(This article originally appeared in the June 2019 edition of the newsletter of the Foxhall Community Citizens Association.)

Line item estimates for renovation of Hardy Park exceeded the $5.25 million project bud-get in a Department of Parks and Recreation presentation at the end of April about the project. So adjustments of some sort will need to be made as the work proceeds.

Three dozen residents attended the presentation at Hardy Park to hear about the scope of the project and offer their views on plans for playground equipment replacement, enclosing the field house porch, bioswales for retaining stormwater runoff, a picnic pavilion, and a pro-posed dog park.

Source: Presentation at a Department of Parks and Recreation meeting in April 2019 with residents interested in renovation plans for Hardy Park.

The project architects proposed a variety of playground features, including a “tippy carousel”, a “slide tower”, swings and stacked “quad cubes” that will provide both fun and challenge. The equipment will meet standards for use by people with disabilities. The fenced, concrete space between the parking lot and the basketball court is being eyed for a “splash pad” outfitted with many water jets and a feature with a bucket that dumps water from overhead.

Concern was expressed by some residents about use of the space during the off-season and water waste, and that it could turn into a “white elephant”. Planners said they envision water being recirculated and treated with chlorine. Concern also was voiced about costs and practicality of enclosing the Field House porch, with some saying that finding a way to divide the current room in the Field House might be more beneficial.

Project managers proposed reducing the grade of the big playing field from the current slope of as much as 6 percent to 1.5 percent.

A proposal for a dog park proved to be one of the more contested items of discussion. Peter Nohrden, of the city Parks and Recreation Department, said a dog park was not part of the original park concept. But many dog owners have voiced their desire for a park, a desire backed up by a survey of opinion in the community.

Creation of a dog park involves a complex application process that includes a petition and designation of a local manager for oversight of the park. Two sites have been proposed, one by the bamboo grove near the south end of the park and one near the two tennis courts.

Nohrden said the preliminary drawings showed a 5,000 square foot dog park near the tennis courts. He said such a facility, which requires proper drainage, would cost about $300,000. At least one resident expressed concern that a dog park of that size might not be big enough to draw many users.

Residents also said they were concerned about too much structured space, such as the picnic pavilion, and that the openness of the park is one of its attributes. They also expressed concern about the extent to which private soccer programs claim the field through permits.

Others said that their children enjoy the current playground equipment, but that it needs to be fixed, and the bamboo grove should not be removed because it’s a fun place to play.

“I know not everybody is going to get what they want,” Nohrden said. More community meetings are anticipated as the project develops.