[Mintwood-place] Are the Lights on at DPR?

[Chris Version II.0]

In addition to answering these pertinent questions Mr. Cloud has raised 
consistently...

I hate to sound demanding, but I believe "now" is the time to remove the 
red-clay soil that was put in our park unnecessarily.  The soil is moist 
and soft and can be picked up... right?  Let's at least get the stuff 
thats in there wrongfully, out of there rightfully, before another late 
frost and snow, and so we can finish this project before the heart of 
springtime.

I also noticed that whichever team removed one of the park pine trees 
that fell during the blizzards, happens to have ridden over the grass on 
the southeast side of the park, adjacent to Kalorama Road.  I'm just in 
presumption mode here, but I sense that this grass and soil will be 
mitigated with the rest of the park project?

Thanks,
Commissioner Chris Otten
202-536-4065



John Cloud wrote:
> Councilman Graham:
>
> On February 23, Michele Molotsky of DPR sent an email about the 
> resumption of the Kalorama Park Anti-Erosion Project. That same day, I 
> sent this set of respondents an email requesting disclosure of the 
> revised plans for the project, with particular reference to written 
> specs for verbal agreements for plan changes that you yourself  
> extracted from Acting Director Aguirre and others.  (that text 
> below).  It's a week later, and there's been no public response from 
> DPR, although who knows what is transpriing behind the scenes.
>
> Councilman Graham, can you assist in having two questions answered:
>
> (1) Is anyone actually in charge at DPR?  You will recall that former 
> Director Dr. Hartsock took a very active role in trying to resolve the 
> problems with the Kalorama Park project she inherited, up until the 
> day she was fired by your Council.  Director Aguirre showed up for 20 
> minutes to an evening meeting at the Rec Cen back  in December- almost 
> 3 months ago-- and hasn't been seen or heard from since.
>
> (2) Why is it that, seemingly, Ward One constituents must always file 
> a formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to get any public 
> information out of DPR? 
>
> Sent February 23, 2010:
>
> In reference to Michele Molotsky's email today update about the 
> Kalorama Park Anti-Erosion Project (see below):
>
> The last major news about the project and its changes was in December 
> before the first snow storm, over two months ago.  If you are to 
> receive the amended DCRA permit this week, then presumably all the 
> revised plans have been created.
>
> When can the Kalorama community receive and view the new plans, 
> especially with reference to reviewing them and commenting on them 
> BEFORE any heavy machinery starts rolling at the site, which 
> Councilman Graham requested and DPR has committed to?
>
> The revised plans we would like to review include:
>
> (1) the plans for the 'playing field' redesign and ancillary areas 
> around it, like the spot occupied by the historic picnic table; 
> including the proposed work necessary, pursuant to Director Aguirre's 
> verbal promise to Councilman Graham Dec. 12, that ALL non-Kalorama 
> Park construction fill will be removed from Kalorama Park;
>
> (2) the revised plans for the 'archeological site" by the basketball 
> court, the drainage problems of the basketball court in general, the 
> repair or replacement of the cracked coping wall there, the removal of 
> the sloping disabled access ramp, and other matters in that part of 
> the project area;
>
> (3)  standards and specs for remediation of the compacted soil over 
> tree root systems caused by machinery operated over them without 
> protective fencing in the early work of the contract, and also the 
> profoundly compacted soil along the access corridor for heavy 
> machinery, where the many tons of construction spoils from Mitchell 
> Park were illegally stored for months, and the profoundly compacted 
> area at the bottom of the project area where the dumpster was 
> illegally sited during the removal of the asphalt court.  Former 
> Director Hartsock gave verbal assurances that all these sites would be 
> remediated, but thus far we have seen no contract specifications, nor 
> any indication of who will be charged for this remediation;
>
> (4) the present status of the so-called "landscaping plan" for all the 
> areas of Kalorama Park outside the ESC and LOD fences referred to below;
>
> (5) for all these matters, since the project has changed quite a bit, 
> we would like to see the contract budget, as for monies already spent, 
> and for what, and the budget for the rest of the contract work and 
> remediation, etc. 
>
> Way back last May (!) the original contract documents we received were 
> released as a pdf.  that could be send via email.  That works pretty 
> well, except rescaling blueprint-type drawings down to pdf. page size 
> can make it hard to read the very fine details.  Could a paper set of 
> the plans be posted in the Rec Cen? Or other means to this end?
>
>
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