Press Release: National Park Service moves forward to transform Buzzard Point Park

By Press Release On Jul 17, 2019 Last updated Jul 17, 2019

News Release — National Park Service

July 17, 2019

WASHINGTON – Join the National Park Service (NPS) in transforming Buzzard Point Park into a welcoming community waterfront that extends the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail (ART). The park improvements would provide neighbors and visitors with more open space, recreational opportunities and ways to enjoy the Anacostia River and its natural beauty.

The park, when it’s completed, would offer opportunities to walk, run or bike along the ART. A play area would welcome children, while lawns offer expansive views of the river and the Capitol and a dock awaits visitors who come by water. The Matthew Henson Center would serve as a community gathering space.

The alternatives in the Environmental Assessment (EA) offer similar park designs, but look at two different options for the shoreline.

Option 1 includes stone riprap along the length of the seawall in the Anacostia River. The stones reinforce and protect the seawall from erosion and storm surge while beautifying the shoreline and providing access to the river. On the landward side of the seawall, a walking trail follows along the edge of the wall in the central section of the park.

Option 2 includes a railing, for safety, placed along the edge of the seawall. No stone riprap would be placed, however a walking trail and plaza extends along the water’s edge and out over the water. The overlooks provide sweeping views of the Anacostia River.

In both alternatives, the ART would be extended through the park as a multi-use trail to allow access to recreational features along the trail without inhibiting visitor circulation. The multi-use trail would be situated higher in elevation than the walking trail and continue through the central portion of the park.

The EA will be available on the NPS Planning, Environment & Public Comment website from July 22 to September 9, 2019. http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BuzzardPointPark_EA

Join us at a public meeting and share your ideas and questions about the EA and concept design options!

Date: Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Time: 6 to 8p.m. open house (Short presentation at 6:30 p.m.)

Place: Southeast Neighborhood Library AT403 7th Street SE, Washington, DC 20003

How to Comment: There are three ways to comment on the Buzzard Point EA during the public review period from July 22, 2019 through September 9, 2019:

In person at the public meeting (details above)
Online through the Park Planning, Environment & Public Comment (PEPC) website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BuzzardPointPark_EA
By Mail for letters postmarked by September 9, 2019:

Superintendent

National Capital Parks – East

Attn: Buzzard Point EA

1900 Anacostia Drive SE ,Washington, DC 20020

Public participation is vital to our planning process, which is conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

Please Note: Before including an address, phone number, email address or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

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