Fort Ward Observer: The Long Talk at Fort Ward--Between a Rock and Hard-Gravel

Fort Ward Observer:  The Long Talk at Fort Ward--Between a Rock and Hard-Gravel

By J. Glenn Eugster

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the City’s Departments of Recreation and Transportation & Environmental Services took a number of actions in Fort Ward Park.  Unlike earlier park development decisions these actions did not go through the city’s permit review and approval process.  One action that was taken was to place fill on the land now known as the maintenance yard and nursery area.  Over time gravel would be added to a major portion of this area so that it could be used to store heavy equipment, debris, solid waste.  Several structure were built, without permits or public notice on this land.

The impact of this well-intentioned but illegal activity was modification of existing drainage and compaction of the soils.  Fill, drainage modification and soil compaction did two things.  First, the fill covered existing, known, graves.  Second, fill, drainage modification and compaction caused increased water runoff into the park, adjacent residences and the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery. 

As part of the long talk that has been going on at Fort Ward about the use and protection of the park, many have spoken to fill, drainage, compaction and water runoff in this portion of the park.  In response to public concerns City Council, working with the City Manager and the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, provided funds to look at short and long-term solutions to water runoff problems.  Funds were also provided by Council, working with the Office of Historic Alexandria, to research and identify graves in the park overall, especially within the maintenance yard and nursery area.

During the meetings of the Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group, as well as other related group gatherings, many city and citizen leaders have spoken to removal of the gravel in order to manage water runoff from parklands and find the graves of those who lived and are buried within the park.  For example:

Deputy-Director Roger Blakeley agreed to “re-grade the maintenance yard to change the flow of water from the site away from residential properties”.

February 26, 2008.  Meeting with Roger Blakeley, Steve Tompkins, John Walsh, Dennis Carroll, Tom Fulton, Jeanne O’Leary, Elizabeth Sullivan and Glenn Eugster.

Local historian Dave Cavanaugh proposed to, “Relocate the maintenance yard and restore the land to its natural grade”.

March 16, 2009. Draft resolution to the City of Alexandria, VA. 

1. Lance Mallamo, Director of the Office of HIstoric Alexandria 

said, “We will remove gravel and replant vegetation in the maintenance yard. The area needs to be restored ecologically”.  

James Spengler, Director of the City’s Recreation Department at the same meeting said, “We have to have the gravel taken up. We are taking land that has been disturbed and returning it to a natural state”. 

May 13, 2010 Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group Meeting.

Rich Baier, Director of the Alexandria Department of Transportation and Environmental Services said, “There is no [water] collection system in the park.  The maintenance area is impervious and that [material] needs to be removed. It needs to be restored to a vegative state”.

“The collection system has been filled in many places.  The collection system needs to be restored.  The maintenance yard is impervious--so are the residential properties”.

May 25, 2010.  Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group Meeting

J. Lance Mallamo said, “There will be gravel removal in the maintenance yard”.

July 27, 2010.  Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group Meeting

Contradicting his earlier statement, Lance Mallamo said, “We won’t do gravel removal in the maintenance yard.  It was determined from Ground Penetrating Radar that there wasn’t anything under the gravel.  There is no money for monitoring the gravel removal”.

Laura Durham, Open Space Planner for the Recreation Department, contradicted her supervisor James Spengler and said, “We are not funded to do gravel removal.  We are looking at putting soil on top of the gravel”.

Lance Mallamo went further to say, “We won’t be removing gravel in the maintenance yard during this first phase.  There is a large gravel area, nearly 8,000 square feet, which is likely to be a couple of feet deep”.  

August 24, 2010.  Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group Meeting.

City Archaeologist Dr. Pamela Cressey said, “We aren’t saying there is nothing here, anywhere.  We don’t know how deep the aggregate is.  This is the first test in this area.  This is not a completion of knowing everything about the maintenance yard”. 

September 28,2010.  Fort Ward Park Archaeology Meeting with Dr. Pam Cressey and Fran Bromberg.

Pam Cressey said, “The horizon A layer across most of the maintenance yard cut out and new fill put in”. 

January 8, 2011. Fort Ward History Work Group

Tom Bodor, a consulting archaeologist to the City of Alexandria from the Ottery Group, said, “The maintenance yard was an issue(for archaeological research) because of disturbance”.

Tom Fulton, then Chair of the Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group said, “The conditions in the maintenance yard made use of the Ground Pentrating Radar difficult to pick them (the graves) up”.

February 5, 2011. Fort Ward History Work Group 

Geoffrey Lyon, a Marlboro Estates resident wrote, “I would focus first on funding to raze the remaining sheds and fences and buildings at the Maintenance Lot.

Thereafter, I would focus on funding to grade the Maintenance Lot Site and re-grade the filled-in drainage swale adjacent to the Maintenance Lot and adjacent to the Park Boundaries.

Such steps would merely restore the Park to its Original State - hence no need for Expensive Studies.  Additionally, the budget expenses for these projects are modest - they can even be done by current Alexandria Park Staff rather than being contracted out.  You might even get the Sheriff to spring some Prisoner's to assist......and then get credit toward clemency/parole.  You could also enlist Citizen Volunteers to assist in the Project...”.

February 25, 2011. Letter to Fort Ward Observer. 

Rich Baier said, “We want to look around the maintenance yard in the spring.  We don’t want a compacted area”. 

December 14, 2011. Fort Ward Advisory Group Meeting.

As the City of Alexandria’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group, and the consultants serving them complete the draft Fort Ward Park and Museum Management Plan, which is to include a Drainage Plan, city and citizen leaders will decide what actions should be taken in the park maintenance yard and nursery area.  Removing the gravel will help solve water runoff problems as well as allow the search for remaining graves to be completed.