Annandale Greenway Alliance seeks community support for a path connecting seven parks

The Greenway would go along a pedestrian path between two sections of Alpine Drive.

A group of Annandale residents is committed to the Annandale Greenway project and encourages other community members to join the effort to make it happen. 

The proposed Greenway is a four-and-a-half-mile-long path along existing park trails and streets through Annandale between Annandale Community Park and Green Spring Gardens. 

It would go through or near Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Manassas Gap Railroad Trail, the future Annandale Civic Space, Mason District Park, and Pinecrest Golf Course. 

Once established, group members say, it would encourage people to get outdoors and explore local parks they might not know about. It would also create a sense of unity in Annandale, which is currently viewed as a place to drive through or go around. And it would highlight small businesses along the part of the Greenway in urban Annandale. 

At a meeting of the Annandale Greenway Alliance Sept. 13, local residents talked about what needs to be done to make the Greenway a reality. 

One big issue involves signage and wayfaring, including decisions about how many signs are needed, where they should be installed, and where to place one or more informational kiosks.

Other tasks include designing a logo, community outreach, marketing, pedestrian safety where the Greenway crosses major streets such as Medford Drive and Columbia Pike, and gaining support from the business community, said Holly Hazard, informal chair of the Greenway group. 

Related story: Community members invited to get involved in the Annandale Greenway project

The group invites the community on an inaugural walk on the Greenway, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m.

Volunteers participated in a cleanup along the Manassas Gap Railroad trail on Sept. 11 and collected dozens of bags of trash, along with several tires, construction debris, many beer bottles, and a fox skull. 

Mason Supervisor Penny Gross and Park Authority officials support the project, but the county isn’t likely to provide any funding for it in the foreseeable future. 

Since the entire path is in the public domain, there would be no cost for land acquisition. However, there needs to be coordination among the Park Authority, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, and other county departments. 

James Albright, who came up with the idea of the Greenway and represents Mason District on the Trails, Bikeways and Sidewalks Committee, urges community members to indicate the need for the Greenway on the ActiveFairfax interactive map highlighting residents’ priorities for bicycle and pedestrian improvements.  

Albright wants to build a sense of urgency around the Greenway project and explore how it fits into the larger community. Eventually, he would like to see community gardens along the trail. 

The public is encouraged to attend the next meeting of the Annandale Greenway Alliance, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m., on Zoom. Access the meeting here; meeting ID: 487 366 8075.