City Action and Engaging the Public
Recent correspondence about storm water and the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery by Rich Baier, Director of the City of Alexandria’s Department of Transportation & Environmental Services, indicate that decisions about Fort Ward Park are viewed as the purview of the city. However well intentioned, the tradition has been to make decisions in and around Fort Ward without public input, and in some cases without public permits. Although residents, community leaders, elected and government officials, and elected officials understand the importance of working with communities, many of the past actions have shown a disregard to the historical and cultural artifacts of the park, adjacent homeowners, and descendants of those who lived within, and nearby, the Fort and are buried there. Much is to be gained if the city will embrace a community-based approach to park planning and decision-making. Sometimes the roadmap for changing the way the local governments and residents work together needs to be revised.
As the Fort Ward Park & Museum Advisory Group members and city managers continue to walk toward the foot-hills of a serious discussion of current and future uses of Fort Ward Park community leaders hope that the group will not lose sight of the need for the City of Alexandria to be a good neighbor to its residents. The concerns and issues that have developed at Fort Ward Park are because the city leaders disrespected adjacent homeowners and residents whose families are buried in the park and the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery. Inside and outside the park people matter. Some of Alexandria’s government employees and various advisory commission members need to use the ongoing work at the park to become better neighbors as
they work to serve the public.
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