Belmont Among Historic Sites Added to the Virginia Landmarks Register
Posted: Dec 19, 2017 10:20 AM EST
Updated: Dec 19, 2017 10:29 AM EST
Edited by John Early
12/19/2017 Release from the Department of Historic Resources:
Friday, December 22, 2017
Eleven Historic Sites Added To The Virginia Landmarks Register – AlexandriaNews
Eleven Historic Sites Added To The Virginia Landmarks Register – AlexandriaNews
http://www.alexandrianews.org/2017/12/eleven-historic-sites-added-to-the-virginia-landmarks-register/
Tree Removal Continues at Fort Ward
Tree Removal Continues at Fort Ward
December 22, 2017. Alexandria, VA. Contractors who work for the City of Alexandria continued to cut-down large healthy deciduous trees within and adjacent to Fort Ward Park. The trees which were removed pre-date the creation of the historic park and may have been some of the oldest in this area of Alexandria. Yesterday Mayor Silberberg's office was contacted about this work, which seems counter to the efforts of the Mayor and City Council's recent proposal to protect existing tree cover and plant new trees. At this time the Mayor's office has not responded to yesterday's letter.
Fort Ward Observer
J. Glenn Eugster
December 22, 2017. Alexandria, VA. Contractors who work for the City of Alexandria continued to cut-down large healthy deciduous trees within and adjacent to Fort Ward Park. The trees which were removed pre-date the creation of the historic park and may have been some of the oldest in this area of Alexandria. Yesterday Mayor Silberberg's office was contacted about this work, which seems counter to the efforts of the Mayor and City Council's recent proposal to protect existing tree cover and plant new trees. At this time the Mayor's office has not responded to yesterday's letter.
Fort Ward Observer
J. Glenn Eugster
City Actions Contradicts Council Tree Cover Policy/ Amendment.
December 21, 2017
Dear Mayor Silberberg,
I hope this note finds you well.
Attached is a brief note I put out moments ago about tree removal in Fort Ward. Several moments ago trees were removed in questionable locations and I directed questions to various managers in the appropriate departments. Unfortunately your city safe either didn't know the answers or ignored my communications. This tree removal began again and a number of trees are targeted for removal.
What is going on here at the historic park seems to be at odds what you and Council are trying to do with the tree cover policy/ amendment.
My Fort Ward Observer Facebook page has many more photos and I would be happy to answer any questions or have a conversation with your staff. The old trees in Fort Ward and the City of Alexandria have a historic value and people hold them near and dear to their hearts as I'm sure you do. Anything you can do to help the public make sense out of actions in the park will be most appreciated.
Here's hoping your holidays have been and will be joyous and safe.
All my best,
Glenn
J. Glenn Eugster
4022 Ellicott Street
Alexandria, VA. 22304
City Removes Trees & Targets More Cutting in Fort Ward Park.
Recently the Alexandria Mayor and City Council have been preparing a new policy which they hope will retain and encourage trees within the city. The proposal places a premium on protecting and growing "tree cover" on properties to achieve a variety of ecological, cultural and economic goals. While the policy articulates requirements for private lands including cemeteries owned by churches it seems to overlook the importance of
retaining trees on city-owned lands.
retaining trees on city-owned lands.
This week a contractor for the City of Alexandria was busy cutting trees within Fort Ward HIstoric Park, as well as on adjacent private properties. In addition, city leaders have marked other trees throughout the park for removal with a "red paint mark".
Tree-pruning and selective tree removal makes sense and is consistent with the Fort Ward Parks Management Plan. However, some of the trees that have been removed, or are proposed for removal, are historic in terms of their age and as cultural landscape elements.
The management of Fort Ward almost always requires an interdisciplinary approach between two, or more, of the city departments with responsibility for the historic park. If one of the multiple departments active at the historic park take action without the meaningful engagement and cooperation of the others mistakes will be made which will damage the park and undercut the Mayor and City Council's efforts to protect and sustain Alexandria's tree cover.
Fort Ward Observer
J. Glenn Eugster
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Fort Ward Observer: October 3, 2017
Fort Ward Observer: October 3, 2017
J. Glenn Eugster
J. Glenn Eugster
A walk through the park this morning reminded me of how beautiful Fort Ward Park is. The challenges of managing the area are many and signs of city service are evident, welcome and appreciated.
