In a neighborhood where a large park is tucked away and enjoyed by the community, it only seems natural that the Fairfax County Park Authority would invite them to participate in redeveloping its master plan.
Fairfax Villa Park, at 4420 Belden St., was 12 acres when it was master-planned 30 years ago, said Scott Sizer, senior planner with the park authority. Now, the park has 58 acres of woodland with stream valley and natural surface trails, or footpaths.
“We really need to do a master plan to incorporate that land,” said Sizer.
The park authority is initiating the public planning part of the master planning process by inviting community members to an informational meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Oak View Elementary, 5004 Sideburn Road. The meeting will be the first time community members are able to provide formal input to officials about the park, said Judy Pedersen, park authority spokeswoman.
Fairfax County acquired the original piece of parkland in 1962. As the park’s size has gradually increased over the years, the 1977 master plan has stayed the same. The meeting will allow community members to voice their concerns, and also their ideas for future uses at the park. One thing that likely won’t be considered, said Sizer, is a ball field.
“Due to the natural and cultural resources at the park — steep slopes; problem soils — it doesn’t lend itself well to that type of development,” he said.
Another important feature at the park is its Native American history. Because of the park’s odd geography, the site became popular among Native Americans for creating utensils and things, said Sizer. Some Civil War encampments are also located in the northern part of the park, he said. Pedersen said interpretive signs, trails and an overall passive recreational use are what’s likely going to be incorporated into the master plan.
“The good news is the site is rich in cultural and natural resources, which could drive potential,” said Pedersen.
Pedersen said the two most popular park uses in Fairfax County are spending time on trails and enjoying nature centers, and this has the potential to incorporate both.
The footpaths that have formed are pretty significant, said Sizer. Park officials will look at the paths to determine which ones are appropriate and whether they should be formalized, he said. Officials will also look at the ecological importance of a stream on the eastern portion of the park.
The meeting is the first of several that the park authority will host for the community. Future meetings will continue to both update the community and serve as opportunities for community input and feedback. Once the draft master plan revision is finished, the park authority will conduct a public hearing, which park officials expect sometime this spring. Pedersen expects the park authority will receive plenty of feedback from the community.
“Any kind of change always concerning,” she said. “People are interested in what are we up to; we’ll hear from them.”