Stanton Park, like the many well-loved green spaces on Capitol Hill woven into the fabric of our daily lives, is a place to for kids to play, to walk dogs, meet with friends, or just enjoy sunning oneself on a bench under the cherry blossoms in the spring. But if you go to the park, you may have noted some areas in disrepair. The park’s neighbors have noticed, too.
Jay Adelstein (ANC 6C03 Commissioner and former head of the Stanton Park Neighborhood Association), Andy Seymour and incoming ANC 6C01 Commissioner Karen Wirt gathered in the park on November 23 with a mission to create community awareness and identify action items to revitalize Stanton Park, as well as encourage the National Park Service to make repairs and improvements there. NPS oversees all aspects of the park.
An enthusiastic park goer, Jay Adelstein says, “We identified areas that really need attentionfor the park to be safe and welcoming to all. We know that the some of the playground equipment as well as the surface needs repairing and/or replacement, that seating areas and benches need to be repaired, and that the broken water fountain on the south side needs to be replaced as it has had a water leak for a number of weeks. We need new trash receptacles, improvement to the grass areas and restoration of the Nathaniel Green statue, too.”
Says Andy Seymour at the November 23 gathering, “This is the start of building awareness and the start of advocating for action – where we make a case to the National Park Service for . This park is in desperate need of attention – we would like to make Stanton Park a shining gem in our neighborhood.”
With their gathering in the park, they spoke with others who shared their concerns, started collecting signatures on their petition and had a visit from Councilmember Charles Allen, who has been a strong er of the District’s green spaces.
“While I’m a big fan of our National Parks and the work of the National Park Service across the United States, we need to see more attention paid to the small, urban parks right here in Ward 6” said Councilmember Allen. “For years, maintenance issues at our parks fall to the back burner. As long as parks like Stanton Park and Lincoln Park are under federal jurisdiction, we have to be proactive about our needs. Getting organized is a good step in that direction and I look forward to working with the Stanton Park Neighborhood Association to escalate those efforts. We have a good relationship with NPS regional leadership. We just need to see that translate into timely improvements.”
The group wants to show there is substantial neighborhood interest in these improvements and is aiming for at least 400 signatures on their petition (they have over 200 already), and as they are in the grassroots phase, noted next steps include talking to elected officials. On December 4, 2024, they testified about the park’s condition as part of a DC Council roundtable meeting, addressing ‘The District of Columbia’s Parks and Opportunities for Collaboration with the National Park Service’ where testimony was heard from Casey Trees, ANC Commissioners and various parks and garden representatives from across the city.
It’s been noted, too, that even if they raise funds for new playground equipment, for example, the interested neighbors can’t purchase or install on the property without a National Park Service East partnership. The NPS needs to sign off on it.
“Franklin Park, downtown, is a good example of what can be done with a National Park Service property. It’s a treasure, with various partnerships and collaborations ing a dynamic space used by many people each day,” says Adelstein. “However, that project took a decade to move through the NPS process – we don’t have a decade to wait – and we’re competing for attention with larger entities under the NPS jurisdiction, like the Grand Canyon National Park.”
Adelstein says it’s going to take everyone to get the project fast-tracked, “We are in our grassroots stage now, but we need all sorts of expertise, whether it is to provide technical assistance or help identify funding.”
The Neighborhood’s Mission for Stanton Park
In reflecting on the positive impact Seymour remarks, “It’s a win-win-win for everyone – the community wins, the National Park Service wins, and the City wins.”
The Stanton Park Neighborhood Association’s mission statement for the park revitalization efforts:
“The Stanton Park Neighborhood Association is calling upon our elected officials to collaborate with the National Park Service and fund an initiative to restore and revitalize Stanton Park. We are seeking this action to address the condition of the park which has deteriorated as evidenced by aging, faulty infrastructure and grounds. Furthermore, we are seeking improvements and enhancements for the future health of Stanton Park. We firmly and strongly believe that a restored and revitalized Stanton Park will be a win for our neighborhood, visitors, the National Park Service and our great city.”
To assist with this initiative, write to: [email protected].
Annette Nielsen, a writer and food systems advisor, returned to Capitol Hill from New York where she served as the executive director of the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center.
