Friendship Heights Village council approves ADA, stormwater concept plan for village park, removes formal path to brick/patio

The Friendship Heights Village Council on May 7 approved a concept plan from Clark Azar that combines stormwater management and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility upgrades for the village park, voting 6–1 to accept the plan with one change: removing the formal sidewalk and accessible route to the brick/patio (barbecue) area so it will not be treated as a primary activity space.

Julian Mansfield, the village manager, told the council Clark Azar had been brought in to complete stormwater work and was asked to address ADA deficiencies identified in an architect’s report by Adam Green. "Clark Azar has now submitted a concept plan to address the issues of ADA compliance," he said, and the draft land-use opinion agrees the pergola area should be made accessible.

Senior landscape architect Brian Jacobson walked the council and residents through the proposal, which pairs five shallow on‑site basins to capture and slow runoff with new concrete ramps, landings and handrails at steeper approaches to primary activity areas. "They're only about 6 inches deep," Jacobson said of the basins, describing them as low ponding features intended to give water time to percolate and to route overflow safely downslope. He explained that ramps and accessible plazas must meet slope and landing rules under ADA and that some existing stone treads would either need handrails or to be disconnected from the walking surface and treated as a decorative element.

Residents raised recurring concerns about erosion and a narrow area where blue bluestone and gravel are being washed toward a steeper slope and creek. One resident said the runoff was "running the blue ground bluestone off into that steeper slope into the creek," and urged a site-specific fix. Jacobson recommended a mix of approaches — keeping people on a clear path, using groundcover or stone in high‑traffic shortcuts, and slow‑the‑flow grading or plantings — and said the design can be adjusted in the final concept to address concentrated runnels.

Council members also questioned how ADA hardscaping would affect the children’s play circle. Jacobson said adding a 4‑foot concrete path to meet accessible circulation reduced the circle’s diameter from about 33 feet to about 29 feet and suggested selecting play equipment that fits a slightly smaller configuration rather than several pieces.

The council discussed the brick/patio (barbecue) area at length. Jacobson explained that if the brick area remains a primary activity space it must be reconstructed to meet ADA slope requirements; removing the gravel approach and disconnecting the brick patio from the primary path would avoid that requirement. The council debated whether to accept the plan now or hold it while seeking a one‑time quality‑control review from the original architect, Adam Green. An amendment making council approval contingent on Green’s review failed on a roll call, and the council proceeded to vote on the plan.

On the final vote the council approved the concept plan with the exception described, 6–1. The council directed Clark Azar to revise the concept plan to remove the accessible approach to the brick/patio area, to adjust the stormwater basins as needed to account for the added impervious surface elsewhere, and to submit the revised concept to the county DPS for stormwater review and any other required approvals. Julian Mansfield will be the village’s primary point of contact for the revised plan.

Brian Jacobson said the team will refine basin sizes and other details before submission. The council did not set a specific construction budget in the meeting; members discussed maintenance trade‑offs (for example, adhesive nosing tape versus bolt‑on metal nosing on stone steps) and the possibility of phasing the work (Phase 1: main entrances, pergola access, stair improvements; later phases: back area and potential future changes to the barbecue/patio). The meeting concluded with thanks to the consultant and residents and the council’s adjournment.

Next steps: Clark Azar will finalize the concept plan incorporating the council’s direction, adjust stormwater calculations for any added impervious area, and submit the package to county reviewers; the council may consider further design details and equipment selections after that review.