Northwest Park Master Plan Community Meeting #2 Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks Mahan Rykiel Associates, Inc. GWWO, Inc./Architects
Agenda 1. Project Overview 2. Summary of Input from May 25, 2011 Community Meeting #1 3. Building Assessment 4. Site Assessment 5. Park Alternatives 6. Discussion 7. Next Steps
Summary of Input
Current Uses • Children’s soccer (Saturday mornings) • Lacrosse practice (spring) • Baseball games/practice (RPBL) • Golf driving range • Informal dog park (lower field off Enslow) • Community garden/education • Bird watching • General natural resource appreciation
Adjacent Roads Works? Doesn’t Work? • Speeding on Enslow (smooth pavement) • Free-right from Greenspring not necessary • More people will bring more traffic Opportunities • Traffic-calming • Re-configured intersection: Greenspring/Northern • Minimize traffic flow through neighborhood
Buildings Works? Doesn’t Work? • Red house in poor condition • Gym building in poor condition • White building has good potential Opportunities • Utilize old foundations in woods – interpretive opportunities • White building as caretakers office • Public restrooms • Renovate gym building • Demolish red house
Parking Works? Doesn’t Work? • Existing parking not used – parking on top • Parking lot full during the Fall • Dangerous how cars park on slope above wall Opportunities • Better utilize existing lot
Recreation Fields Works? Doesn’t Work? • Field condition – mowing, drainage, rough spots • Existing concrete bleachers in poor condition • Retaining wall is a hazard – height • Remnant backstops in driving range • Encroachment of invasive plants (lower field) • Good visibility to lower field from road
Recreation Fields Opportunities • Un-lighted fields • Enhance driving range • Remove driving range, replace with recreation fields • Initial preference for more non-regulation fields over fewer regulation fields • Additional soccer fields • Connections among fields • Keep park spaces as flexible space • Repurpose old bleachers • Half basketball courts • Putting green • Skate park (no reaction either way)
Natural Resources Works? Doesn’t Work? • Too many intensive uses – threat to habitat • Great bird-watching Opportunities • Fewer uses and emphasis on natural aspects • Nature trails
Community Garden Works? Doesn’t Work? • Temporary lease • Inadequate water supply Opportunities • Permanent location for community garden • Expanded garden • Drinking fountain/Eric Waller memorial
“Dog Park” Works? Doesn’t Work? • Lower field works well for off-leash dogs • Concern with off-leash dogs – conflicts with children Opportunities • Formalized dog park • Clearly articulated off-leash hours • Potential revenue generator
General Works? Doesn’t Work? • Trash pick-up is too infrequent • Needs to be shared-responsibility • Private groups offering to be partners • Park threatened by so many private groups wanting preferred use of fields in exchange for upgrades
General Opportunities • Landscape strategies • Playground for younger children • Multi-use spaces for children • Recycling cans • Park groundskeeper • Partnerships • Skating pond • Movie nights • Safety fence on top of wall
Building Assessment
Gym Building - Exterior
Gym Building - Interior
Gym Unexcavated Lockers WCs WCs Public Toilets Lockers Shower Shower Rm Rm Lockers Lockers Team Rm. Team Rm. Existing Main Level Existing Lower Level Gym Building – Floor Plans
• Open 5 central side walls with glazing Gym • Expand area of Gym on Main Level by removing infill partitions • Provide enclosed fire stair between levels • Provide enclosed entry bay with vestibule on north side and small meeting rooms (toilets?) Team Rm. Team Rm. Existing Main Level Gym Building – Main Level Opportunities
• Either redo toilets and showers, or eliminate. Unexcavated • Public toilets to remain in this buiding? • Reduce locker room areas Lockers • Provide enclosed fire stair between levels • Provide exercise/athletic equipment room Public Toilets Lockers • Provide larger workrooms with sinks for activities needing wet services (art, gardening, etc.) Lockers Lockers Existing Lower Level Gym Building – Lower Level Opportunities
Golf Building - Exterior
Golf Building - Interior
Existing Attic Level Existing Main Level Existing Lower Level Golf Building – Floor Plans
Main Level: • Existing spaces used as activity rooms during the summer. • Remove some partitions to create larger meeting spaces for group activities. • Possible public toilets on main level? • Some storage for golf operations. Existing Main Level Golf Building – Opportunities
Attic Level: • Existing spaces used as admin offices. Existing Attic Level Lower Level: • Storage for field maintenance equipment. • Storage for gas powered vehicles. • Storage for community garden needs? • Possible pubic toilets (need ejector pump). Existing Lower Level Golf Building – Opportunities
Red Victorian – Exterior
Red Victorian – Interior
Main Level Second Level Red Victorian – Floor Plans
• Demolish building and restore site. • Sell building for relocation to an off-site location; restore site. • Sell building “as is” on acreage allowable for single-family house. New owners rehabilitate. • Restore building for use as: -Administrative offices -Foundation headquarters -? Main Level Red Victorian – Opportunities
• Demolish / Sell / Restore Options should follow decisions made for main house. Red Victorian Garage - Opportunities
Site Assessment
View of existing gym building from Rogers Ave. A plaque commemorates the site as the location of St. Paul’s School from the early 1920’s to the early 1950’s.
Historic photograph of gym building from Rogers Ave.
View looking southwest from park entrance at South Bend Rd. The gravel driveway follows the alignment of the former driveway for St. Paul’s School. This portion of the park feel most connected to the neighborhood due to at-grade connections along Rogers Ave. (right) and clear views into the park from the neighborhood.
St. Paul’s School Building, which once stood on site.
View of remnant stone wall at the base of the upper park area as seen from the soccer fields located in the center of the park.
View of remnant bleachers from former St. Paul’s School along the east side of Wexford Rd sloping down to the soccer fields in the center of the park.
South Bend Rd. Views Gateway Intersection, Typ. Existing Driving Wet Range Woods Existing Soccer Field, Typ. Ruins Problem Intersection Jones Falls Trail Alignment
View of the park looking southwest across Rogers Ave. Efforts could be made to protect and enhance visual and physical accessibility into the park from the neighborhood; these may include limbing up existing trees, planting new trees to further frame views, and denoting street crossings at intersections.
View of the park looking southeast across Rogers Ave toward the main entrance at South Bend Rd. Removing scrubby vegetation at eye-level and providing clear crosswalk connections at South Bend Rd. are ways in which park accessibility could be improved.
Overgrown vegetation as seen at the intersection of Wexford Rd. (right) and Rogers Ave. (foreground). There exists the opportunity to open up this view into the park and/or create a welcome/arrival point that creates a stronger sense of identity and connection to the neighborhood.
The view to the park from South Bend Rd. illustrates the need for increased clarity of the main park entry for vehicles. South Bend Rd. continues south to the main parking lot in the park (left), but many users enter on the former school driveway (right) and park in the lawn and reduce the space otherwise available for park activities. In addition, the excess signage in this area creates visual clutter in the landscape and detracts from positive image of the park.
View looking south across the upper park area just south of Rogers Ave.
View looking west across the upper park area just south of Rogers Ave. The driveway, following the alingment which once lead to St. Paul’s School, can be seen in the center of the photograph.
View looking east across the Eric Waller Community Garden and upper park area to the former gym building beyond.
View looking south across the parking lot at the northwest corner of the property to the existing driving range beyond. The parking lot is underutilized and creates a large amount of runoff.
View looking north across the parking lot to the existing house and garage on park property. The parking lot has steep grades that are not ADA compliant. The house grounds extend north to Rogers Ave. and east to the park property line, approximately where the tree line exists in the right of the photograph.
View looking south from the gym building to the existing driving range.
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