Officials to present design concepts for Georgetown C&O Canal rehabilitation

The National Park Service (NPS) and its local partners will hold a public meeting November 7 to discuss the recently released environmental assessment for their proposed overhaul of the Georgetown piece of the historic C&O Canal, which stretches from D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland. They will present the latest design concepts for the project and solicit additional community input on whether to move forward with the designs or pursue a “no action” plan.

Under the no-action option, the current management of the site would remain with NPS as is, although “basic maintenance, rehabilitation, and restoration efforts would be made,” per the environmental assessment. These may include repairing the canal’s old locks, stabilizing the towpath, and fixing up the existing access points to the canal. The “action alternative,” on the other hand, represents an attempt to make the site more of a destination. It “includes an array of repair and rehabilitation projects that address issues of deferred maintenance and increased preservation, along with improvements that will enhance education, interpretation and visitor experiences for those who live, work and visit the C&O Canal in Georgetown,” say NPS and Georgetown Heritage, a local nonprofit organization that’s working on the proposal.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Canal Overlook Room on the west side of Georgetown Park, at 3276 M Street NW, and written comments can be submitted online through November 16. The canal now sees more than 4.8 million visitors a year, say officials. Landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations has worked on the design ideas.

National Park Service/Georgetown Heritage