PROJECT: Creative Minds International Public Charter School Playground at Armed Forces Retirement Home ‐ Washington  1. Project Report  

A. Name and telephone number of agency project manager:  Justin Seffens, Corporate Facility Manager, Armed Forces Retirement Home – Washington (202)730‐3508  B. Narrative description of the project, including existing conditions to be affected and a summary of the basic design concept on which the physical form of the proposal is base:  Creative Minds International Public Charter School (CMI) is a tenant occupying a portion of the Sherman Building on the AFRH‐W Campus.  CMI and AFRH‐W are proposing a new nature‐based playground to be located adjacent to the P2 Parking Lot in the northwest section of the campus within the area defined as this historic resource, “Specimen Trees  in Lawn.”   The  location was chosen due to  its proximity to the Sherman Building,  its  lack of archeological significance, and the appropriateness of the proposed activity to this area.  All work executed for the playground space will be  reversible.   The area  is sparsely covered by  trees.   All existing  trees  that can be preserved will be and any trees removed will be replaced on a one‐to‐one basis as outlined  in the Programmatic Agreement.  The  natural  play  and  learning  space  at  CMI  is  designed  to  recreate  classic  outdoor  play experiences for today’s children without permanently altering the existing landscape.  The space will use natural materials  such as  logs, boulders,  sand, water, and plants  to  create places  for children to climb, contemplate, and construct.  There will be tree parts and small hills added for climbing,  loose  parts  for  building  temporary  forts  and  fairy  houses,  sand  and  dirt  piles  for digging, engineering, and imagining, and an open lawn for running. There will be a garden where children will learn about where their food comes from as they plant, harvest, and sample edible crops.    To enclose the space rather than using fences there will be planted buffers and screens.  These planting beds will keep children safe and provide  the screening  requested by Lincoln Cottage.  Along the edge between the parking lot and the playspace, there will be a meadow planted with native grasses and perennials, which will attract beneficial insects and provide a beautiful focal point.  Along the boundary between the Administration Building and the playground, there will be a hedge, as requested by Lincoln Cottage, to screen views of the playground from visitors to the buildings.   The hedge will  include a variety of native shrubs, which will provide habitat for birds and four seasons of color, fragrance, and beauty.   The aesthetics of the design honors the history of the site, bringing texture and visual richness to the play area. There may be architectural elements incorporated into the space, including for example, columns in the entry arbor, and gingerbread trim detailing the playhouses.    Currently within  the  space,  there are approximately  thirty  trees  spread out  in a wide, mostly grass‐covered area. There is one red maple that has died and will need to be removed for safety.  Two  hawthorns,  one  buckeye,  and  three  crape  myrtles  appear  to  be  in  distress  and  are 

proposed to be removed, pending evaluation by a certified arborist.  All other trees will remain in  place  and  at  least  the  same  number  of  trees  that  will  be  removed  will  be  planted. Approximately thirty shrubs will also be planted on the south border shielding the playground space from the Administration Building.  The entrance to the playground is located in the southeast corner, closest the Sherman Building and CMI.   An arbor, benches, and  the extant  sign will  lead  the  children  in  to  the park.   Here shrubs  will  be  planted  for  screening  and  wildlife  habitat.    The  compacted  stone  dust  path leading  in  to  the  playground  space  will  continue  on  and  create  a  circular  path  that  will circumscribe  the  central part of  the playground  space.    It will be  five  feet wide and 500  feet long.    The interior of the path will have two sections.  To the south will be a fallen‐log, active play area, approximately 1,400 square feet, and ideally will be created out of the red maple that will be to be taken down.   Other elements  in this area are a circular tree bench, sliding hill planted with native grasses, dirt hills for digging, and loose parts and building area.  The space will be covered with natural wood chips.  To the north will be a 7,300 square foot open lawn.  If necessary, due to  its health,  the one hawthorne  in  the  lawn  space may need  to be  removed.    If  that  tree  is removed, that space will remain open but a new tree will be planted in a new location.  The east edge of the playground space, adjacent to the P2 Parking Lot, will be composed of a Bucolic Meadow Garden, planted of native grasses and perennials to form a safe buffer from the parking lot without constructing an actual fence.  The plantings will grow to approximately four feet  in height and will be sufficient to keep children out of the parking  lot.   Five bench swings will be anchored with helical footers that will anchor the swings with minimal soil disturbance.  Just north of  the willow oak, a  small  stage will be built  for  school performances.   The  stage, which will be  rustic  in  style, will be a  twenty‐foot by eight‐foot  raised platform with movable benches as seating.     Also north of  the  lawn, 1,800 square  feet will be used  for raised garden beds. There will be  six, nine‐foot by  three‐foot  raised beds,  two  four‐foot by  four‐foot  raised beds, herb pots, compost, a pollinator garden, and pumpkin patch.   Adjacent  to  this will be a “garden classroom.”   This will be composed of a  sixteen‐by‐sixteen‐foot,  raised platform with log  seats, and a grape arbor  for  shade.   Two hammocks and a  four picnic  tables will also be placed in this area.    The entire west side of the playground space will be covered with natural wood chips, which will protect  the  critical  root  zones of  the  trees  in  this  area.   A  sensory path,  composed of wood elements, will wind around  the pine  trees. The east  side of  the playground  space will be  the location of an eighteen‐by‐eighteen‐foot, raised platform that will act as an outdoor art studio.  A  small  basin  will  be  connected  to  existing  water  system.  Nothing  will  touch  the  historic Perimeter Fence that creates the western border of the playground space.  The southwest corner of the playground space will have three separate swing areas.   One will hold two sling swings, eight‐feet high, with a thirty‐two‐by‐twenty‐two‐foot use zone.  The other two will have sensory swings, each will twenty‐eight‐feet diameter use zones.  All of the swings will  be  compliant  with  current  playground  safety  standards  and  will  have  wood  chips underneath. To the east of the sensory swings will be a 750 square‐foot sand play area with a boulder edge, log tables, and log channels for water play. As this area is within the critical root 

