On June 11, 2014, DDOT issued a statement reversing its position on Public Parking, emphasizing  that the park is a “publicly accessibly neighborhood amenity for all to enjoy”.

Background:

In spring of 2013, the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) granted a permit to install plantings in a public triangle park on Capitol Hill, without prior notice to the appropriate ANC or to the community.
Subsequently, in a letter to ANC 6A dated October 25, 2013, DDOT stated that the triangle park was not a public park, but instead was “parking” (commonly understood to mean the land between the rear edge of the sidewalk and the building line (not as a place to leave vehicles)). 

DDOT’s Departmental Order No. 1-2014, issued April 30, 2014, indicates that DDOT would not approve similar planting permits in future.

In 2014, the adjacent homeowners filed an application with HPRB to install a fence around the landscaped portion of the park that would completely eliminate public access to the site, except through the front gate to the homeowners’ yard.  This application is still pending. If it is approved, the aforementioned Departmental Order would seem to indicate that DDOT would not grant public space permits for such a fence.

On June 11, 2014, DDOT issued a statement reversing its position on Public Parking, emphasizing  that the park is a “publicly accessibly neighborhood amenity for all to enjoy”.

DDOT correction – Reservation 266 is not Public Parking ANC 6B (06/11/14))

DDOT correction – Reservation 266 is not Public Parking ANC 6A (06/11/14)

DDOT Departmental Order 1-2014 Open Space Preservation and Enhancement Policy (04/30/14)

Request to install fence on Reservation 266

DDOT Letter to ANC 6A designating Reservation 266 as Public Parking (10/25/13)

CHRS Letter to CM Cheh expressing concern about preservation of PocketParks (09/30/13)