City of Alexandria, Virginia
______________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 21, 2009
TO: GLENN EUGSTER
FROM: LANCE MALLAMO, DIRECTOR
OFFICE OF HISTORIC ALEXANDRIA
JAMES SPENGLER, DIRECTOR
DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION, PARKS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
SUBJECT: FORT WARD PARK
The responses to your email questions of September 15, 2009 are detailed below.
1. What is the status of the appointments to the City's Ad-Hoc Commission for Fort Ward Park? When is the group likely to be appointed? When is it likely to meet?
The Ad Hoc Fort Ward Park and Museum Area Stakeholder Advisory Group (Ad Hoc SAG) will be appointed by the City Manager for a duration of one year. The Parks Commission has recommended three people, Historic Alexandria Resources Commission three people, and the Environmental Policy Commission one member. All these recommendations are with the City Manager. Positions for the two at-large members, and one member living within a one-mile radius of the park, are currently being advertised through the Office of Citizen’s Assistance.
Timing of the appointments are up to the City Manager but should be made within the next month. The Ad Hoc SAG will determine their meeting schedule. The role of the Ad Hoc SAG is to provide advice to RPCA and OHA on overall operation of the park.
2. What plans are being considered for Fort Ward Park as part of the City's Civil War Sesquicentennial Celebration? When will the City's leadership group meet next? How does this group relate to the Ad-Hoc Commission?
The Historic Alexandria Resources Commission (HARC) has set Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 9:00 am for the new date for the Civil War Sesquicentennial community planning meeting that was postponed from August 29. Although HARC is considering a number of reenactment events, exhibits, and public programs throughout the City associated with the 150th commemoration of the Civil War, no decisions have yet been made concerning new activities at Fort Ward Park and Museum during the 2011-2015 Sesquicentennial timeframe. HARC is the lead commission on the Sesquicentennial commemoration, and has recommended three members to the Ad Hoc SAG to the City Manager.
What is the status of the Fort Ward Park History Work Group? When is this group likely to meet? How does this group relate to the Ad-Hoc Commission?
The Fort Ward Park History Work Group will have its first meeting on Saturday, October 17 at 11:00 am at Fort Ward Park. At that time we will be reviewing the work plan for historic research and archaeological surveys proposed for Fort Ward over the next few years. We will also be sharing information documented by OHA over the past summer that has increased our understanding of the African American community that developed around the Civil War fortification after about 1870. It is our intent that information developed by the History Work Group will be shared with the Ad Hoc SAG on an ongoing basis to further assist understanding of the park’s historic and cultural resources, and to identify areas of sensitivity.
What is the schedule for the City's archaeology research in the park this year?
The Office of Historic Alexandria has prepared a draft scope of work for necessary historic research and archaeological surveys at Fort Ward Park, and will shortly request funding of $50,000 from funds already set aside by City Council in contingent reserve for this work. If approved, we expect that, while the research phase could begin this year, actual survey work would not take place until Spring 2010. However, we are currently exploring the use of radar technology to assist the effort to identify burial sites within the park, and intent a test of this technology this Fall to identify a “signature” of known and potential burial locations. If a potential burial site signature can be identified as similar to a known gravesite, that potential burial site would then be “ground truthed” by archaeologists to confirm the existence of a grave.
5. I understand that the Alexandria Parks, Recreation & Cultural Activities Department is scheduled for a National Park and Recreation Association accreditation review this fall. What opportunities are there for community input into this review?
The accreditation review was conducted in June of this year by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies. RPCA received a favorable recommendation to receive an additional five year accreditation from CAPRA. There is not a process for citizen input by CAPRA as it is not a part of the review. A review focuses on meeting the standards set by CAPRA through documentation.
______________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 21, 2009
TO: GLENN EUGSTER
FROM: LANCE MALLAMO, DIRECTOR
OFFICE OF HISTORIC ALEXANDRIA
JAMES SPENGLER, DIRECTOR
DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION, PARKS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
SUBJECT: FORT WARD PARK
The responses to your email questions of September 15, 2009 are detailed below.
1. What is the status of the appointments to the City's Ad-Hoc Commission for Fort Ward Park? When is the group likely to be appointed? When is it likely to meet?
The Ad Hoc Fort Ward Park and Museum Area Stakeholder Advisory Group (Ad Hoc SAG) will be appointed by the City Manager for a duration of one year. The Parks Commission has recommended three people, Historic Alexandria Resources Commission three people, and the Environmental Policy Commission one member. All these recommendations are with the City Manager. Positions for the two at-large members, and one member living within a one-mile radius of the park, are currently being advertised through the Office of Citizen’s Assistance.
Timing of the appointments are up to the City Manager but should be made within the next month. The Ad Hoc SAG will determine their meeting schedule. The role of the Ad Hoc SAG is to provide advice to RPCA and OHA on overall operation of the park.
2. What plans are being considered for Fort Ward Park as part of the City's Civil War Sesquicentennial Celebration? When will the City's leadership group meet next? How does this group relate to the Ad-Hoc Commission?
The Historic Alexandria Resources Commission (HARC) has set Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 9:00 am for the new date for the Civil War Sesquicentennial community planning meeting that was postponed from August 29. Although HARC is considering a number of reenactment events, exhibits, and public programs throughout the City associated with the 150th commemoration of the Civil War, no decisions have yet been made concerning new activities at Fort Ward Park and Museum during the 2011-2015 Sesquicentennial timeframe. HARC is the lead commission on the Sesquicentennial commemoration, and has recommended three members to the Ad Hoc SAG to the City Manager.
What is the status of the Fort Ward Park History Work Group? When is this group likely to meet? How does this group relate to the Ad-Hoc Commission?
The Fort Ward Park History Work Group will have its first meeting on Saturday, October 17 at 11:00 am at Fort Ward Park. At that time we will be reviewing the work plan for historic research and archaeological surveys proposed for Fort Ward over the next few years. We will also be sharing information documented by OHA over the past summer that has increased our understanding of the African American community that developed around the Civil War fortification after about 1870. It is our intent that information developed by the History Work Group will be shared with the Ad Hoc SAG on an ongoing basis to further assist understanding of the park’s historic and cultural resources, and to identify areas of sensitivity.
What is the schedule for the City's archaeology research in the park this year?
The Office of Historic Alexandria has prepared a draft scope of work for necessary historic research and archaeological surveys at Fort Ward Park, and will shortly request funding of $50,000 from funds already set aside by City Council in contingent reserve for this work. If approved, we expect that, while the research phase could begin this year, actual survey work would not take place until Spring 2010. However, we are currently exploring the use of radar technology to assist the effort to identify burial sites within the park, and intent a test of this technology this Fall to identify a “signature” of known and potential burial locations. If a potential burial site signature can be identified as similar to a known gravesite, that potential burial site would then be “ground truthed” by archaeologists to confirm the existence of a grave.
5. I understand that the Alexandria Parks, Recreation & Cultural Activities Department is scheduled for a National Park and Recreation Association accreditation review this fall. What opportunities are there for community input into this review?
The accreditation review was conducted in June of this year by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies. RPCA received a favorable recommendation to receive an additional five year accreditation from CAPRA. There is not a process for citizen input by CAPRA as it is not a part of the review. A review focuses on meeting the standards set by CAPRA through documentation.
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