TREES--Many trees are marked with red-X's as the city marks dead and dying trees for removal. Tree loss continues to outpace tree-planting. Unfortunately one of the historic Apple trees associated with the Fort Ward community has been targeted for removal. Historic trees seem to fall in between OHA and the Recreation Department. Earlier efforts to get OHA to look at certain trees as "witness trees" only got me a referral to the Recreation Department who "doesn't do history".
TENNIS--The tennis courts adjacent to St. Stephens-St. Agnes School are being redone once again. I heard about the plans for the tennis courts and soccer fields through the grapevine and found a public notice lying on the wall where the courts are being redone. It seems as if this is the third time the tennis courts are being redone in the last ten years.
DUMPING IN THE PARK: The ravine between the west-end of the tennis courts and the water tank seems to be used more and more for illegal dumping. Garbage bags have been thrown into the drainage swale where soil and landscape debris have been piled. The area is used by homeless people as well as students for drinking, shelter and other activities and liquor bottles and cans are littered throughout the area. Given all the attention that there has been on storm water and drainage in the park and the city it is baffling to see another drainage swale filled with illegally with debris.
MAINTENANCE SHED: City workers and locksmiths visited the unoccupied and non-permitted shed in the park maintenance yard. The building has been empty since the first battle of Fort Ward and is occasionally used by homeless people and others for shelter and bodily functions. Evidently the building is now locked securely.
UNPROTECTED GRAVE AREAS: The locksmith drove his truck over one of the marked graves in the park. The grave markers for the graves that were re-discovered on city parkland are hard to see and frankly a token gesture at best. A city employee has placed a stake on the grave that is being driven over and spray painted a circle around the burial area. Many descendants recall Lance Mallamo's, the OHA director, pledge to stake-off the graves so that city workers, the public and contractors would respect these sacred areas. There still needs to be someone in Fort Ward effort who will speak for the dead.
FORT WARD INTERPRETIVE PLAN: The good news is that an interpretive plan for the park is underway. A consultant is leading the effort which seems to be guided by mostly city-employees. It is unclear whether the lack of public interest in helping the city tell the stories at Fort Ward is because of a lack of interest or the way that the consultant's work is being managed. For my window on Fort Ward it seems as if OHA is working with a small circle of friends with formal expertise. After all that has gone on at Fort Ward over the last decade it seems as if the city leaders would want to engage the descendant families and adjacent homeowners who know the park's history very well. We always do our best work when we work together.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Integration Continues to Baffle Fort Ward Park.
This morning at Fort Ward Park a grounds maintenance company, working for the Oakland Baptist Church, continued to removed leaves from the grave yard which is surrounded on three-sides by the city park. Unfortunately the private contractor parked their vehicle on the publicly-owned "Old Grave Yard" while they carried and blew the leaves they removed from the cemetery into the nearby stream channel.
Fort Ward Park has long been a challenge for City of Alexandria officials because it is a National Historic Register Site and a popular destination for dog-walkers, picnickers, walkers and nature lovers. It is also where numerous family graves are located within the public park and the private cemetery. Fort Ward also helps the city managers and private property owners in their continuing efforts to manage water runoff. City officials have spent great amounts of money to find graves, manage recreation use, protect nature, control water runoff and be a good neighbor to those who live adjacent to the park.
City officials have an interior-focused coordination committee, a friends group and a citizen-based monitoring committee to integrate the diverse values, uses and functions of the park. Unfortunately on a day when many city managers aren't at work, and those that are seem only focused on their tasks-at-hand, good park management at Fort Ward seems to be back-sliding once again.
Driving trucks on graves and dumping into stream channels have repeatedly been problems that public and private leaders have worked on. Today is a reminder that their work is far from done.
J. Glenn Eugster
Fort Ward Observer
April 10, 2017
Fort Ward Observer
April 10, 2017
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Fort Ward's Waiting for Spring Cleanup
Fort Ward's Waiting for Spring Cleanup
41 PhotosUpdated 2 days ago
As the weather warms and park visitation increases Fort Ward Park seems to be waiting for a Spring cleanup. Basic park maintenance seems to have suffered from neglect this fall and winter as restrooms are not available, signs are in disrepair, fences have fallen, debris has been dumped randomly, graves neglected, and fallen trees left where they dropped. Areas identified as "open space" or "natural areas" have quickly become places for leaves, concrete, trees, old toy cannons, surplus wood, and the like. Surprisingly the ravines used to manage storm water are clogged and the foundation for footbridge between the "sacred-side of the park and the children's playground continues to crumble. Fort Ward Park is the oldest and largest city managed park in Alexandria and seems worthy of better park management in 2017. Hope springs eternal!Thursday, February 9, 2017
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