Monday, August 1, 2011

Reply to Comments from Marlboro Estate residents on Fort Ward Park use and management by Judy Noritake. January 11, 2009.

From: "Judy Noritake"
To: "glenn eugster" , "rich" , "Dave Dexter" , "kajv"
Cc: "Dennis and Lynn Carroll" , "Thad & Susie Dilley" , "Tom and Jeanne fulton-oleary" , "Kirk Kincannon" , "Kling and Sullivan, John and Elizabeth" , "Pat Lidy" , "Elizabeth Jones" , "Allen & Nancy Jennings" , "Margaret McCormack" , "Jeanne O'Leary" , "Debbie Weatherly"

Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 8:58:14 PM
Subject: RE: Comments from Marlboro Estate residents on Fort Ward Park use and management


Glenn and neighbors:
Thanks for the note. I will ask Kirk’s assistant to get you a hard copy of the minutes from the September meeting as soon as possible and also to make sure that you have been added to the list of folks who get copies of all the material (I believe) that is sent to the Commission. Most of it is electronic and much of it, if not all, is posted on the City web site.

Please know that I sent the link for the video clip of the testimony you have referenced out to the Commission members several weeks ago and asked them all to take a look at it before our next meeting. Our agenda for the 15th does indeed have an update from the Director on what steps he is recommending to address the neighborhood concerns, to meet with the neighborhood and/or civic association(s) as well as gather input from the larger community on the assets and future use of the park. I suspect his recommendations will suggest a number of steps occurring over some period of time.

I think it is fair to say that the manner in which this park has been used in the past needs to change – on that we can all agree. The department, long with advice from the Commission, is trying to figure out how best to chart the course for that and your input is valuable. The Commission will be interested to hear what your discussions with Councilman Krupicka and the director have produced and I assume that will part of Kirk’s report. I am sorry that you will not be able to attend our meeting this week, but I suspect that Ft. Ward will appear regularly in our updates for some period of time and there will be future opportunity for discussion and a hearing(s). I will also forward this message on to the full Commission.

With kind regard,

Judy Noritake
Chair

From: glenn_eugster@comcast.net [mailto:glenn_eugster@comcast.net]
Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 5:27 PM
To: Judy Noritake; rich; Dexter, Dave; kajv
Cc: Carroll, Dennis and Lynn; Dilley, Thad & Susie; fulton-oleary, Tom and Jeanne; Kincannon, Kirk; Kling and Sullivan, John and Elizabeth; Lidy, Pat; Jones, Elizabeth; Jennings, Allen & Nancy; McCormack, Margaret; O'Leary, Jeanne; Weatherly, Debbie

Subject: Comments from Marlboro Estate residents on Fort Ward Park use and management

Dear Judy, Kaj, Dave and Rich,

I hope the holidays treated you well and this note finds you enjoying the new year.

Recently I spoke with Kirk Kincannon and Councilman Krupicka. Both mentioned that the City was hoping to get recommendations from the Parks & Recreation Commission regarding the issues and concerns that area residents have expressed about the use and management of Fort Ward Park. Our residents continue to have an interest in discussing our concerns with your Commission and we hope that you will accept our earlier request, made in 2008, to discuss these issues with us at one of your meetings.

In the event that you plan to discuss the use and management of Fort Ward Park at your next meeting on January 15, 2009. We would like to be sure that you and all of the members of the Parks & Recreation Commission have had a chance to read and listen to the comments that four of us made, on behalf of the residents that live near Fort Ward Park, to the Alexandria City Council at their December 13, 2008 meeting. If you have not seen the video tape of those comments, some of which were submitted in writing, please go the City's website and open the results of the Council Meeting for that date.

The comments include remarks by Nancy Jones, Thad Diley, Tom Fulton and I. They include insights about the problems, the history of the park area, and recommendations that we would like the City to adopt. I hope you will find this information helpful as you consider your suggestions to the Parks Department and City Council.

Unfortunately key members of our leadership group will be unable to attend your meeting on January 15, 2009 due to a conflict with the Seminary Hill Association Board Meeting which also meets at that time. if it is possible for our leadership group to meet with your commission on another date we would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about how we can work together to protect and use Fort Ward Park in a compatible way with the neighborhoods that surround it.

As the City and the stewards of Fort Ward Park make plans for the areas sesquicentennial we hope that some face-to-face dialogue and cooperation will resolve some of these outstanding problems and make the area and the support the best it can be for this local, regional, Commonwealth and national celebration.
Also, earlier I asked for copies of the minutes from your September 2008 Commission Meeting. Could you please provide me with that information?

Thank you.

Glenn Eugster
4022 Ellicott Street
Alexandria, VA.

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