Ms. Laura Durham, Open Space Coordinator
City of Alexandria, VA
Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities
1108 Jefferson Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
March 10, 2009
Dear Ms. Durham,
This letter is in reply to the City’s Feb. 9, 2009 request for input on the current facilities and operations at Fort Ward Park. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the two City-sponsored community meetings and provide written comments. This dialogue is an important way to engage residents in the long-standing traditions of park protection, historic preservation, heritage tourism, education and recreational enjoyment in Alexandria.
Summary Recommendations
I recommend that the City of Alexandria take the following actions for Fort Ward Park.
1. Reaffirm the City’s 1982 commitment, to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the National Park Service as part of the National Register of Historic Places designation, to operate Fort Ward Park as a Historical Park with recreation activities and plantings that are consistent with the historic nature of this park, and indicative of the City‘s total commitment to the preservation of the site. We urge you to keep the focus on history at Fort Ward Park. Perhaps the following purposes for Fort Ward Park could be incorporated into the draft action plan.
a. To preserve and interpret historical resources related to Fort Ward Park’s role in the Civil War and the defense of Washington, D.C. and the pre-and post-Civil War periods in Alexandria, Virginia.
b. To conserve this portion of the linkage of open space that contributes to the character and scenic values of Alexandria.
c. To provide recreation uses and activities consistent with the historic nature of the park and its trees and planting beds.
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2. Limit all future special events to those uses consistent within the historic nature of this park. Uses, however, that draw large crowds and have no particular tie to the historic nature of the park can and should be placed in other Alexandria parks which do not have such a historic designation. Such parks as Ben Brenman, Chinquapin and Oronoco Bay, and Northern Virginia Park Authority areas may be more appropriate for large crowds.
3. The proposed new picnic pavilions, restrooms, paved trails, and parking facilities for Fort Ward Park, described in the City’s October 16, 2008 Facility Study & Recommendations, should not be approved by the City until park historic and archeological sites are surveyed and a master plan is developed for the park’s protection and use. A master plan, as well as Special Use Permits, will ensure that new uses will be consistent with the historic nature of the park, located appropriately and will not destroy historic areas.
4. Use the funds that are proposed for new facilities, paved trails, and parking areas for park-wide historic and archeological surveys, staff for the improved management of park users during peak periods, and park master planning. These tasks should be the City’s top priority for this historical park.
5. Prohibit alcohol and amplified music within Fort Ward Park to discourage activities that are inconsistent with a historical park, family picnicking, and children’s play areas. Allow amplified music for City-sponsored concerts at the amphitheater provided they are consistent with, and enforced through, the City’s Noise Ordinance.
6. Re-locate those portions of the City’s Nursery and Maintenance Yard activities that are currently located on top of, or adjacent to, African-American grave sites.
7. Begin working now with the City Office of Archeology to better understand the pre-and post-Civil War periods with the goal of broader interpretation for the expected sesquicentennial crowds at Fort Ward Park in 2011. This is a story yet to be told.
8. Empower the Friends of Fort Ward Park, or another qualified private non-profit organization, to help secure
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public and private money and in-kind services, through
donations, grants, and revenue generation techniques, to supplement funds provided annually by the City for Fort Ward Park Museum and the entire park.
9. Modify the Fort Ward park boundary to add the 54,088 square foot parcel at the end of Fort Ward Place and along Van Dorn Street. City staff indicates that this parcel is actually is part of the park, although the Fort Ward Park map presented at the public meetings, does not include it. Evidently, according to staff, the property was dedicated to the City from the Marlboro Development Joint Venture in
1978. It is zoned R-8, while the rest of the park is zoned POS. If additional staff assistance is needed the property could be added to the City's list of open space priorities that the Northern VA Conservation Trust is assisting Alexandria with .
10. Establish a single and easily accessible point of contact for regular communication, collaboration and information between the Fort Ward Park managers and the public they serve.
Background
These comments are intended to provide City staff, as well as local elected officials, with ideas and suggestions which will help define and guide improvements at Fort Ward Park. The comments reflect my interests and concerns, as well as the conversations I have had over the last eighteen months with a broad range of interests including the: residents of neighborhood communities including Marlboro Estates; former residents of the Fort Ward property before the City took ownership of the park; members of the Oakland Baptist Church; managers and staff of the City’s Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs, Police Department, Office of Archeology, Parks & Recreation Commission; the leaders of the West End Business Association, Friends of Fort Ward Park Board, Seminary Hill Association Board, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site, Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, National Alliance of Faith & Justice, and National Park Service.
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Many residents, government and group leaders are deeply concerned about the City’s ongoing management of the park, its historic sites and park users. City actions within the park have been taken without Special Use Permits or opportunity for public review and comment. These actions have intensified the use of the park for a solid waste transfer station; large unmanaged special events with alcohol and excessively loud amplified music; and a park district maintenance operation. The current nursery and maintenance area has been developed on top of the graves of former residents of the park area.
