Finishing the Columbia Heights Dog Park
Photo courtesy of 11th and Bark
Every neighborhood deserves public places and spaces that meet their needs — spaces that are finished, maintained, and built with the community that uses them every day at the table. The Columbia Heights Dog Park, known to neighbors as 11th & Bark, has served as one of the few dedicated off-leash dog spaces in the heart of Ward 1. But for nearly a decade, its renovation has remained incomplete, despite broad community support and dedicated funding appropriated by the DC Council, all because of agency commitments that have yet to cross the finish line. Anthony has fought to change that and move this project forward.
Anthony's vision and message are simple: finish the job and complete the park. That means a fully renovated dog park delivered on the community's terms — with a final design shaped by the neighbors and the Friends group who steward the space. We must ensure that the completed design plan includes pet waste resources that keep the surrounding blocks clean (supporting our fight against the rats!), lighting that keeps the park safe and usable after dark, and a maintenance partnership among the District agencies and WMATA that share responsibility for the site - 11th and Bark is more than prepared to care for the new park, but they can’t - and Anthony won’t let them - do it alone. Finally, finishing this dog park will be about more than simply adding a community amenity. It is proof that Columbia Heights can take a long-deferred capital project and see it through to completion. Anthony is proud of the work he’s done to drive this project forward in a transparent and collaborative manner.
The Problem
The Columbia Heights Dog Park renovation has been hampered by challenges that too often stall capital improvement projects in the District, and unnecessarily so. Since taking office, Anthony has leaned into understanding what was holding this project up, and as a dog owner, he found this project resonated with him, as he desired a space for his dog, Archer, to sniff, run, socialize, and romp around with other dogs. So Anthony rolled up his sleeves with 11th and Bark, the Park Partner, recognized by the Department of Parks and Recreation, and worked to understand what they wanted and needed; he also talked with dog owners and parkgoers every day, answering their questions and addressing their concerns. Still, the District was slow to respond to requests for project updates. And even with fighting to move the project forward, a few gaps still remain.
The renovation is not fully scoped. Under the current scope of work based on a draft design presented at a September 2024 community engagement meeting Anthony helped organize, fence replacement and lighting — two of the improvements neighbors have asked about most consistently — are not contemplated at all. A renovation that leaves out a full replacement of the fencing and leaves the park dark after sunset is not a complete renovation. Additionally, the site sits at the intersection of WMATA’s ongoing need to require vehicle access to the exhaust ventilation area for maintenance, which will leave a portion of the space open to the public but may remain undeveloped and likely unmaintained. Without ensuring that all these necessary elements are fully addressed within the allocated budget, the park renovation will not deliver what residents are asking for.
That said, funding is limited. Approximately $700,000 remains available for the park's renovation — funding that was restored after Anthony advocated for a budget fix following an avoidable funding fluke at the end of FY 2025. That funding must be stretched carefully and strategically, requiring an engaged Commissioner like Anthony to work directly with DPR and DGS to identify every viable option within budget.
And most importantly, day-to-day conditions need attention now — and will in the future. Even before the renovation is complete, the park and the blocks around it need properly sited and maintained pet waste stations, as well as clearer dog waste cleanup signage, from the District. Neighbors should not have to wait for a capital project to be completed before basic, routine services and maintenance are done right. And once the park is finished, DPR must recognize that 11th and Bark can’t be expected to solely steward and care for this District asset on its own, with limited small-dollar donations from parkgoers.
Anthony’s Record
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Anthony has worked alongside the dog park's volunteer stewards throughout his tenure, including joining the last several 11th & Bark Annual Meetings to brief members directly on the park's status — and he continues to consult with the Friends group on planning and design revisions. Anthony believes in collaborative input and working with a diverse group of stakeholders to get things done. And 11th and Bark has been at this work longer than he has, so he also knows when and how to let longtime community leaders be heard.
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Anthony sponsored and won unanimous passage of a measure (R26-0030), A Resolution Concerning Calling for the Completion of the Columbia Heights Dog Park Before the End of Calendar Year 2026 — the Commission's formal demand that the District finish the park renovation — or at least planning and design — as soon as practicable before the end of the calendar year.
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Anthony's resolution drew a formal written response from the Executive — rare for a measure that doesn’t carry “great weight” — securing DGS and DPR's written commitments on the project within weeks of transmittal, a level of agency responsiveness most stalled projects never see. Anthony’s strong working relationships with these agencies, even amid significant disagreements about policy matters, have helped move this and other projects forward.
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Anthony has worked tirelessly to ensure the funding authorized by Council is secured year over year, and including after a budget hiccup at the end of FY 2025 due to congressional interference. Anthony has been working directly with 11th and Bark, DGS, and DPR to maximize the remaining $700,000 in renovation funding and is pressing to close gaps in the current scope— fence replacement and lighting—including active conversations with WMATA about assistance with site improvements.
Our Solutions
Anthony finally secured an agreement between DPR and the Department of General Services (DGS) with the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) to secure a 20-year lease on the land (with a likelihood of renewal for the foreseeable future), with the concerted partnership of 11th and Bark and the input of the Ward 1 councilmember. Anthony worked to steward the Commission's formal comments and recommendations on the leasehold agreement and has fought to ensure 11th and Bark—representing thousands of neighbors and parkgoers—maintains a seat at the table as final planning and design are completed.
Anthony has put the Commission’s — and, by extension, his constituents’ and other residents’ — demands and expectations on record and has continually brought the agencies to the table to get this project completed. In June 2026, Anthony received a joint response from DGS and DPR stating that they will complete the park in July 2027, a timeline Anthony intends to hold the agencies to. All this work is precisely what an accountable, working representation looks like — and it is the foundation for the plan below, which Anthony will continue if re-elected.
1. Deliver a community-approved final design. Anthony is consulting directly with DGS and DPR on design revisions, in consultation with 11th and Bard. Before any design is finalized, Anthony will host an additional community engagement meeting so neighbors can review the revisions and provide final feedback. The park's design will and should be settled in public, by and with the people who use it — not behind closed doors, as some District plans are. Anthony has fought to ensure this remains a community-driven project from the start.
2. Make the most of every remaining dollar. Anthony is working with DGS and DPR to identify additional renovation options achievable within the limited remaining funding, prioritizing the improvements the community values most, and doing so in a way that keeps the project on track for completion in July 2027 and within budget.
3. Close the gaps in the scope of work. Fence replacement and lighting are not in the current scope — and Anthony is not accepting that as the final answer. He is pursuing every avenue to address both, including (1) partnering with WMATA because a portion of the site remains open to the public as a small “pocket park”, which WMATA requires for vehicle access for maintenance of its existing exhaust ventilation area. Anthony is working to determine whether WMATA can assist with improvements, particularly to lighting, and (2) a Commission-funded option so that if agency funding cannot cover permanent lighting, Anthony will ask the Commission to make a direct expenditure for solar-powered string lights along the interior fence — an immediate, low-cost solution to keep the park usable and safe after dark - the Commission has never made a grant to the park.
4. Ensure surrounding conditions and issues are met now, not later. Anthony is pressing the District to properly site and maintain pet waste stations and to install additional dog waste cleanup signage in and around the park — improvements that don't need to wait for construction and that benefit every neighbor on the surrounding blocks, dog owner or not.