The Wyman Park Dell now has a guiding light: A master
plan to protect the beloved park and guide its enhancements
for at least the next 15 years.
The Friends of the Wyman Park Dell, longtime stewards
of the 13-acre park located at the southern edge of Johns
Hopkins' Homewood campus, wanted a plan to better guide its
efforts to clean up the park and make it a safer, more
inviting and attractive location.
Over time, portions of the park have been overcome by
invasive plants and its interior obscured by trees and
shrubs, inhibiting a sense of security among users,
according to Marcia Holden, president of the
organization.
While volunteer-led efforts to clean up the park have
made significant improvements to the landscape, the master
plan, Holden said, can help realize long-term goals for the
space, designed at the turn of the 20th century by the firm
of famed urban architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
"We want to fully reclaim the historic park and have
it become recognized as a recreational destination for the
whole region," Holden said. "We want people to go there
because we'll have some great programming, and it will
become an even greater environment for people of all
ages."
In 2004, the Wyman Park Dell Master Plan Steering
Committee was formed through an initiative of the Friends
of Wyman Park Dell. The Friends view "the Dell" as a
cornerstone for the entire Wyman Park system and a vital
open space for the adjacent communities and institutions
and all of Baltimore City. The committee comprised
representatives of the Friends of Wyman Park Dell,
Baltimore City departments of Recreation and Parks and of
Planning, Friends of Maryland's Olmsted Parks and
Landscapes, Charles Village Civic Association, Remington
Neighborhood Alliance, Baltimore Museum of Art and Johns
Hopkins.
Mark Demshak, director of architecture and planning
for Johns Hopkins and an ex-officio board member of the
Friends of the Wyman Park Dell, said that the university's
involvement in the planning process was mutually
beneficial, as the Dell is inexorably linked to the
Homewood campus and to the students, faculty and staff who
live and work nearby. "The Dell is without doubt an
important asset to the neighborhood and also to JHU, as it
is part of our entry sequence for visitors," he said.
The steering committee solicited proposals for the
master plan project in winter 2005, ultimately retaining
Mahan Rykiel Associates. As laid out by the firm, the
overall structure and organization of the park will remain
generally as is, only enhanced.
The plan does, however, call for removing the restroom
structure and replacing it with a pavilion that would be
part of a new park entrance near the intersection of Art
Museum Drive and Charles and 31st streets. The pavilion
would serve as a gathering place for getting refreshments
and would have restrooms, a storage facility and a park
manager's office. This combination of features would
provide much-needed activity and a reason to linger in the
park and, more importantly, would address concerns that
this corner of the park is a generally unwelcoming "front
door" with obscured visibility and perceived safety
problems.
The new entrance also would include a more welcoming
staircase into the park, along with a ramp for visitors
with disabilities. Some of the slope area would be cleared
of invasive species and replanted with low-growing native
shrubs and trees to open up views into the main lawn. The
plan also incorporates enhanced pathways, lighting, seating
and signage.
The report identifies projects that could be
implemented incrementally as funds become available and
project "cheerleaders" emerge.
Holden said that the completion of the master plan is
a significant milestone. Soon, she said, the physical work
will begin.
"Right now," she said, "we are at the stage of what
specific steps to take from here, to meet with all the
interested parties and to determine just how to go about
implementing this plan."
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