Community members invited to get involved in the Annandale Greenway project
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| The Annandale Greenway would incorporate this trail in Manassas Gap Railroad Park in Annandale. |
The Annandale Greenway is moving forward, and there are two upcoming opportunities for the public to get involved.
In March we published an article by James Albright about his proposal to create a trail through Annandale between Annandale Community Park and Green Spring Gardens. This project would unite the community by developing a pathway called the Annandale Greenway that links existing trails and streets.
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| The revised version of the Annandale Greenway. |
The Fairfax County Park Authority and Mason Supervisor Penny Gross support the Annandale Greenway, Albright says, and a small group of residents is working on ways to make it happen.
The public is invited to a meeting on the proposal on Sept. 13, 7 p.m., at the Korean American Association of Greater Washington, 7004 Little River Turnpike in Annandale.
Related story: The (proposed) Annandale Greenway: a path from Annandale Community Park to Green Spring Gardens
The public is also invited to a clean-up event on a portion of the Greenway on the National Day of Service, Sept. 11, sponsored by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee.
Community members should meet at Hidden Oaks Nature Center at 9 a.m. The Park Authority is providing gloves and trash bags. Sign up here.
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| The Annandale Greenway would cross Medford Drive and head along the sidewalk on Annandale Road, then turn left on Poplar Street. |
After the clean-up, at 11:30 a.m., there will be a gathering at the future Annandale Civic Space on Columbia Pike between the ACCA Child Development Center and the fire station. The Soul Rebel food truck will be there, and residents will have a chance to talk with elected officials.
Some of the issues to be discussed at the Sept. 13 meeting include raising funds for trailhead signs and markers, consideration of a logo, and figuring out the land issues involved, as the trail goes through county parkland and land owned by VDOT. All the land is publicly owned, so there would be no land purchasing costs.
When Albright led Park Authority officials on a walk along the Greenway, they proposed a minor modification. Instead of walking along a short section of Old Columbia Pike, the trail will have a longer stretch through Mason District Park, then cross Old Columbia Pike at Elmdale Road.
Related story: More details emerge on future Annandale Civic Space
There’s also a problem area between the end of the Manassas Gap Railroad trail and Medford Drive. The path is visible in the winter but becomes overgrown during the warmer months.
The Annandale Greenway links seven parks: Annandale Community Park, Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Manassas Gap Railroad Park, Mason District Park, Pinecrest Golf Course, and Green Spring Gardens.
To learn more, contact James Albright, [email protected], or Holly Hazard, [email protected].