Kenilworth Park: To Be Restored
From 1942 -1970's Kenilworth Park was a landfill where the District burned trash. After a local child was killed in a landfill fire in 1968, the burning stopped. In 1970 it was closed and covered with a soil “cap” and turned into a park, however there are still some dangerous chemicals from the landfill down in the soil today.
After decades of planning, there is finally a proposed plan to clean up the park. While there are many government agencies involved in the plans for Kenilworth Park, the Anacostia Park & Community Collaborative is committed to helping you join the conversation. Learn more below and join the conversation on Facebook.
What’s happening?
The National Park Service (NPS) has created a “Proposed Plan” that is focused on removing danger for humans and wildlife left from the landfill.
This is the first step before the park can be improved for recreation. The NPS plan is to put a healthy soil cover over parts of the site. NPS is accepting comments on this plan until February 10, 2021.
Call (202) 360-2578 and leave a voicemail to comment on the plan. You can also send an email to donna_davies@nps.gov
Helpful links:
Kenilworth Park is Federal property (managed by the National Park Service). The northern part of the park will soon become District property. This means that District government and District agencies will have control over what happens in the park in the future. The Department of Parks and Recreation will most likely take over management of the park.
DPR has not yet created a plan for the park after the landfill is all cleaned up, but we can still let them know what kind of improvements we would like to see.
Great investment should be put into making Kenilworth Park North a space that serves the needs of nearby residents. New facilities and designs for the park should reflect the desires of residents in Eastland Gardens, Kenilworth, Mayfair, Parkside and Deanwood.
Do you live near Kenilworth Park? What would you like to see in the park? Join the conversion on Facebook here. Don’t have Facebook? Fill out the form below and we will reach out to you.