Plans made to restore Wyman Park

Over a century after the creation of Wyman Park Dell, the community group Friends of Wyman Park Dell is spearheading an effort to renovate the Dell and restore it to its original condition.

Wyman Park Dell lies just off the Homewood campus, nestled between Art Museum Drive, W. 29th Street and N. Charles Street, across from the Homewood Apartments. The Dell is part of 16-acre Wyman Park, which was designed at the turn of the 20th century by sons of renowned urban planner Frederick Law Olmstead to serve as an oasis of greenery in north Baltimore.

Participating in the project's steering committee are the Baltimore Museum of Art, The Johns Hopkins University, the Charles Village Association and the Remington Improvement Association.

One of the people involved with the project is Mark Demshak, the director of architecture and planning at Johns Hopkins. Hopkins, Demshak says, is helping with the upkeep of the Dell, contributing $10,000 towards the creation of a plan for the renovation as well as donating Demshak's time to work on the project. In addition, he said, Hopkins ground crews help maintain the park. "It's an important landscape for us in Baltimore," he said.

Hopkins students have also been participating in the conservation effort. On Saturday, Sept. 10, Hopkins students, including the Hopkins baseball team, participated in the James W. Rouse Community Service day to help clean up Wyman Park Dell. Students cleaned trash, pruned trees, cleared brush and removed invasive species, while a Baltimore city grounds crew planted flowers and shrubs.

Senior Philip Tsang, who participated in the cleanup, said, "I think we did some good for the trees." Tsang hasn't been back to the Dell since then, however. "There are no destinations across the park," he said. "It's just inconvenient and it's not that nice."

Tsang also commented that the Dell needs further improvement, citing the smell of sewage in part of the park and leavings from the dogs frequently walked there. "It would be nice to see some trees growing again," he added.

Senior Richard Tang also volunteered in the Rouse Day cleanup. He thought the efforts of Hopkins students made a big difference. Before the cleanup "it just looked like the rest of Baltimore -- run down. Now it looks like what a park in a city should be." Asked what other changes he'd like to see made to the Dell Tang said, "It just needs to be cleaned up a little bit."

Sophomore Liz Eldridge enjoys visiting Wyman Park Dell. "I definitely enjoy stopping by and playing on the swings," she said.

"It's nice to sit in the park and watch the world go by, and have picnics." When asked what changes she would like to see made, she said, "I affirm that I would like to see more swings."

While they enjoy the parksome Hopkins students expressed concern about safety there. Tsang commented that he doesn't consider the park safe at night, but doesn't think security should be a priority.

"I guess they could patrol it or something," he said, "but I don't think it's worth the expense. I mean, we have the quads, after all."

Captain George Kibler of Hopkins security confirmed in an email that there have been incidents in Wyman Park Dell.

"During the past two years," he said, "there have been two reported incidents from the area. One was an indecent exposure, and a warrant was obtained for the suspect. The second was a robbery of an affiliate, and the suspect was arrested."

Kibler said that Hopkins security does not currently patrol Wyman Park Dell because it is public property.

However, he added, "We routinely patrol the park area where students use the streets around the park going to and from campus. We also will adjust our patrols to include the park area as needs dictate."

Kibler urged students to exercise caution when using the park. "While the dell may be a vibrant and nice place during the daylight, as with any other place that is not active and lively with pedestrian or vehicular activity and secluded, careful consideration should be used if going there after dark, especially alone."

"Good sense has to be applied when considering lightly attended and secluded locations after darkness has set in."

Security concerns have not deterred the proponents of the renovation of Wyman Park Dell, however. While the renovation plan is still in its planning stages, Demshak listed some of the problems with the Dell that the plan will address.

"There's erosion, there's walls that are deteriorating, there's poor drainage c9 beyond that, we don't know. It has to come from the people to be a successful project," he said.

The Friends of Wyman Park Dell is still gathering input from the community on the renovation plan. Kent Waters, a member of the Friends of Wyman Park Dell, and Demshak both encouraged students to get involved in the planning process by attending "Town Hall" meetings.

Meetings are held sporadically at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The next one will be held sometime in November, they said.

There is also a faster way to give feedback, Waters said. Scattered throughout Wyman Park Dell are boxes containing questionnaires asking park visitors for their opinions about the Dell. Responses are due October 31, 2005.

Waters also encouraged Hopkins students to visit the dell. "A bunch of Hopkins young people set up a volleyball net a few years back," he said.

He added, "It's a wonderful place for young people to sunbathe. There's a nice playground for the kids."

In addition to being a good place for students to go, Wyman Park Dell is valuable to the entire community, Waters said.

"We value the Dell as a place to go, as a community asset, a common resource. We want to take care of it and improve it if possible."