Tag: parks
Fairfax County removes flood-prone Annandale properties from land auction
The properties are all wooded and mostly in a floodplain. The seven tax-delinquent properties next to Accotink Creek in Annandale are no longer up for auction. The owner of the properties, the Al Root Memorial Foundation, hadn’t paid taxes in years, so the county had planned to sell them by auction in November.
Community members explore the future Annandale Greenway
Loki leads the way as participants in the Annandale Greenway Inaugural Walk leave Green Spring Gardens and head toward Braddock Road. About 30 people went on the Annandale Greenway Inaugural Walk Oct. 24, a four-mile trek along existing trails and sidewalks between Green Spring Gardens and Annandale Community Park. The Annandale Greenway Alliance, an informal … Continued
Conservation group wants to prevent development of vacant Annandale properties
The Annandale properties up for auction are outlined in yellow. Fairfax County has put seven adjoining properties totaling 6.7 acres in Mason District up for auction. The land is adjacent to Accotink Creek, and the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) is scrambling to acquire the land so it can’t be developed. The seven parcels are … Continued
FCPS to seek rezoning and parking waiver for Justice HS
An illustration of the Justice High School addition. Fairfax County Public Schools has a new plan to construct a badly needed addition for Justice High School without using Justice Park for parking. Instead, FCPS would go through a rezoning process and would seek a waiver of Fairfax County’s parking requirement, said John McGranahan Jr., an … Continued
Explore a Park: Eakin Community Park was the first park in Fairfax County
Springtime wildflowers along the trail in Eakin Park. This article is part of our series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. The last piece explored Spring Lane Park in Bailey’s Crossroads. See other stories in the series on the Parks page. The 57-acre Eakin Community Park, located at 8515 Tobin Road in Annandale, was … Continued
Justice Park advocates blamed for potential delay of Justice High School addition
Playtime in Justice Park. Retaining all of Justice Park for recreational uses shouldn’t have a negative impact on the construction of an addition to Justice High School, park advocates say. The community deserves both – an intact park and an expanded school. Now that both Fairfax County Public Schools and the Park Authority have officially stated they … Continued
FCPS will not use Justice Park for parking
Community members gather on the spot in Justice Park where the parking lot was proposed for a presentation Sept. 18 on the Black families displaced when the park was created. In a huge victory for community members, Fairfax County Public Schools has backed away from creating a parking lot in Justice Park to accommodate the … Continued
Construction underway on Hidden Oaks expansion project
Construction is underway on an expansion and renovation project at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale. The $1.2 million project includes 2,000 square feet for new offices and a new multipurpose room, accessible restrooms, an additional exhibition area, and improved stroller parking.
Fairfax County forced Black families to vacate land for Justice Park
Edwin Henderson (right) at Justice Park. On the left is Spanish translator Fernando Ferrufino. Long before Justice High School and Justice Park were built on Peace Valley Lane in Seven Corners, the land was owned by a handful of Black families. The community learned about that “hidden history” at an event at Justice Park Sept. … Continued
Park Foundation honors Valis family for contribution to Pinecrest Golf Center
Angela and Wayne Valis (on the right) with other family members at the unveiling of the TrackMan 4 Golf Simulator at the Pinecrest Golf Center. The Fairfax County Park Foundation has named the Valis family of Bailey’s Crossroads as one of three winners of this year’s Eakin Philanthropy Awards. Wayne and Angela Valis are being … Continued
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 … Continued
Public invited to event highlighting the hidden, Black history of Justice Park
Justice Park The community is invited to “Discover the Hidden History of Justice Park” at a special event Sept. 18 hosted by the Fairfax County NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Committee. Edwin Henderson, founder of the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation, will talk about the Black families who once owned land on the site and were … Continued
Deer hunting allowed in parks, beginning this Saturday
Signs like this are posted on trees in parks where deer hunting is allowed. Deer season in Fairfax County parks begins this Saturday, Sept. 11, and runs through Feb. 19, 2022. During this period, qualified groups of hunters are authorized to use archery to kill deer in designated areas across the county.
Community members invited to get involved in the Annandale Greenway project
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 … Continued
Explore a Park: Spring Lane Park, a green respite in Bailey’s Crossroads
This article is part of our series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. Recent articles covered Poe Terrace Park and Pine Ridge Park in Annandale. The 5.2-acre Spring Lane Park is located at 3400 Carlyn Hill Drive in Bailey’s Crossroads close to Columbia Pike and the Arlington County border. It’s surrounded by Spring Lane, … Continued