Neighborhood resident Malcolm Kenton attended this past Monday’s meeting on the Florida Avenue Park project. See the first two paragraphs of his post at the Greater Greater Washington blog below.
For a safe park, the best defense is a good offense
by Malcolm Kenton • August 17, 2011 10:25 am
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11684/for-a-safe-park-the-best-defense-is-a-good-offense
A small central DC playground park that has been plagued by drug dealing and other illicit activity for decades is about to undergo renovation. Once it’s done, neighbors must take ownership and make the park into a safe and welcoming neighborhood asset once again.
A sharp tension came to light at a community meeting Monday night between the desire to make Florida Avenue Park (located at the southwest corner of Florida Avenue and First Street NW) a pleasant place to let children play, take part in a game of basketball or checkers, or enjoy a sunny afternoon—and wanting to make it unwelcoming as possible to vagrants, alcoholics and drug dealers.
(Click on the GGW link above to read Malcolm’s entire post.)
Update! Lydia DePillis at Washington City Paper Housing Complex references Malcolm’s GGW enry in her “Morning Links”:
Making a park look like a prison will just keep everyone out
Bates Area Civic Association 