Fort Ward Park & Museum Advisory Group Chair Resigns. March 14, 2013

March 14, 2013

Tom Fulton, Chair of the City-established Fort Ward Historic Park &and Museum Advisory
Group,  submitted his letter of resignation to City of Alexandria, Virginia Mayor Bill Eullie.
Mr. Fulton, a long-time historian,  political activist and park user, has been the chair of the
group since the City Manager established the advisory body in June 2009 in response to
community concerns, illegal park uses and development proposals.   During his time with
the group he conducted research on the park, participated in the Fort Ward History Work
Group, and wrote major sections of the "Recommendations for the Management of Fort
Ward Historical Park" which was completed in January 2011.

As city leaders continue to struggle with storm water runoff, locating family graves and
internal visions for the park, the advisory group has been working to develop a
management plan for the park as a way to protect graves, manage storm water runoff,
recreation use, visitor experience and historic and cultural resources.   Inserted below,
and attached, is Mr. Fulton's letter to the Mayor.  The remaining members of the advisory
group will elect a new chairman.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

March 14, 2013

Mayor William D. Euille

Room 2300 City Hall

301 King Street

Alexandria, VA   22314

Dear Mayor Euille:

It is with a great deal of thoughtful consideration and deep regret that I have 
decided to resign from the Ad Hoc Fort Ward Park and Museum Area Stakeholder 
Advisory Group effective March 31, 2013.

I believe you are to be commended for your continued support of citizen 
involvement in the affairs of the city.  As residents of Alexandria, we are all 
strengthened by continuing to have citizens involved in all aspects of city life.  
I believe these Boards and Commissions are vital to the health of our city and 
to the promise of Democracy in general.  Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Sincerely,

Tom Fulton

4020 Ellicott Street

Alexandria, VA 22304-1012

cc:

Laura Durham

Francine Bromberg

Jackie Henderson   

Fort Ward Park & Museum Advisory Group Needs Vacancies Filled. April 8, 2013

Fort Ward Park & Museum Advisory Group Needs Vacancies Filled

April 8, 2013

The advisory group that the Alexandria City Manager created nearly three-years ago continues it's work to implement the recommendations that were made in January 2011. The grou

p members, which are intended to represent various "stakeholder" and community interests, appears to be struggling to sustain their work. Recent meetings have been cancelled, or held without public notice, and nearly one-third of the positions on the advisory group are vacant. Interestingly three-key community positions( Seminary Hill Association, Inc. Citizen-at-large, and Citizen living within 1-mile) are vacant. Two of these positions have been vacant for more than a year. 

Decades ago community interests rallied against proposals for high density development to save this area and create a historic park. As the Recreation Department and the Office of Historic Alexandria assist the group, and a consultant hired by the Recreation Department, to prepare a management plan the need for citizen involvement in this effort is as important as it ever was. Long-standing problems at the park, including lost graves, storm water, illegal development, backlog maintenance, and over use, will never be solved to everyone's satisfaction unless community leaders are at the table and have input into decision-making.

It's time for the City Manager to fill the Advisory Group's vacancies and create some urgency to get the management plan don.

1

Runoff Continues to Baffle Recreation Department at Fort Ward. April 4, 2013

Runoff Continues to Baffle Recreation Department at Fort Ward
Fort Ward Observer April 4, 2013

Part of the time and money being spent at Fort Ward Historic Park is intended to go to solving water runoff problems inside and outside the park. The Advisory Group that the City created to help park managers recommended that the three primary departments who manage Fort Ward work closer together to integrate their actions. Although some progress has been achieved in tackling other problems, the solutions to managing runoff continue to baffle park managers.

As recently as last month the grassed slopes of Fort Ward continued to send storm water downhill toward the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery, already eroding stream channels and playgrounds, and adjacent residential homes.

Over two years ago the Director of the Recreation Department James Spengler, in cooperation with the Advisory Group, made changes to the way grassed areas were being maintained in hopes of slowing down water runoff. In a note to an adjacent neighbor Mr. Spengler wrote,

“The mowing policy in the park was changed this spring prior to the mowing season. The main complaints/concerns I considered were park erosion, flooding and other drainage problems (brought by park neighbors). In considering a solution or improvement to those issue the only non-structural approach is management of the natural area - the park grounds. It is a common practice when resolving these issue to "naturalize" areas. This is particularly important in drainage ways as found in Ft. Ward.  I made two presentations to the SAG [Advisory Group], a presentation to the Park Commission and made it a point of a presentation to City Council. The pros and cons of the approach were outlined to each body. I know that some people would not like the look, it would take several season for a meadow to emerge but drainage improvement would be immediate. All of these things have happened. In the end it is what the public wants to see happen to balance esthetics versus drainage problems. The meadows will be mowed three times a year with the next mowing by November 12. Volunteers are collecting seeds from the beneficial prairie plants in this park and other locations as part of our meadow planting program. We will also plant more native grasses each year. This does save money in mowing costs and less environmental pollution. Less negative environmental impact is a policy of the City through the Eco-City initiative”.
(From Jim Spengler, Director Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities September 28, 2010 to Jeff Lane)


Despite the well-intentioned efforts of the Recreation Department to slow down runoff, the grass has been left longer during the dry periods of the year and cut short during the wet periods. Unfortunately water runoff continues to flood and erode graves, further erode stream channels toppling trees and washing soil into storm sewers, and flood adjacent private properties. Further efforts to manage runoff at Fort Ward will require the park managers to work with city hydrologists, as well as consultants, to find ways to plan with nature.       

An assessment of water runoff within Marlboro Estates, Fort Ward Park and the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery

Attached is a copy of this assessment of water runoff within Marlboro Estates, Fort Ward Park and the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery last week.  It was prepared by the City of Alexandria's Dept. of Transportation and Environmental Services.  

City Leaders End the Search for Fort Ward Graves. August 31, 2012

City Leaders End the Search for Fort Ward Graves

Community leaders learned yesterday that the City of Alexandria isn't recommending any money in the proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budget to search for the remaining graves within Fort Ward Park. That news is surprising and most disappointing given the City's legal and moral responsibility to find all of the people that were buried in the park, not just the obvious ones. It appears that the Fort Ward Park & Museum Advisory Group, the Office of Historic Alexandria, City Manager, Mayor and Council have turned their heads away from those buried in the park and their descendants living within and nearby Alexandria. This decision, which is contrary to what leaders have said during the last six years of discussions, begs the question, why did the City Manager, Mayor and Council members decide to stop the search for graves? 

The City Council is planning to approve the budget in May.

Better Management Coming to Fort Ward in Alexandria

Better Management Coming to Fort Ward in Alexandria Patch.com Alexandria City Council authorized Tuesday the release of $110000 in contingent reserves to fund the completion of a management plan for Fort Ward Park and ...

Alexandria Group Seeks Funding for Fort Ward Graves. Washington Examiner.

Washington Examiner - Alexandria group seeks funding to find Fort ...

www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx?issue...

5 days ago – Alexandria group seeks funding to find Fort Ward's lost graves. By Taylor Holland Examiner Staff Writer tholland@washingtonexaminer.com ...