying).

Incidentally, I am forming a small Facilities Committee for Hearst E.S. to follow issues like the playground, basic maintenance, and school modernization/consolidations. If anyone would like to serve on that committee or just come to an exploratory meeting, please email me directly at lisaschamess@yahoo.com.