zone of  the  large Linden  tree,  screen with  shrubs  is not possible here.  Instead, vertical wood panels will screen  the playground space  from  the Administration Building;  they will double as storage cabinets on the north side.  The rest of the south edged of the playground space will be shielded from the Administration Building by approximately thirty all‐season shrubs.  All of the plans and equipment proposed here meet current playground safety standards and will be fully certified and insured.  C. Total area of site and allocation of land to proposed uses:  34,500 Square Feet; 100% is allocated to playground use   D. Area of building(s) and site coverage:   N/A    E. Existing assigned employment and projected assigned employment over a 20‐year period, in five‐year increments:  N/A  F. Description of the relationship of the project to the agency's master plan, where applicable, including rationale for any deviations:  The project is located in the resource area identified “Specimen Trees in Lawn”, and is defined in the NCPC‐approved AFRH‐W Master Plan as a recreational area.  The planned use as a playspace would be consistent with the Master Plan.  G. Status of coordination with affected local and state governments and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) for projects not previously coordinated through an installation master plan:  N/A  H. Status of community participation, including a summary of community views:  N/A  I. Schedule for construction and occupancy: 

 Construction is set in three phases: Phase 1 would start in the spring of 2016; Phase 2 in 2017; and Phase 3 in 2018.  The work will be layered over these three phases to allow the entire playspace to be occupied at the end of phase 1 construction.   J. Total estimated cost of project and funding status:  The total estimated cost of the project is also broken down in three phases. In year one the design and construction costs combined will be $100,000, and in years two and three 

construction costs (including project management) will be $100,000 per year, for a total budget of $300,000.  K. Transportation Management Program (TMP):  N/A  

2. Environmental Documentation  

The Armed Forces Retirement Home has determined that this project meets the Categorical Exclusion for their NEPA Requirement.  The documentation can be found in can be found in Attachment A.   

3. Historic Preservation Documentation  

The DC State Historic Preservation Office has determined through the Section 106 Review, that the playground space has no adverse effect.  The Section 106 Review can be found in Attachment B.   

4. Floodplain Management and Wetlands Protection  

N/A  

   

5. Maps, Images, Renderings, and Drawings 

 

 

 

Image 1: View of the east edge of the playground space, looking north. Some of the newly planted Crape Myrtles are dying and will be removed to make way for the Bucolic Meadow Garden. 

 

 

Image 2: View of playground space from the southeast corner, looking northwest. 

 

Image 3: Northeast corner of the playground space, looking south.  This is the proposed location of the Bucolic Meadow Garden. The garden will be designed to function in lieu of a fence, preventing children from crossing in 

to the parking lot. 

 

 

Image 4: Northeast corner of the playground space, looking southwest towards to proposed lawn area. 

 

 

Image 5: View of the southwest corner of the playground space, looking south.  Both the White Pines and the Perimeter Fence will be preserved in place. 

 

 

Figure 1: Vista from significant buildings surrounding the playground space.  

 

Image 6: View from Administration Building, looking north towards the playground space, highlighted in yellow. 

 

 

Figure 2: Rendering of the view of the playground space from the back of the Administration Building. (Rendering by Early Space, 2015) 

 

 

Image 7: View from Lincoln Cottage looking north towards the playground space. 

 

 

Image 8: View, zoomed in, of the playground space from Lincoln Cottage. (Figure by Early Space 2015) 

 

 

 

Image 9: View of playground space, highlighted in yellow, from the interior of Lincoln Cottage, looking north. (Figure by Early Space, 2015) 

 

 

Image 10: View of the playground space, highlighted in yellow, from the second floor of Lincoln Cottage, looking north. (Figure by Early Space, 2015) 

 

 

Figure 3: Rendering of the view from the upper floors of the Sherman Annex. (Rendering by Early Space, 2015) 

 

Image 11: View of the playground space, highlighted in yellow, from Stanley Hall Chapel, looking west.  As shown in the photograph, the playground will mostly be blocked by the parking lot. 

 

 

Image 12: View of the playground space, highlighted in yellow, from the Grant Building, looking southwest. 

The Landscape Drawings can be found in Attachment C. 

