Residents demand answers on parking lot in Justice Park
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| A meeting on a proposed parking lot in Justice Park was held in the park’s outdoor classroom. |
About 100 people showed up at a meeting at Justice Park Sunday afternoon to learn more about a plan to create a parking lot in the park – and strategize on how to fight it.
Fairfax County Public Schools expects to start work this fall on an addition to relieve overcrowding at Justice High School in Seven Corners.
The addition would take up a large portion of the parking lot, so FCPS has worked out a deal with the Fairfax County Park Authority to pave over a large area in Justice Park to create a parking lot with about 95 spaces.
The new parking lot would displace the basketball court and the grassy area between the tennis courts and Peace Valley Lane. A new basketball court would be built on the recreation field, which would reduce the amount of land available for open play.
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| Del. Kory addresses the crowd. |
Attendees at the meeting – residents of Ravenwood Park, Lake Barcroft, and surrounding areas, many of them Justice parents – raised concerns about diminishing a community park in an area with very little green space. They were especially unhappy about the failure to inform the community and seek public comment.
The parking lot plan is “extremely shortsighted,” said Del. Kaye Kory. “We have to demand better. We need more accountability.”
Kory, along with several others at the meeting, suggested FCPS consider incorporating a parking garage into the school addition.
Another option suggested by residents is widening Peace Valley Lane next to the school to create space for angled parking. That would require a retaining wall, but presumably would be cheaper than creating a new parking lot in the park.
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| All this land would become a parking lot under the FCPS/FCPA plan. |
For months, residents have tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to get definitive details on the plans for the parking lot, the timeline for the project, and what, if any alternatives are being considered.
Finally, FCPS has scheduled a community meeting for May 6, 7 p.m., where “representatives of FCPS and the Fairfax County Park Authority will provide a description of the project and be available to answer your questions.”
The meeting will be on Zoom. The meeting ID is 974 2254 3401 and the passcode is 288932. To access the meeting by phone, call 877-853-5257.
One of residents’ major complaints is that the Park Authority has apparently agreed to have part of the park paved over without amending the Master Plan for Justice Park or the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
Ravenwood Park resident Carol Turner, who organizes invasive plant removal events at Justice Park, said when residents wanted to have community gardens in the park a few years ago, they were told they couldn’t do it without a Master Plan amendment.
Becky Cranna, a Justice parent, cited park officials’ misconception of the parking lot proposal. “They actually thought it’s an improvement.”
Neighbors believe school and park officials are deliberately keeping them out of the loop.
FCPS sent a certified letter Feb. 16 to people who live close to Justice High School about the school renovation project – but the letter said nothing about the park.
The community has so far not been able to see the actual agreement between the Park Authority and FCPS.
On March 30 and 31, residents sent a Freedom of Information Request to the Park Authority seeking copies of contracts or agreements on the parking lot. To each item requested, a Park Authority spokesperson replied, “The Park Authority has no documentation that is responsive to this request.”
Related story: Community members air concerns about plans to use Justice Park as a parking lot for Justice HS
12 responses to “Residents demand answers on parking lot in Justice Park”
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This is just another bad idea by FCPS. Where is Penny Gross on this……..hiding of course. If there is something stupid happening, it happens in Mason. I can't help but think how reminiscent this is from when they tried to ram a DMV at Barcroft Plaza. And again Penny was nowhere in site, except that she actually encouraged it. Oh yea, and then there was homeless shelter relocation next to a senior's center!
This is a pretty popular park. Reducing it for parking is really shortsighted. Angled parking with sidewalk along the school seems like a reasonable compromise.
The fear for the future mentioned at the end of this article is already happening. This BOS is happy to let the Park Authority use public land to benefit the developers and improve their proffers. Already happening.
All,
Justice Park needs you:
* Please sign the petition to Save Justice Park at http://chng.it/FMLTcqDX; and
* Attend the Zoom FCPS Public Meeting on May 6 at 7:00 pm.
Website: https://www.zoom.us/
Meeting ID: 974 2254 3401
Meeting Passcode: 288932
Phone dial-in number: (877) 853-5257
We know that only with a massive number of citizens demanding transparency will the Park Authority and the Fairfax County Public Schools take us seriously.
Thank you!
Carol
When this issue was raised with FCPS several years ago while school expansion was only in the planning stages, they said no additional parking was needed. Now, when they suddenly realize their school expansion — one that is truly needed — would necessitate a need for additional parking, instead of adding a multi-level parking garage into the expansion plan, they took the cheapest and short-sighted route, using the Park Authority to cover for their malfeasance. And, who would suffer? Students, neighbors, everyone that uses that park on a daily basis.
