Residents Voice Concerns About Master Plan for Westgrove Park

About 100 residents attended the public comment meeting Tuesday evening hosted by the Fairfax County Park Authority at Belle View Elementary. FCPA discussed the master plan for the Westgrove Park, which became available online six weeks ago for residents to review before the meeting.

The plan received mixed reviews according to the concerns voiced during Tuesday's meeting. Westgrove residents commented on their concerns with barking dogs disturbing members of residential areas adjacent to the park and with the size of the area designated as the off-leash dog area (OLDA) in the master plan.

During the moderated comment portion of the meeting, Mary Jo Detweiler with Friends of Westgrove Park said the group is happy for the opportunity to speak about their concerns and supports some of the parts of the plan. However, they also have some disappointments with the master plan presented by FCPA and project manager Jay Rauschenbach.

"We're concerned about the continuation of the dog park and the size of it. The reason for these concerns of the size and location of the dog park are because the purpose of the park is confusing when entering when considering the location of the park," said Detweiler, who would like to see a smaller dog park. "Our group is also concerned about dogs' impact on small animals in the park."

On the other hand, the Pumphouse Association for Canine Kindness (PACK), a group of dog owners from the Fort Hunt area, are in full support of the master plan for the park, said Steve Nixon, the president of the group, Tuesday night.

Other residents are completely against the plan for the park. Resident Glenda Booth, said her view of the proposal since the last public meeting has not changed.

"My goal is to preserve our natural environment in this county. My views of this project and proposal have not changed," Booth said. "I think this property is a prime location for a conservation corridor."

Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland was also in attendance Tuesday night. Hyland said he's a huge supporter of the park, and "lost a few friends" because of it.

"From my standpoint, I'm thrilled we can finally come to some kind of closure. What's on this screen up here is not going to make everyone happy but I'm happy to see the park authority listening to people's concerns," Hyland said. "Eventually we'll nail something down and come to a compromise. I believe the dog park will continue to be a part of Westgrove. We hope to make as many people happy as we can."

The key elements to the master plan, said Rauschenbach, are:

• off-leash dog park
• outdoor classroom resource
• open lawn areas
• pedestrian access and trail network
• vehicular access and parking
• Resource Protection Areas
• Resource Protection Zones (RPZ)
• meadow
• pump station

FCPA recorded the moderated comment portion of the meeting to review later and to take the residents' concerns into consideration. Judy Pedersen, public information officer, said the office will accept written suggestions, comments and concerns until May 31.

Notes from Tuesday's meeting will be available online in a week. For more information about the Westgrove Park master plan and on submitting written comments, click here.