Walk around the newly paved streets and sidewalks of Dupont Circle and LeDroit Park and it is clear that Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham has significant influence over how the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) spends its money. As chairman of the Council Committee that oversees DDOT, Mr. Graham ensures that residents of his ward benefit from his ability to direct DDOT’s projects and spending.

As chairman of the Council Committee that oversees libraries, parks and recreation, Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. enjoys similar power to direct funds to Ward 5 parks, recreation centers and libraries.

Neil Rodgers, a member of Mr. Thomas’ staff and clerk of the committee on libraries, parks and recreation, said that Mr. Thomas is “able to move dollars to specific projects in Ward 5, with the consent and agreement of other committee members.”

However, Mr. Thomas’ chairmanship has produced few results so far for Ward 5 residents.

Libraries

From 2007—Mr. Thomas’ first year in office—through the recently completed 2009 budget cycle, no major renovations will have been undertaken for Woodridge Library, Lamond-Riggs Library or Langston Library, the three public libraries located in Ward 5.

During the same time period, major library renovation or reconstruction projects will have been started or completed in every other Ward in the District.

According to John Hill, President of the Library Board of Trustees, the schedule for current library renovation and reconstruction projects was established several years ago by Kathy Patterson, then Ward 3 Councilmember and Chairman of the Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation.

Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper said that it would be up to current Committee Chairman Thomas and the DC Council to revise the schedule in order to accelerate improvements for Ward 5 libraries.

Ms. Cooper said that as far as she was aware, Mr. Thomas had not advocated doing so.

Ms. Cooper praised Mr. Thomas, saying that he was “very supportive” and “quite wonderful to work with.”

Mr. Thomas believes that the current schedule, which calls for library construction to take place in other wards first, has “benefits” for Ward 5 residents. According to Mr. Thomas, benefits include “the opportunity to learn from best practices” gained in the construction of libraries elsewhere.

Mr. Thomas also said that funding had been “secured” for the eventual renovation of Woodridge and Lamond-Riggs libraries.

The renovation of Woodridge Library is scheduled to begin in 2011. Work on the new 20,000 square foot Lamond-Riggs library was originally scheduled to begin next year but the project was pushed back until at least 2010.

Councilmembers have the ability to adjust the timing of projects to benefit their own wards. For example, Councilmember Jim Graham recently allocated several million dollars to the Adams Morgan streetscape in 2009 in order to accelerate the project from its original schedule of 2011.

Kathy Henderson, community activist and former ANC Commissioner who lives near Langston Library, travels to other wards to use the library. “It is so shabby I refuse to set foot in it,” she said of the Langston facility. She said the library’s condition is particularly lamentable because “Wards 5, 7 and 8 have the highest dropout rates, unemployment rates and illiteracy rates. Why would you not invest money in shoring up the libraries here?”

Mr. Thomas said that “every effort is being made” to relocate Langston Library to Charles Young Elementary School, which “will allow the expansion of library services in the greater Carver/Langston Community.”

DC Library Construction Manager Jeff Bonvechio acknowledged the deplorable condition of Langston Library, but said plans to relocate the library are only in the “discussion phase.” He said any changes would take place “in the long term.”

There is no funding in the budget to relocate Langston Library but Mr. Rodgers said it was the intention of Councilmember Thomas to provide money for the project out of the “general improvements fund.”

The outdated libraries in Ward 5 stand in stark contrast to the state-of-the-art facilities being built elsewhere in the District.

The lavish renovation of the Mount Pleasant library in Ward 1 is notable for its price tag of approximately $16 million. This includes $100,000 alone for heirloom-quality reproductions of the original furniture. The post-fire renovations underway at the Georgetown library are expected to cost $21.6 million.

At a recent meeting of the Library Board of Trustees finance committee, board members questioned the large amounts of money being spent on the Mt. Pleasant and Georgetown renovations.

Mr. Bonvechio was unable to explain to the board members why such large amounts of money were necessary.

When a question was asked about projects in Ward 5, Library Board Vice President Bonnie Cohen asked “Where is Ward 5?”

No one from Councilmember Thomas’ office was present to answer Ms. Cohen’s question.

Parks and Recreation

Mr. Thomas is confident that his leadership will enhance Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) facilities in Ward 5. “It is anticipated upon completion of present and planned facility renovation/replacement we will have the finest and largest inventory of facilities in the city,” Mr. Thomas said.

In order to achieve this goal, Mr. Thomas “redirected” $2.5 million in the 2009 budget process from projects around the District to projects in Ward 5. Most of the $2.5 million will be spent on “concept and design” work for proposed new construction at Edgewood Recreation Center, New York Avenue Recreation Center, and Langdon Park.

However, Mr. Thomas redirected more than twice that amount to projects in Ward 6 and Ward 8. And of the $46.5 million allocated to improvements for specific parks and recreation centers around the District, only $3.4 million of the total, or 7.3%, was allocated to Ward 5—even after the redirection.

Seven of DPR’s projects in 2009 are expected to cost $2 million or more. None of these projects are in Ward 5. Eleven projects are expected to cost $1 million or more. Only one of these projects is in Ward 5: the expansion of Harry Thomas Sr. Recreation Center.

The unkempt park at 10th and Franklin Street NE across from Noyes Elementary School is a visible reminder of the needs of parks in Ward 5.

For several years, DPR has had three different designs for Noyes Park ready to implement based on the community’s preference.

“This is one of the few undeveloped DC parks that we have,” said DPR community planner Jesse Rounds.

However, Mr. Rounds said that continued lack of funding means the improvements cannot proceed. “It’s got all this potential but it’s just sitting there,” said Mr. Rounds.

Mr. Rounds said the best way to get funding for a project is to talk to the councilmember. “The person who can really make these decisions is your councilmember,” he said.

Neil Rodgers, clerk for the Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, said that ongoing litigation associated with an adjacent gas station was delaying the project.

“We are still in litigation to get that resolved which is why it hasn’t moved forward,” said Mr. Rodgers about the improvements to Noyes Park.

According to the Attorney General’s office, however, there is no litigation associated with the site.

A bright spot in Ward 5 is North Michigan Park Recreation Center, which received a new $1 million playground this year. The playground features a state-of-the-art rubberized surface instead of traditional wood chips. According to Mr. Thomas, the recreation center also has $600,000 in internal improvements underway.

The president of North Michigan Park Civic Association is Grace Lewis, Mr. Thomas’ chief of staff.

Kathy Henderson is still waiting for results in the rest of Ward 5 before the end of Mr. Thomas’ first term as Councilmember.

“I’m waiting. We have two more years. I’m waiting,” she said.