Photograph and layout of the potential Rhodeside Park site Photo Contributed
The Arlington County Board launched into its 2016-2017 year with one of the most contentious issues in the county: the selection of a location for Fire Station 10. While the permanent fire station is under construction as part of the West Rosslyn Area Plan, a temporary fire station will have to be located on a nearby parcel. At the Sept. 24 County Board meeting, the board voted unanimously to place the temporary Fire Station 10 on the recreation field for a nearby school.
As part of the building rights granted for two high-rise buildings at 1500 Wilson Boulevard, currently the home of Fire Station 10, developer Penzance agreed to build a new fire station. However, while the building is under construction, Penzance also agreed to construct a temporary fire station nearby. The Wilson School is scheduled to open as development begins at 1500 Wilson Boulevard and will contain the relocated H-B Woodlawn and Stratford schools. The temporary fire station will be located on the school’s recreation field, prompting outcry from parents and administrators at previous County Board meetings.
On July 16, the County Board directed County Manager James Schwartz to reconsider the temporary fire station location at the Wilson School site. County staff was asked to review whether the public might be better served with a location at Rhodeside Green Park or on a parcel of land near the Holiday Inn. However, in an attempt to quell one controversy, the County Board ignited another one.
The temporary fire station at Rhodeside Green Park would envelop the entire plot of land, a process that would include removing the 36 trees on the site. According to the staff report, the Rhodeside Green Park site would also require relocating water and sewer lines as well as putting a fire station within 30 feet of existing residential properties.
The potential construction on Rhodeside Green Park sparked public outrage. The majority of the speakers at the County Board meeting expressed disapproval of the idea and some carried banners in protest. A petiton at Change.org to “Save Rhodeside Green Park” gained more than 800 supporters.
The Fort Meyer Heights North Plan identifies Rhodeside as the sole existing green space in the neighborhood. John Edelman, a nearby resident, said that for decades the nearby citizens have worked to help transform Rhodeside from an empty field into an urban park.
“This is a Sophie’s Choice for this board,” said County Board Member Christian Dorsey. “This is something we’d rather not do. The nature of this decision is qualitative. How are we going to deal with the impact on students, both with their instructional program and their recreational program, but also their safety and security? How are we going to deal with the impact of, not a temporary, but a decades-long loss of tree canopy that can have cascading environmental effects? As I look at it, the judgment I’m coming around to is that for all of the impacts that would accrue for people who attend H.B. Woodlawn and Stratford, many of those can be reduced.”
Staff also reviewed the possibility of a site on Lee Highway near the Holiday Inn. The staff report found that the site was too small to accommodate the necessary temporary fire station buildings. Development at the site would also require extensive, and costly, regrading and utility relocation. According to the staff report, developer Penzance will pay for most of the costs of the temporary fire station, Arlington County would pay the cost of utility relocation. While Rhodeside Green Park was the cheapest option for the county at $400,000, the Lee Highway site was the most expensive option at $1.5 million.
In a letter to the County Board, Caroline Haynes, chair of the Park and Recreation Commission, urged the selection of the Lee Highway site rather than remove park space either at Rhodeside Green Park or at the Wilson School site.
“We support the use of the Holiday Inn site and believe that the investment in readying the site for this use should be more appropriately characterized as gaining a future community asset,” said Haynes. “The regrading and moving of utilities there could be a precursor to intentionally developing the space as a small park after the temporary fire station is removed.”
However, County Board member Katie Cristol described the site as a “fundamentally unsuitable site” and other members of the County Board expressed agreement.
The county will be responsible for $1 million in costs at the site, which will be in contributions to the H-B Woodlawn and Stratford to mitigate the impact of the construction on the schools. These contributions include temporary covered walkways and transportation to off-site recreation facilities.