The City’s actions particularly over the last several years have destroyed and neglected historic African-American historic and cultural heritage, neglected arboretum tree and shrub plantings, hindered the use of the park by visitors, and had an adverse impact on the quality of life of adjacent homeowners.
Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods and group leaders are concerned about the City’s October 16, 2008 proposal for the major expansion of picnic pavilions, more paved parking areas, new restrooms, and paved trails. The Facility Study & Recommendations for Fort Ward Park was developed and posted on the City’s website without public input or review. In fact, the more than 100 participants at the two public meetings the City held were not supportive of the Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities Plan.
The document does not respond to concerns made by the public over the last two years nor does it include a plan for the entire park. Specific recreational facilities are proposed to be located in areas of the park where freed African-American slaves lived, and many are buried, following the end of the Civil War and the military occupation of the area.
The City’s proposal unilaterally ignores the documented historic and cultural heritage of the park that eventually justified it being designated to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.
I understand, based on discussions with Commonwealth Historic Preservation Office, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, that the City’s past and
4 of 5
proposed actions at Fort Ward Park will jeopardize the 1982
designation of Fort Ward Park on the National Register of Historic Places. Surely losing this designation will hurt tourism efforts and reflect poorly on the City’s reputation as one of the premier areas for historic preservation in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
At the second public meeting on March 4, 2009 Roger Blakeley of the Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities Department told attendees that due to proposed City budget cuts “Some of the [user management] things we tried to do last year we might not be able to do today“. He also told the audience that archeological surveys and master planning are very expensive and we don‘t have money for these tasks now. With budget cuts looming, and cutbacks in staff and user management services predicted, the idea that the City would develop more facilities and encourage more recreation users is misguided and will make existing problems worse. If anything, the City should use existing funds to do the needed archeological surveys and master planning, and better manage existing use. This type of basic information and service is an essential foundation for good decision-making in the future.
The City and Commonwealth are now planning for the sesquicentennial celebration of the Civil War in 2011. This is a celebration of our history and Fort Ward Park. We look forward to the City’s draft action plan on March 18, 2009.
Sincerely,
Glenn
J. Glenn Eugster
4022 Ellicott Street
Alexandria, VA 22304
703-845-8947
glenn-eugster@comcast.net
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City of Alexandria, VA
Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities
1108 Jefferson Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
March 10, 2009
Dear Ms. Durham,
This letter is in reply to the City’s Feb. 9, 2009 request for input on the current facilities and operations at Fort Ward Park. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the two City-sponsored community meetings and provide written comments. This dialogue is an important way to engage residents in the long-standing traditions of park protection, historic preservation, heritage tourism, education and recreational enjoyment in Alexandria.
Summary Recommendations
I recommend that the City of Alexandria take the following actions for Fort Ward Park.
1. Reaffirm the City’s 1982 commitment, to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the National Park Service as part of the National Register of Historic Places designation, to operate Fort Ward Park as a Historical Park with recreation activities and plantings that are consistent with the historic nature of this park, and indicative of the City‘s total commitment to the preservation of the site. We urge you to keep the focus on history at Fort Ward Park. Perhaps the following purposes for Fort Ward Park could be incorporated into the draft action plan.
a. To preserve and interpret historical resources related to Fort Ward Park’s role in the Civil War and the defense of Washington, D.C. and the pre-and post-Civil War periods in Alexandria, Virginia.
b. To conserve this portion of the linkage of open space that contributes to the character and scenic values of Alexandria.
c. To provide recreation uses and activities consistent with the historic nature of the park and its trees and planting beds.
1 of 5
2. Limit all future special events to those uses consistent within the historic nature of this park. Uses, however, that draw large crowds and have no particular tie to the historic nature of the park can and should be placed in other Alexandria parks which do not have such a historic designation. Such parks as Ben Brenman, Chinquapin and Oronoco Bay, and Northern Virginia Park Authority areas may be more appropriate for large crowds.
3. The proposed new picnic pavilions, restrooms, paved trails, and parking facilities for Fort Ward Park, described in the City’s October 16, 2008 Facility Study & Recommendations, should not be approved by the City until park historic and archeological sites are surveyed and a master plan is developed for the park’s protection and use. A master plan, as well as Special Use Permits, will ensure that new uses will be consistent with the historic nature of the park, located appropriately and will not destroy historic areas.
4. Use the funds that are proposed for new facilities, paved trails, and parking areas for park-wide historic and archeological surveys, staff for the improved management of park users during peak periods, and park master planning. These tasks should be the City’s top priority for this historical park.