Add parking garages. It is the repsonsbiel thing to do. I get that they don't want to build up but if you keep overdeveloping land (high density housing) you have to create more schools or increase the footprint of schools. Schools and county need to work together.
Parking Garage or angled parking are really the two best solutions.
It never ceases to frustrate me how so-called land use "planning" by Fairfax County governmental officials, especially in Mason District, always seems to end up as a failure to plan appropriately. It doesn't matter if it is a development site plan, or a school expansion, or park planning, or watershed protection, or tree protection, the "planning process" very often fails to meet legislative, regulatory, and/or other code requirements, regardless of which Fairfax agency or body is involved. You rarely see the type of collaboration between the public and the planning officials that is required take place; or if it does happen, the community's input is very frequently ignored. In this specific case, officials knew that a Justice High School expansion was desperately needed, obviously planned for it, but only at the last minute appeared to address the issue of parking by their incredible proposal to use critically-needed parkland for a parking lot, and eliminating greenspace. Did they consider alternatives? No one has been able to determine this. And do you think it was unintentional that those officials neglected to describe those parking plans to the public when they wrote to the neighboring residents about the school expansion? Planning officials at FCPS and the Park Authority are demonstrating a true failure to serve their constituents. To make matters worse, when I looked further into the matter, I was appalled by the behavior of FCPS Design and Construction (D&C) officials recorded during their section of the March online meeting of the Justice PTSA. They made their presentation about the parking plans, failed to describe the planning process or alternatives considered, or the true impacts of the plan, then abruptly left the meeting without taking any questions, leaving only one D&C representative who deflected and pleaded ignorance to the questions asked by the participants, then herself abruptly signed off from the meeting, leaving participants to air their concerns to each other. This lack of transparency and rude, disrespectful behavior by government officials is totally unacceptable. I hope these officials who will be presenting at the meeting planned for May 6 described in the article above are prepared with details and answers to the questions they will be facing, and I encourage anyone with an interest in protecting parkland from being paved over, where valid alternatives are available, come to this meeting an express their concerns.
You make some really good points and you make them well, but please, be sure to use paragraphs when you write to our leaders. They won't give you a second glance (literally) if you send them an entire run-on letter.
FWIW, I agree with you completely.
–kda
In the care and nurture of local parks in Fairfax county, major change is desperately needed, and that change must be driven by our elected leaders.
The Park Authority has not been led/directed by county leadership to develop capacity for framing park management in terms of current needs . Other urban area parks are way ahead, and one thing they do is to encourage development and capacity of citizens’ organizations.
When you visit websites of such organizations you will encounter language that makes immediate sense, such as “park-based public health,” “leveraging the power of parks,” “fresh look at public parks”. Please visit the websites of Washington Parks and People, and Park Pride (in Atlanta) , see what they are accomplishing.
Instead of treating Justice Park as so much real estate to carve up and give away, instead of pushing the public away – why does corresponding with the Park Authority Public Information office feel like dealing with the consulate of an unfriendly foreign nation? How can their job be a fun one even? – what if we had:
a truly public-serving parks agency, that welcomed us and wanted to grow and support conservancies and other citizens’ groups; that was open and transparent about bond and other resource spending, working together with us to achieve the most for those precious bond funds/other public funds?
Justice Park management, Justice High School, and the wider community, could be doing satisfying, meaningful, and joyful work together. Justice Park could be a place of wonder, thriving with community life, for everyone: trail walk/ stream overlook, stream-focused features, simple outdoor amphitheater for story-telling, green infrastructure training program for youth, horticulture clubs transforming the garden area, regular outdoor yoga, group exercise, more infrastructure for children like a hedge maze or nature based play area – and so on.
What is wrong, please with aiming for “Wow!”?
And wouldn’t it be much more satisfying as an employee of Parks, to be working productively with the community?
I believe that if just one person running for Supervisor aims to take on parks, we might turn a corner. I am not that person but am sure looking for him or her.
I was hoping you would run Marie, because I am dreading another four years of Penny Gross.
Ranting against Penny is not the answer. Suing the County and FCPS, and seeking an injunction may be a better way to go. Whoever advised the School to file a Minor Site Plan knew that all it required was an administrative approval without a public hearing. Penny started her career as an environmentalist. Hence, making an effort to convince her to help stop the progress until a study of impacts and alternative solutions, with community input, is done is also worthwhile. I will be happy to be part of such an effort, since I too am concerned about storm water runoffs and the need to reduce global warming by reducing auto trips through improved school bus use, ride sharing improved public bus routes, greater use of bicycles (furthest student is 4 miles away) and perhaps even adjustments to the school's extracurricular programs. Nazir Bhagat