National Park Service Report, May 1996

PENNSYLVANlA AVENUE
at the WHITE HOUSE

Pennsylvania Avenue in the Future:
Qualities Preferred by the Public

Over 500 people responded to an October 1995 survey, which asked people to identify those qualities they would prefer to see incorporated into a final design for Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House. The responses supported the following quaiities: * Nearly 77% favored a traditional area.
* More than 91% preferred a noncommercial atmosphere, while 4% indicated that they would like to have some drinks, food, and tasteful souvenirs available.
* The other preferred qualities were a peaceful and contemplative area (76%); a public space (91%); a quiet area (79%); an area that encourages stopping, talking, qnd viewing (80%); an educational area (71%); and an expansive and open urea (72%).
* A formal area (51%) was preferred to an informal area (35%); and a space that would be a separate urban oasis (52%) was somewhat more preferred than one integrated with the city (38%).
* People were nearly divided in thinking the area should have either a stately design (46%) or a simple design (33%), as opposed to a grand design (10%). When asked about a potential focus, respondents felt it should have a national focus (47.0%) or a presidential focus (38%), but only about 4% felt it should be a memorial to a person.

While not everyone responded to each group of qualities, some qualities elicited a stronger response than others, and often had related written comments.

Approaches Common to All Alternatives

Designs and detailing would the traditional, timeless, simple, and stately, using durable, high-quality materials in a consistent and coordinatcd fashion. Paving materials, signs, lighting, and site furnishings would all meet the design guidelines for President's Park.

Vistas through Lafayette Park would be improved by selectively pruning trees. A driveby view of their North side of the White House would be provided along H Street, which is a simililar distance to the north facade of the White House as E Street is from the south facade.

A consistent lighting plan would be developed to establish the importance of the area, emphasize focal points, identify buildings or site elements, and enhance safety.

A welcoming atmosphere would best be provided by creating public entryways outside a security perimeter. Public access would be improved by removing the existing concrete bollards on the North side of the White House, along with the gates at East Executive Park. Gatehouses, bollards, and vehicle barriers on Pennsylvania Avenue would all be movable to maintain a 60' width for inaugural parades.

Park areas would be made safer by pruning vegetation, in addition to providing more lighting. Elements to ensure safty would be reassuringly simple, at an appropriate scale, and designed to be compatible with historic elements on the site. When needed, temporary security measures (such as perimeter fencing) would be accommodated in a flexible, but dignified, manner and would be coordinated with permanent design elements.

Staff permit parking would be removed from Jackson Place, as proposed by alternatives being considered for the comprehensive design plan for the White Wouse (the ongoing master planning effort). Access to buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue, Jackson Place, and Madison Place would be improved. Deliveries, service and maintenance acccss would be improved.

Businesses would be encouraged to support the staffs activity and destination potential.

Opportunities for Today and Tomorrow

With a redesign of Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House, it is possible to take advantage of the following opportunities:

* Public Use: Create the desired experience that has been identified during the public input process. There is an opportunity to reestablish the public commons from Jefferson's time. Better vehicle entryways to the White House can be designed, while removing traffic that has separated citizens from the People's House. Also, impacts of noise, air pollution, and sidewalk crowding in front of the White House can be reduced, and better opportunities to view the White House can be provided. H Street can be enhanced as a major entrance to President's Park. Additional educational opportunities and activities can be provided.


* Relationship to the City: Make the President's Park neighborhood the focal point for revitalizing this area of Washington, D.C., and incorporated into the design ways to meet the needs of both the city and park neighbors. Physical access can be improved while opening up views into and away from the site. The appearance of the area can be upgraded, and a design character for the President's Park neighborhood can be established. Directional information and orientation can be provided.


* Historic Preservation: Respect and celebrate the past while recognizing that this site will continue to change in the future. Support and encouragement can be offered to the owners of surrounding historic buildings and sites to make needed repairs and improvements in ways that will protect the area's historical character.