5. Prohibit alcohol and amplified music within Fort Ward Park to discourage activities that are inconsistent with a historical park, family picnicking, and children’s play areas. Allow amplified music for City-sponsored concerts at the amphitheater provided they are consistent with, and enforced through, the City’s Noise Ordinance.
6. Re-locate those portions of the City’s Nursery and Maintenance Yard activities that are currently located on top of, or adjacent to, African-American grave sites.
7. Begin working now with the City Office of Archeology to better understand the pre-and post-Civil War periods with the goal of broader interpretation for the expected sesquicentennial crowds at Fort Ward Park in 2011. This is a story yet to be told.
8. Empower the Friends of Fort Ward Park, or another qualified private non-profit organization, to help secure
2 of 5
public and private money and in-kind services, through
donations, grants, and revenue generation techniques, to supplement funds provided annually by the City for Fort Ward Park Museum and the entire park.
9. Modify the Fort Ward park boundary to add the 54,088 square foot parcel at the end of Fort Ward Place and along Van Dorn Street. City staff indicates that this parcel is actually is part of the park, although the Fort Ward Park map presented at the public meetings, does not include it. Evidently, according to staff, the property was dedicated to the City from the Marlboro Development Joint Venture in
1978. It is zoned R-8, while the rest of the park is zoned POS. If additional staff assistance is needed the property could be added to the City's list of open space priorities that the Northern VA Conservation Trust is assisting Alexandria with .
10. Establish a single and easily accessible point of contact for regular communication, collaboration and information between the Fort Ward Park managers and the public they serve.
Background
These comments are intended to provide City staff, as well as local elected officials, with ideas and suggestions which will help define and guide improvements at Fort Ward Park. The comments reflect my interests and concerns, as well as the conversations I have had over the last eighteen months with a broad range of interests including the: residents of neighborhood communities including Marlboro Estates; former residents of the Fort Ward property before the City took ownership of the park; members of the Oakland Baptist Church; managers and staff of the City’s Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs, Police Department, Office of Archeology, Parks & Recreation Commission; the leaders of the West End Business Association, Friends of Fort Ward Park Board, Seminary Hill Association Board, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site, Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, National Alliance of Faith & Justice, and National Park Service.
3 of 5
Many residents, government and group leaders are deeply concerned about the City’s ongoing management of the park, its historic sites and park users. City actions within the park have been taken without Special Use Permits or opportunity for public review and comment. These actions have intensified the use of the park for a solid waste transfer station; large unmanaged special events with alcohol and excessively loud amplified music; and a park district maintenance operation. The current nursery and maintenance area has been developed on top of the graves of former residents of the park area.
The City’s actions particularly over the last several years have destroyed and neglected historic African-American historic and cultural heritage, neglected arboretum tree and shrub plantings, hindered the use of the park by visitors, and had an adverse impact on the quality of life of adjacent homeowners.
Residents of the surrounding neighborhoods and group leaders are concerned about the City’s October 16, 2008 proposal for the major expansion of picnic pavilions, more paved parking areas, new restrooms, and paved trails. The Facility Study & Recommendations for Fort Ward Park was developed and posted on the City’s website without public input or review. In fact, the more than 100 participants at the two public meetings the City held were not supportive of the Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities Plan.
The document does not respond to concerns made by the public over the last two years nor does it include a plan for the entire park. Specific recreational facilities are proposed to be located in areas of the park where freed African-American slaves lived, and many are buried, following the end of the Civil War and the military occupation of the area.
The City’s proposal unilaterally ignores the documented historic and cultural heritage of the park that eventually justified it being designated to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.
I understand, based on discussions with Commonwealth Historic Preservation Office, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, that the City’s past and
4 of 5
proposed actions at Fort Ward Park will jeopardize the 1982
designation of Fort Ward Park on the National Register of Historic Places. Surely losing this designation will hurt tourism efforts and reflect poorly on the City’s reputation as one of the premier areas for historic preservation in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
At the second public meeting on March 4, 2009 Roger Blakeley of the Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities Department told attendees that due to proposed City budget cuts “Some of the [user management] things we tried to do last year we might not be able to do today“. He also told the audience that archeological surveys and master planning are very expensive and we don‘t have money for these tasks now. With budget cuts looming, and cutbacks in staff and user management services predicted, the idea that the City would develop more facilities and encourage more recreation users is misguided and will make existing problems worse. If anything, the City should use existing funds to do the needed archeological surveys and master planning, and better manage existing use. This type of basic information and service is an essential foundation for good decision-making in the future.
The City and Commonwealth are now planning for the sesquicentennial celebration of the Civil War in 2011. This is a celebration of our history and Fort Ward Park. We look forward to the City’s draft action plan on March 18, 2009.
Sincerely,
Glenn
J. Glenn Eugster
4022 Ellicott Street
Alexandria, VA 22304
703-845-8947
glenn-eugster@comcast.net
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