June 21, 2006

New stadium garage plan for D.C.

The Great D.C. Parking Garage Quandary continues, with the latest plan from the city being for a combination of above- and below-ground parking, surrounded by condos, to be sited just beyond the left-field wall of the new Nationals stadium.

Problem #1: Nationals president Stan Kasten called the announcement of the new plan "premature," and said the team still has additional unanswered questions. Problem #2: The D.C. Zoning Commission must sign off on the plan, and "sources close to the process said approval is not certain," according to the Washington Times, which noted that the commission historically prefers below-ground parking for big projects. Problem #3: The stadium parking would all be above-ground, with the subterranean (couldn't type "below-ground" yet another time, sorry) spots reserved for condo owners - meaning that it's effectively the same amount of above-ground parking that the city said was unacceptable in the first place.

As for Nats fans being treated to a view of parking garages from inside the stadium, the city promised that "special architectural treatments" would shield patrons from having to spot any actual vehicles. Maybe they could paint it with retro-reflectum.