There is a vibrant and wonderful community garden located in the Virginia Avenue Park, it needs to remain and perhaps even be expanded to accommodate the huge interest in organic vegetable gardening that exists in our community. There were several meetings in the fall of 2009 to discuss ways to improve and develop the park to make it a better community resource for everyone including dog owners, bicyclists and families. We need to keep the green areas of our community intact and make them better for all to enjoy, not take them away and build large buildings on them.

As a nighbor and member of the Virginia avenue community garden, I do not support his option. The current space of the Virginia Avenue garden must be protected as its invauluabe green space for dozens of Captiol Hill families who garden here. Many garden families have invested significant hard work and sweat into making this garden our brief respite from city living. Please don't destroy the only "outdoor" space that some of our childen and other families have. Destroying the garden is not the action of a good neighbor and member of our community.

My husband and I moved to the Capitol Hill East neighborhood a little over 2 years ago and were thrilled to get a plot in the Virginia Avenue Community Garden. Previous posters commented on how much sweat and community involvement have gone into the garden, and we can vouch for that. We worked 10-hour days for a month of weekends to build and plant our plots. Because we are by the fence and a picnic area, we are often asked questions by families, dog-walkers, tourists, and other passers-by. We not only explain what plants these folks are looking at, but we encourage them to apply for their own plot and make suggestions on what they could grow in containers while they are waiting. Most memorably, we helped a mother and her daughter to find a bunch of dandelions – in late August – for a school project. They thought dandelions were yellow and didn’t know that the puffballs we handed them were the same plant until we explained. At that moment, I realized just how much I’d taken for granted and how much I learned from growing up in the country. The community garden helps us demonstrate not only where food comes from and what it looks like while growing, it shows our urban neighbors that *anyone* can do it. I’m also extremely proud of our diverse garden membership and the many bees, birds, and insects that thrive in the park. I believe that a playground and dog park would be great additions to the spot and allow for more educational opportunities, and I hope the Marine Corps can find a different location for their needs. Given how close the park is to the interstates and major roadways, and given the security measures required, it doesn’t seem like a good choice for their building site.

I totally agree that there should be an option here.

Land is scarce in Capitol Hill. Community gardening involves collective responsibility, opportunities to work the soil, healthy eating, locally grown food - commodities that are even more scarce in Capitpl Hill. This is a real city neighborhood: our homes don't have the eighth and quarter-acres of private space that suburbs provide. The Va. Ave. garden IS our back yard. Please don't plan to "pave paradise." Repurposing the garden's land and/or moving the garden to a more environmentally hostile location are lose=lose propositions. You have a lot of power. Please do not use it to undermine our community.

Our first lady, Michelle Obama, recently said "I'm a big believer in community gardens, both because of their beauty and for their access to providing fresh fruits and vegetables to so many communities across this nation and the world." That describes the role of the Virginia Avenue Community Garden perfectly. Please save the community garden.

Give me your tomatoes, your squash, and your bedraggled end of the season kale, and I will be an eternal city dweller! These simple vegetables (and many others) planted in the warm spring soil by the hands of mothers and fathers and their children, coming together as neighbors to commune and laugh and serve the common good-- to reap, to learn of nature, and sustenance, and all that can grow and be good and bountiful amidst city streets and asphalt... these are pure things in our lives and the lives of our children that define our community. We are proud of our Marines who too serve the common good, but do not take away our community garden for housing. Our garden is our return to simplicity, to calm, to sell sufficiency and reverence for the earth we were given. We are it's stewards. Let us continue to till and teach our children what we can, as city dwellers, about our small green patch of land next to the busy freeway that too often reminds us of who we have become.

Green space is crucial to the health of a city - there was a good reason this was made into a park, and that should not be dismissed. Also, this park is used greatly by area citizens! It's hard to imagine there isn't a better solution - like rehabbing a non-park building somewhere nearby. There are plenty of them, and they do not have to be directly next door to the existing Marine Barracks. Marines can do a tiny bit of commuting, just like most other people! It seems they want to turn this area into a Crystal City - instead of embracing the area for what it has to offer. I move to find another spot for the Marines and leave this and all of our parks in place! I placed this comment under every plan, because I think that it's really important that we are a "green" city who values our parks!

Noticed that the Washington Navy Yard Option 2 would improve at least part of the M St frontage (Exxon site) without interrupting green space and provides a secure location for military housing. Although the WNY Opt2 doesn't develop as much of the M St between 8th and 11th as the Exxon Option 1 plan, its features give it an edge on the Exxon Option 1 plan in my mind.

Right now that end of M street looks TERRIBLE - if this option would bring development to that part of M I would be in favor of it (though block 882 and turning L street into an open green space is still my first option).