Summary Notes from the April 27, 2014 Meeting between CIty of Alexandria, VA. Councilman John Chapman and leaders of the Fort Ward and Seminary community.
Meeting Purpose: To discuss the reluctance of city officials to address concerns about family graves and storm water damage at Fort Ward Park and the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery.
Meeting Attendees: Leaders from the Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society, Inc., the Seminary Civic Association and the Oakland Baptist Church, including:
Adrienne Terrell Washington
Frances Colbert Terrell
Michael Casey
Denise Suarez Casey (Is this correct?)
Brenda Adams
J. Glenn Eugster
Meeting Location: 4022 Ellicott Street, Alexandria, VA. 22304.
Agenda:
- Welcome and Brief Introductions
- Background, including Problems and Concerns
- Adreinne Terrell Washington, President of the Fort Ward and Seminary African American Descendants Society, Inc. welcomed and thanked Councilman Chapman for taking time to discuss Fort Ward. After each attendee introduced themselves, Adrienne started the discussion by indicating that she and others continue to be asked the same questions about what their priorities are for Fort Ward. Ms. Washington indicated that for six-years she and others have answered the questions with the same answers.
- Stormwater Runoff: Participants noted that there is continuing damage to the
Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery and other descendant family graves within the park, including grave stones and vaults resulting from illegal land use changes to the park’s maintenance yard.
- Locating and protecting graves within Fort Ward Park. Participants noted that
there has been a failure by the city, and their consultants, to conduct historic,
cultural and archaeological research that would lead to the location of known African American graves within Fort Ward Park. Adrienne said that the group wanted the city to find the other graves in the park. She believes that the proposed archaeological investigation requirement for future park uses and development must be codified/ set in regulation to insure that the city will actually protect these areas. She noted that past decisions made by city leaders have eroded trust within the community.
Ms. Washington also noted that current proposals call for an African American zone in a portion of the park which discounts the fact that the Fort Ward African American community lived throughout what is now the park. Many, if not most, families had family grave areas and the city has been reluctant to search for graves outside of the three know burial areas.
- Failure to include, work with and, or, notify, church officials, community
leaders and descendant family members in: a) research on the African American families that lived within the community that is now Fort Ward Park; b) solutions to short-term and long-term stormwater management improvements and historic, cultural and archaeological research.
The group members shared concerns about the Office of Historic Alexandria’s reluctance to work with descendant family members to collect oral history information about where additional graves are. The report prepared by Dr. Moon without community input or notification was noted. Ms. Washington made specific note of how the actual history of the community was not included in the more than 800 pages of the document. Group members noted that the historical and cultural data was collected for academic and archival purposes rather than to help identify burial areas or make other park management decisions.
In addition, the group noted that the city was unwilling to seek information from current and former Alexandria employees about the location of graves, and the removal and disposal of headstones and burial markers. The lack of this type of oral history information has further impeded research.
Glenn Eugster noted that he interviewed past and current city employees who shared information about the location of additional graves, covering burial sites, and removing grave stones and markers. He asked Mr. Spengler, Mr. Mallamo and other City officials for information and they indicated they had “no recollection” or correspondence.
Michael Casey expressed interest in the alternatives being considered to manage water runoff going into the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery. The group discussed the city’s proposal to build a berm made from soil and rock in the park maintenance yard, adjacent to the cemetery boundary. Brenda Adams and Mr. Casey were concerned that archaeological research within the yard has not been completed. Others noted that fill that was deposited upslope from the cemetery needed to be removed to find additional graves and reduce sheet-flow water runoff.
Ms. Adams noted that the city can’t move forward with anything until they have identified all of the graves. She noted that the city’s documents are often prepared in a way to protect the city’s interests.
Councilman Chapman expressed interest in making sure the search for graves and the stormwater work are done in tandem.
Ms. Washington noted that the city has a stove-pipe approach of working together and despite the recommendations of the first report done by the Fort Ward Advisory Group the three departments/ offices now working on Fort Ward--Recreation, HIstoric, and Transportation and Environment, seem to be working on their portions of the plan independently. She also noted that the Management Plan for Fort Ward, which is separate from the Drainage Plan and History Report--as well as the City Forestry Plan, is designed as an “ala carte menu” with numerous alternatives rather than management priorities.
- Alternatives for City Action to Resolve Problems and Address Concerns
The discussion shifted to what needs to be done. Frances Colbert Terrell noted that the Fort Ward Park and Museum Management Plan is likely to go to CIty Council either in June or September 2014. Councilman Chapman noted that no funds have been included in the City of Alexandria budget recently completed by City Council. He felt that if the Council received the plan in September then funding could be considered for the next budget.
Brenda Adams noted that she understood that there is now a budget surplus and urged that some of those funds be used to find the remaining graves.
Ms. Terrell noted that the city should not go forward with any new uses of the park until the identification of graves has been completed.
- Next Steps and Adjourn
Michael Casey suggested that the group start with “political heat” to resolve these problems now. He noted that Minnie Howard School, where the next Fort Ward Meeting will be held, as the first school in Alexandria to be integrated.
Group members noted that two important Fort Ward meetings are scheduled for May. The city and their consultants will present the Fort Ward Park Drainage Master Plan on May 7, 2014 at 7:00 pm. The meeting is an opportunity for public input. It will be held at Minnie Howard School.
The Fort Ward Park and Museum Advisory Group will meet again on May 14, 2014.
Councilman Chapman suggested that he and the group talk again after the May 7, 2014 meeting which he hopes to attend.
jge 4-29-2014 Draft
No comments:
Post a Comment