After nearly five months work, the Jones Point Park Work Group presented their report to City Council Tuesday night. It triggered a request from the council to include additional alternatives prior to a public hearing set for June 27.
"Since the Work Group did not reach a consensus on park design, they have forwarded to council two alternatives which reflect the preferences of five of the eight Work Group members," City Manager James K. Hartmann said in his cover memorandum.
Those two alternatives were plans for Scheme A, which calls for two athletic fields north of the newly completed Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and Scheme E which calls for no athletic fields within Jones Point Park. The former was the basic plan prior to September 11, 2001 and the latter is that originally proposed by the Old Town and Yates Gardens civic associations.
The staff "recommends that Council adopt Scheme A ... with up to 110 parking spaces potentially provided in three areas near the community gardens, within the park and parking south of the area near Hunting Towers if feasible," Hartmann wrote.
As he noted, security concerns related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks "mandated a change in the parking in the 65 percent Jones Point Park Concept plan approved by Council in 2000." That plan called for a total of 240 parking places under the new dual spans giving easy access by park users to both the river as well as active and passive park venues.
"As a result of these discussion (pertaining to new parking arrangements), other issues, including the location, size and number of the planned athletic fields and the location and amount of parking needed within the park, have been raised by the public," Hartmann said.
FIVE DESIGN SCHEMES were presented to the Work Group over the course of their deliberations. Each, except for Scheme E, identified either one or two athletic field(s) within the park either north or south of the new bridge with various parking arrangements. The overall parking, regardless of location, was reduced to 110 spaces.
"Based on the need for current and additional multi-use fields within the city, the ability to preserve the park's historic resources, the desire to provide passive and natural areas in the park and also recognizing Jones Point Park as both a passive and active city-wide regional park, staff (Parks and Recreation) is supporting Scheme A as the recommended option," Hartmann stated in his memorandum accompanying the report.
This recommendation raised a series of questions by several Council members, including Mayor William Euille, Vice Mayor Redella "Del" Pepper, and councilmen Andrew Macdonald and Paul Smedberg. Central to those comments was that council should be given all proposed schemes as well as more information on the parking problem.
"The mayor and I met with Mike Hobbs, president of Old Town Civic Association; Yevonne Weight, a member of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Neighborhood Task Force; Teresa Miller from the Work Group and others about a week ago to discuss the possibility of a compromise on both the athletic field and parking situations," said Pepper.
"It was the sense of council Tuesday night that the scheme for one field south of the bridge should be brought forward as well. Then just let's talk it out," Euille said.
A CONCERN EXPRESSED by the Historic Alexandria Resource Commission representative during Work Group deliberations was that placing an athletic field south of the bridge could adversely impact some historic sites in that area of the park. This was shared at the time by Jean Federico, director, Office of Historic Alexandria, one of three Work Group chairs.
"I talked with Jean to see if it was feasible to put an athletic field south of the bridge without adversely impacting those areas. She felt a youth size field could be accommodated in that area," Pepper said.
"The point we (Council) all raised was the idea that having one soccer field south of the bridge should definitely be given more consideration," said Macdonald.
"One of the more important aspects of Jones Point Park is access to the river for all those who want to enjoy it and use their boats and kayaks. This is of higher importance than soccer fields," Macdonald said.
Macdonald and others also raised the question of "just what is driving the debate — parking or park uses?" He noted, "We still don't have a clear view on future access to the park. I would like to have a better view of what the National Park Service really wants," Macdonald said.
All these matters are to be debated at the June 27 public hearing in Council Chamber beginning at 7 p.m. Council is expected to vote June 28 on which scheme or schemes they will recommend to the National Park Service.