ANC-2A Requests District Government to Maintain Francis Field
Posted: December 2, 2021.
Two D.C. agencies have been asked by Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2A to make substantial improvements to Francis Field, and to upgrade the level of maintenance.
In a unanimous resolution passed at its November 17, 2021, meeting, the ANC covered a lot of ground, taking up several issues with which it has wrestled since its "Strategic Planning Committee" took up the issue of dogs on the field, and field conditions in March.
The resolution, introduced by ANC-2A02 commissioner Joel Causey, is addressed to the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) which manages and permits the field, and to the Department of General Services (DGS) which hires the contractors that perform the maintenance.
Staff at Francis-Stevens, the elementary and middle school near the field, found the field in poor and dangerous condition, with about eight serious holes in the playing area when its students returned this fall. The school's athletic department has been seeking the help of ANC-2A, DPR, and DGS to make the playing field safer for school sports and recreation.
The ANC resolution of November 17 states that "government agencies have not maintained Francis Field" properly, "requiring private citizens and children to volunteer to repair the field."
Among the ANC's multiple requests are "adding irrigation" to the playing field, the "expansion" of the dog park, and providing funding in the budget for those and other improvements.
Another request is raising the "maintenance level" of Francis Field from the lowest of the three levels specified in the DC government's paperwork.
The text of the ANC-2A Francis Field resolution passed at its November 17, 2021 meeting can be accessed on this website.
Friends of Francis Field (FFF) was not furnished with a text or outline of the resolution before the meeting. Thus, the FFF Board of Directors has not taken a position on the requests, but has been encouraging the public schools, the District government, and ANC-2A to work together on field issues.
The November meeting of the ANC was a "hybrid" meeting, held in person at the West End Library, and by Zoom videoconference. This was the first time the ANC has returned to the library meeting room since February 2020. Five of the eight commissioners were physically present. Three others joined by Zoom.