 

Attachment A: NEPA Categorical Exclusion Checklist 

    

Attachment B: DC SHPO Section 106 Review 

    

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE

1100 4th Street, S.W., Suite E650, Washington, D.C. 20024 Phone: 202-442-7600 Fax: 202-442-7638

DC STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE

FEDERAL AGENCY SECTION 106 REVIEW FORM TO: Justin Seffens, AFRH Corporate Facilities Manager ADDRESS: Armed Forces Retirement Home – Washington PROJECT NAME/DESCRIPTION: Creative Minds school playground

PROJECT ADDRESS/LOCATION DESCRIPTION: West of parking lot P2

DC SHPO PROJECT NUMBER: 16-184 (URR 47) The DC State Historic Preservation Office (DC SHPO) has reviewed the above-referenced federal undertaking(s) in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and has determined that:

Given its location, the proposed playground will not have adverse effects on historic properties. We would recommend some consideration to screening with vegetation the proposed storage sheds from the west, as proximity to the perimeter fence means that they might affect the public’s view of the historic core of the Home. In the future, it would be helpful to have archaeological conclusions supported by specific reference to information in the previous studies.

BY: DATE: February 22, 2016

This project will have no effect on historic properties. No further DC SHPO review or comment will be necessary.

There are no historic properties that will be affected by this project. No further DC SHPO review or comment will be necessary.

This project will have no adverse effect on historic properties. No further DC SHPO review or comment will be necessary.

This project will have no adverse effect on historic properties conditioned upon fulfillment of the measures stipulated below.

Other Comments / Additional Comments (see below):

Attachment C: Landscape Drawings 

 

 

140 Rock Creek Church Road Northwest Washington DC 20011

5827 19th Street North Arlington Virginia 22205www.earlyspace.com(703) 532-0018

MASTER PLANDECEMBER 4, 2015

Sensory Swingwith 28’ diameter use zone

Log Horse

Playhouse Pair5’ x 5’ each

Sand Play Area750 SF with boulder edge, log tables, log channels for water play; vertical sandplay panels and storage cabinets to screen along property line (no plantings in critical root zone of historic Linden tree)

Loose Parts Building Areawith logs, stumps, teepee frames and storage bins for supplies

Dirt hills for digging

Privacy Hedge planted with native evergreen and decidous shrubs for screening and wildlife habitatSensory Swing

with 24’ ft diameter use zone

2 Sling Swings8’ high with 32’ x 22’ use zone

Art Studio18’ x 18’ with vintage sink and storage cabinet (screened by existing White Pine)

Meditation Circle

Planted buffers along fence

Fairy Circle

Sensory Path with elements for balance and varied textures

Picnic Area

Two Hammocks (standard size)

Garden Classroom 16’ x 16’ with log seats, grape arbor for shade, storage cabinets with white boards (screened by new plantings)

Musical Stations

Stage20’ x 8’ Raised platform with movable benches

Second Entry

Bucolic Meadow Gardenplanted native grasses and perennials to form a safe buffer from parking lot and four season beauty

Running and Walking Path5’ wide compacted stone dust, 500’ loop

Bench Swings5’ long anchored with posts and helical footers

Sliding Hillwith double slide, log scramble and tunnel; planted with native grasses. Approximately 600 SF

Tree Bench

Tree Bench

Fallen Log Active Play Areaapproximately 1400 SF natural balancing, jumping, climbing and building using natural materials

Main Entrywith arbor, benches, existing sign and walk that connects to existing walkway

School Garden1800 SF with six 9’ x 3’ raised beds, two 4’ x 4’ raised bedsherb pots, vermi compost and Pollinator GardenThree Sisters Garden and Pumpkin Patch

GourdTunnel

Front Entry into PlaygroundFeaturing meadow plantings, swinging benches, privacy hedge and climbing and building area. In back-ground: stage, music stations and garden

View from Lincoln’s Cottage Visitor Center towards CMI PlaygroundFeaturing privacy panels and hedge along property line, as requested by Lincoln’s Cottage for visual screening

Open Lawn Area7300 SF

140 Rock Creek Church Road Northwest Washington DC 20011

5827 19th Street North Arlington Virginia 22205www.earlyspace.com(703) 532-0018

Main Entry with arbor options

Compacted stone dust path

Tree bench options

Examples of log scramble, slide and tunnel Wood deck outdoor stage examples

Fallen log climbing examples

EXAMPLES AND OPTIONSDECEMBER 4, 2015

Front entry bench options

Front entry swinging bench options Example of mead-ow plantings

Dirt hills example

Bench options for stage area

Example of musical stations

Garden raised beds Log seating in meditation circle and classroom

Example of storage unit with white board

Examples of hammock and attachment options Table options for picnic area and art area

Gourd tunnel Example of sensory path

Fairy GardenStorage unit with green roof

Vintage sink options Sling swings Sensory swing

Example of log animal

Play Houses options Sand play area Log tableLog channel

Loose Parts Building Area: example of tree cookies and logs Mixed planting privacy hedge

Helix Footer to anchor items with minimal disturbance to the soil