Winter 2011-2012
An article about the street and alley design review that took place with DDOT and DDOE officials with the residents of the Lafayette neighborhood on Saturday, Feb. 4 was featured on the front page of the Feb. 8 issue of The Northwest Current. Read it here.
January 28: Lafayette Neighborhood Invited to Review DDOT Street & Alley Designs
DDOT and DDOE officials will lead a walk around the Lafayette neighborhood on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 10 a.m.-Noon. All residents are invited to attend. Meet at the corner of Quesada & 33rd Streets NW.
January 27: MacFarland property showcased in The Atlantic on-line story
RiverSmart Washington is featured in a new article on the importance of rain gardens in urban settings in The Atlantic magazine online "Cities" column. Read it here. The backyard BayScape of a MacFarland property is highlighted as a prime example of employing green infrastructure to manage stormwater.
January 9: Revised plan for Lafayette ROW
Based on feedback from the first Lafayette public meeting, this revised plan moves the proposed curb bumpouts to the ends of the block along Quesada Street NW.
December 29: Preliminary Right-of-Way Plans in Target Neighborhoods
Click on the map to see the public presentation of preliminary plans for each demonstration area:
 
All property owners are encouraged to send comments and ideas to
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at DDOT, or to
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at DDOE.
December 21: DDOE and DDOT Schedule for Right-of-Way Work
- Next public meetings February/March 2012
- Design complete Spring 2012
- Construction begins Summer 2012
- Construction ends Spring 2013
Fall 2011
December 12-19: Public Open Meetings with DDOT and DDOE
DDOT and DDOE representatives presented preliminary plans to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater in the public right-of-way in both target neighbhorhoods on these dates:
- Monday, December 12, 7:30 pm: ANC3-4G, Chevy Chase Community Center, 5601 Connecticut Ave NW, WDC 20015
- Tuesday, December 13, 6:30 pm: open meeting for Chevy Chase DC residents, Chevy Chase Community Center
- Wednesday,December 14, 6:30 pm: ANC4C, Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Ave NW, WDC 20011
- Monday, December 19, 6:30 pm: open meeting for MacFarland/Petworth residents, Petworth Library
The next series of public meetings will take place in February/March 2012.
November 5: Tour of Rain Gardens, BayScapes
Bright autumn colors sparkled in the BayScapes and rain gardens showcased during the first tour of completed RiverSmart installations in both demonstration neighborhoods. Rasma Plato, landscape designer with John Shorb Landscaping, explained how each installation works to capture stormwater and roof runoff. The hit of the tour: seeing the first porous concrete parking pad in the District!
  
Shown L-R: Porous concrete parking pad resembles old-fashioned concrete; a lush BayScape instead of lawn; flagstones sit above deep gravel trench that absorbs rooftop runoff.
Summer 2011
August 17: Streetscaping Design to Begin
RiverSmart streets and alleys are on the way! The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has signed a design contract with AECOM, a global leader in technical services, and its partner, the Low Impact Development Center, a non-profit group dedicated to protecting the environment and our water resources. Surveyors will be visiting the MacFarland and Lafayette neighborhoods over the next few weeks.
July 1: Designs and Plantings Continue
"I love my new rain garden!" Nearly a dozen installations are complete in both neighborhoods, and designs are being finalized for many more. Design work for the commercial properties along Georgia Avenue in the MacFarland neighborhood are next in line!
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| Two deep adjacent rain gardens... |
...blend together seamlessly! |
Visit the Photo Gallery to see more before & after photos!
June 21: WAMU Coverage and Rave Reviews from Neighbors!
WAMU Radio did a short feature on RiverSmart Washington. And, after heavy downpours, happy homeowners in the Lafayette section reported "Our new rain gardens and BayScaping are holding stormwater, and getting rave reviews from our neighbors!”
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| A transformed corner in one back yard. |
This front yard rain garden extends from shrubs to lawn. |
Spring 2011
May 12: First Rain Gardens Installed!
On a beautiful spring day, ground was broken and rain gardens were installed on two properties in the MacFarland neighborhood. Now the property owners must remember to water, water, water their new plantings to encourage root growth! Deep roots will hold more stormwater.
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Before
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After
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Landscaping Design Begins
  Throughout March and April, the lead designer began to meet with individual owners to create designs based on DDOE audit recommendations. Every design is approved by the property owner before work begins!
Priority is given to properties with rain gardens and BayScaping, so that plantings will have more time to flourish. During the summer, work will begin on properties with pervious surface installations.
Streetscaping in Public Right-of-way
DDOT and DDOE are considering bids to design the public space, including planting more street trees and re-paving alleys with porous concrete. In both neighborhoods, alleys contribute to the gushing flow of stormwater that damages Rock Creek with each heavy storm.
Winter 2011 & Fall 2010
Landscaping Contractor Proposal Process
Rock Creek Conservancy issued a Request for Proposals, and after a competitive proposal and review process, selected the John Shorb Landscaping company to handle landscaping and porous pavement installations.
Monitoring
 LimnoTech completed its detailed report on the collection of six months' data on the volume of runoff in the target neighborhoods, as well as the control site. This data will serve as a baseline for comparison in 2012. Read report (4 MB) and appendices (9 MB).
Site Visits
DDOE officials visited each property to determine its suitability for installation of eco-friendly landscaping measures, from rain gardens and rain barrels to pervious pavers and shade trees.
Recruitment
 The Conservancy notified residents and property owners in the MacFarland and Lafayette neighborhoods about the program and invited their participation. Block meetings were organized to introduce the partners and describe the program goals and benefits. Within a few months, about 40 percent of owners requested the DDOE audit to determine whether their property was eligible for up to $5,000 in landscaping improvements.
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