* Safety: Provide a safer, more secure environment, along with welcoming entryways, for both pedestrians and vehicles.

Desired Conditions for Pennsylvania Avenue

Any design for Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House should help achieve the following desired conditions for public use, executive office functions, the District of Columbia, historic preservation, and safety.

Public Use: * An area that is welcoming, identifiable, fully accessible, and safe.
* Visitor orientation and directional information.
* Pedestrian access from the subway, buses, and taxis.
* Vehicular access for deliveries, service and maintenance, emergencies and fire.
* Physical needs - drinking water, restrooms, seating, telephones, trash receptacles, shade.
* The ability to accommodate First Amendment activities and relatede infrastructure in clearly defined areas.
* Educational and recreational activities.

Executive Office: * A welcoming appearance at pedestrian entryways and vehicle entrances.
* The ability to accommodate inaugural parades and the associated infrastructure.
* Access - multiple vehicular access routes, pedestrian access, media access, deliveries, service and maintenance, emergencies and fire.
* The ability to accommodate functions at Blair House - diplomatic access, staging, and parking; bus staging, pickup and dropoff; deliveries and service access.

District of Columbia:

* A mutually beneficial business climate for the city and the President's Park neighborhood.
* Clearly identifiable directional and orientation signs.
* Improved deliveries and parking.
* A recognizable neighborhood character for President's Park.
* Longer daily neighborhood activity.

Historic Preservation:

* Eligibility maintained for all properties listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
* *Eligibility maintained fro all potential or designated national historic landmarks.
* Design solutions that are sensitive to the historic resources.

Safety:

* Improved visibility and lighting.
* Safe, even walking surfaces.
* Unobtrusive security measures.
* The ability to accommodate protective and functional needs of the U.S. Secret Service.
* The ability to accommodate law enforcement needs of the U.S. Park Police and local law enforcement jurisdictions.
* Flexible, temporary barriers for presidential/diplomatic needs.
* Clearly defined activity zones for motorcades and diplomatic arrivals.

The Public Involvement Process

In October 1995 the National Park Service invited the public to become involved int he redesign for Pennsylvania Avenue. Open houses were held at the White House visitor center in Washington, D.C.; a newsletter was mailed out to over 5,000 people and made avilable on Internet; design suggestions were sought from professionals and students in architecture, landscape architecture, design, planning, preservation, and history; and various publications asked their readers to respond.

Over 700 individuals sent in ideas, responded to the newsletter survey, or videotaped their comments at the open houses. These ideas and comments were compiled and shared with prominent planning and design professionals from around the nation during a design workshop held December 11-15, 1995, in Washington, D.C. The ideas were also displayed publicly. The design workshop generated guiding principles and a portfolio of graphic sketches. From the numerous imaginative and varied ideas contributed by the public, it became clear how much citizens value this important site.

The preferred alternative was chosen in consultation with an Executive Committee consisting of representatives from each of the governmental entities having responsibilities inthe project area or oversight for proposed actions in this area.

Projected Costs

Implementing any high-quality design for Pennsylvania Avenue between 15th and 17th Streets must consider the special requirements of this site. The original funding for Washington, D.C., was shared by all the states, and the city was intentionally designed on a grand scale to represent the ideals ofthe new nation. Ideas have been suggested on how to creatively use private and public partnerships to fund this project and to maintain it for future generations.

The following projected costs are one means of comparing the alternatives:

* Preferred Alternative - $45 million - $50 million
* Alternative A - over $20 million
* Alternative B - $35 million - $40 million
* Alternative C - $45 million - $50 million
* Alternative D - over $80 million

Optional repaving of perimeter City streets to better unify the site would cost an addional $48 million.

The selected alternative could be implemented in phases so that costs could be spread over several years. For example, one of the first actions could be to replace the temporary concrete barriers with bollards of the same design throughout President's Park.

Pennsylvania Avenue Continued.

Pennsylvania Ave. Closure || Peace Park