Following a drawn-out fight to save a neighborhood dog park, the District is now in negotiations to lease the land from Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
At the corner of 11th Street and Park Road NW lies a small parcel of land, a bit run down but beloved by a number of Columbia Heights residents, both two and four legged. This Metro owned property has functioned as an unofficial dog park since 2009; but that looked likely to change when a large ‘For Sale’ sign went up on the lot in 2018. Now, thanks to continued community advocacy and District support, it will continue to be a place for neighbors to gather and enjoy with their fluffy friends.
The community group, 11th and Bark, announced Wednesday that the District and WMATA are negotiating a lease agreement for the land, which will allow it to finally become an official off-leash dog park. Originally, it had been the District’s intent to purchase the property. That option went out the window when it was recently discovered that there are federal covenants on the land, meaning that the federal government would have to consent to any sale of the property.
While the lease is still being negotiated, details such as the lease term, finalization timeline and cost aren’t yet available to the public. Regardless, it still feels like a win for many dog owners in the neighborhood.
“It’s my favorite [dog park]in the area,” Grace, a recent resident of Columbia Heights said.
Grace has been in the neighborhood only two months but says she comes to the dog park every day. She’s tried several other parks in Adams Morgan and Kalorama but keeps returning to this one, she said.
“It’s his favorite too,” Grace said, looking to her Springer Spaniel, Silas, who was patiently waiting for his ball to be thrown, enjoying a Sunday afternoon at the dog park.
Grace noted that one thing she likes about the park is the community; she often sees the same people and dogs each day, she said. This sentiment seems to be a driving force behind the community engagement to protect and maintain the park.
“It’s really important for our dogs to have; but it’s really about community,” Maggie Garrett, the Chair of 11th and Bark, said in reference to the park.
Garrett has lived in the Columbia Heights area since 2007, but it wasn’t until she adopted a young Hound-Boxer-Pitbull mixed dog that she started going to the dog park. Through the park, she gained a new friend-group of neighbors and became more involved in the community, even attending her first ANC meeting.
“Having that space to meet your neighbors, talk to your neighbors, really changed my experience in the neighborhood, and I feel just so much more connected to it,” Garrett said.
The group 11th and Bark was started by members of the community in 2015 with the mission of making the lot an official dog park and improving the property. However, in 2018 WMATA put the property up for sale. The community group began advocating for the District to buy the park, circulating petitions, orchestrating postcard campaigns and testifying in front of the District Council. Their work appeared to pay off. With the support of District officials such as Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, the Council allocated $1.5 million in their budget to buy the park.
Negotiations to purchase the property appeared to be moving forward until WMATA reneged on their policy of giving the District the right of first refusal, instead putting the land up for auction. Community outrage led to further engagement and campaigns to save the park. Photos of local dogs at the park wearing signs reading, “Save the CoHi Dog Park” began trending on social media.
Finally, in May of 2019, WMATA relented, announcing they were ending the auction and resuming negotiations with the District. The city would be allowed to purchase the property at “fair market value,” which the Washington Post reported was $2.15 million at the time.
It is unclear how much the lease will cost the city now that the sale of the property is off the table, but the numbers should be released to the public once the lease is finalized between the two parties.
Dog owners in the community are hopeful this will finally put an end to the years of fighting to protect the park, allowing them to now focus on improving it. 11th and Bark is planning to start fundraising campaigns for improvements and is always looking for volunteers to help out, according to Garrett. Their plan is to resurface the park, add double gates for the dogs’ safety and add a water source.
Typically, 11th and Bark orchestrates community events such as a Halloween parade and the Dogs of Santa, as well as quarterly park clean-ups; but they’re still working on ideas of how to proceed with such events and fundraising campaigns during a pandemic. They’re hopeful they’ll be able to do some socially distanced events soon, Garret said.
As for now, dog owners in the community can continue to enjoy the park in a safe way, wearing masks and staying socially distanced, while still engaging with their neighbors.
“Having a dog makes everything better, especially in a pandemic,” Garrett laughs. It’s clear this commonly shared sentiment has brought a community together.
