The community’s long dream of the North Columbia Heights Green is coming true.  Stage Two sitework is now complete, and we are now at last doing the fun part of planting and furnishing the Green!  Here’s what’s been done:

• Nearly all the . . . → Read More: Green Update]]> August 28, 2010
Dear Green Partners,

The community’s long dream of the North Columbia Heights Green is coming true.  Stage Two sitework is now complete, and we are now at last doing the fun part of planting and furnishing the Green!  Here’s what’s been done:

• Nearly all the rubble (many truckloads) has been excavated and removed.
• The stormwater engineering, grading, fence, gate, kiosk, bollards, and parking are all
complete.
• Most of the butterfly garden is in.
• The raised bed garden frames are constructed and installed.
• The first layer of topsoil is down.

Here are the next steps:
1. Spread the rest of the topsoil and mulch.
2. Add organic compost to the planting beds.
3. Install rain barrels.
4. Construct the pavilion and greenhouse.
5. Install and paint the storage space.
6. Set up the compost area.
7. Plant the Rain Garden.
8. Plant the Berry Patch.
9. Plant the Grape Arbor.
10. Plant the trees (including fruit trees such as serviceberry).
11. Add children’s art, play, and discovery features.
12. Install solar lighting.

The next Work Day at the Green will take place in conjunction with Columbia Heights Clean-Up Day next Saturday, September 4, from 9-1. At 12 Noon, we will have a ceremony to celebrate the beginning of planting the garden plots.  Next month, we will begin using the Green as a base of green job training.  We are planning a full range of programs and planting for the Fall.  Winter crops will include hardy
greens for salads and cooking, herbs, garlic, turnips, radishes, and sweet potatoes.  We are now signing up gardeners and other partners. If you know of youth, school, or community groups wanting to do programs at the Green, or if you know of people, groups, or businesses who would like to plant Fall and Winter crops in the Green, please let us know.  Thanks for all that you have done through the years to make this happen.

Happy gardening and greening!

Steve Coleman
Washington Parks & People

Great news: The general contract work is about to begin!  This will start with the fence and bollards, then the parking area.  This phase of work will finish next month.   

As soon . . . → Read More: July North Columbia Heights Green Update]]> We are writing to update you on the progress of transforming the North Columbia Heights Green (NCHG).

Great news: The general contract work is about to begin!  This will start with the fence and bollards, then the parking area.  This phase of work will finish next month.   

As soon as the fence is up, we need help building the planter boxes and advancing the landscape.  Please let us know if you are interested in participating in this phase of the project.

With the help of local volunteers, we were able to clear debris and excess materials from the site, and are looking forward to the grading portion of the project as well.

We are still concerned with the illegal dumping onto our site. Although not to the severity of prior instances, dumpers still ignore our signs and site protection fence and continue their illegal behavior.  So we need your continuing help to let us know if you see anything dumped or being dumped on the site. 

Once again, we thank you for your continuous support and help with this process and look forward to the implementation of NCHG as a sustainable Green for the entire community.

All the best,

Garry Meus, Project Manager
Steve Coleman, Director
Washington Parks & People
Josephine Butler Parks Center
2437 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC  20009
202.462.7275 (o)
202.234.3342 (f)
www.washingtonparks.net

After months of preparation with the assistance of our engineers, the Site Plan and Stormwater Management Plans for NCHG that were submitted to the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) for review have been approved!  We are truly excited about this news as this . . . → Read More: North Columbia Heights Green Update]]> From Washington Parks and People:

After months of preparation with the assistance of our engineers, the Site Plan and Stormwater Management Plans for NCHG that were submitted to the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) for review have been approved!  We are truly excited about this news as this truly pushes us forward toward the implementation of the plan for the Green. We are now in the process of submitting the original copies of the approved plans to acquire the permit that will allow us to begin the implementation of the improvements from our original concept.

Check out an illustrated layout and blueprint for the forthcoming community green (which will be located in the alley space behind Redrocks, between 11th, Sherman, Park and Lamont).