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TextGreat Parks, Great Communities: Fairfax Planning District
- Supervisory District(s): Braddock, Mason, Providence, Springfield, Sully
- Maintenance Area(s): 2, 4, 5, 7
- Watersheds: Accotink Creek, Difficult Run, Cub Run, Popes Head, Pohick Creeks
- Major Trails and other connections: The Cross County Trail
- Existing Conditions
- Revised Plan
- Public Comments
Location & Character
The Fairfax Planning District is located in the center of the county
and surrounds the City of Fairfax.
This district is predominantly suburban development, built in the 1950s and 1960s. The northwestern portion is low-density residential, while the center is occupied by the more densely developed City of Fairfax.
Park System Summary
Map 1 depicts the public
parkland in the Fairfax Planning District. There are 51 public parks
with a total of approximately 1,320 acres in the district. These parks
make up about 7 percent of the total acreage of the district. About 65
percent of the public parkland in the district is owned by the Park
Authority, and is within Park Authority Maintenance Areas 2, 4, 5, 6,
and 7. The City of Fairfax owns almost 225 acres of the public
parkland.
The parks in the district include local-serving parks, a district park, resource-based parks, and stream valleys. Facilities include a RECenter, rectangle and diamond ball fields, a golf course, mini golf, tennis and multi-use courts, playgrounds, dog park, garden plots, trails and picnic facilities.
The parks in the Fairfax District protect numerous natural and cultural resources. Examples of this are in Accotink Stream Valley and Fairfax Villa Parks. The northern and eastern parts of the District have stream valleys that are traversed by the 41-mile Cross County Trail. There are a handful of neighborhood parks scattered throughout the District. Oak Marr District Park is a heavily used park, providing a wide variety of recreational facilities, including golf complex (golf course, driving range, mini golf), RECenter, pool, racquetball courts, fitness center, rectangle fields, open play area, picnic tables, multiuse trails and natural and cultural resources.
The natural areas in the District are a mixture of narrow swaths of low-lying lands in stream valley corridors and isolated uplands. The larger parks, including Oak Marr District Park, the Random Hills-Carney Park complex, and Fairfax Villa Park are isolated and contain high-quality resources.
It is anticipated that commercial and residential development will continue at a moderate rate in the Fairfax district. Most significant land use changes will likely occur through redevelopment in areas developed prior to 1985. Opportunities to add to existing parkland in the Fairfax district are limited. Map 2 identifies parkland and areas that contain regulatory or other protections including public park ownership, conservation easements, and Chesapeake Bay Ordinance designated Resource Protection Areas (RPA).
Map 1: Public Parks by Class in the Fairfax District
Map 2:
Regulatory Protections on Land in the Fairfax District
Park Classification
In June 2005, a new Park Classification System was adopted and
incorporated into the Park and Recreation chapter of the Countywide
Comprehensive Policy Plan. The Park Classification System is a general
framework intended to guide open space and public facilities planning
by grouping parks according to certain common typical characteristics.
The park classification gives an indication of the intended use,
general park size range, typical facility types, and the general
experience a user may expect at a park:
Local Parks serve surrounding neighborhoods and communities and offer a variety of local-serving recreation opportunities, such as playgrounds, trails, athletic facilities, picnic areas and natural areas. Typically these parks are designed to serve up to a 3 mile radius depending on the facilities and can range from 2 to 50 acres in size.
Local parks may be urban or suburban in character. Urban parks (including pocket parks, civic plazas and common greens) are a type of local-serving park that are generally more compact and located within an urban or transit-oriented setting. These parks generally consist of high quality design and construction, are well integrated into surrounding development, uses and the public realm and primarily serve to define local urban character, support outdoor enjoyment, social gatherings, recreation needs and special events. These parks may be privately or publicly owned and are usually privately maintained.
District Parks are larger parks that serve greater geographic areas of the County (3 to 6 miles) and provide a wide variety of indoor and outdoor recreation facilities and park experiences. Generally, these parks are more than 50 acres in size. These parks typically accommodate visits of up to a half day, longer operational hours and a larger number of users. Many district parks also have extensive natural areas.
Countywide Parks are larger parks that serve the whole County and provide a variety of larger-scale indoor or outdoor recreation facilities, or both, and facilities or resources that are unique within the County. Typically, these parks are greater than 150 acres and provide opportunities for passive and active recreation to a wide range of simultaneous users for experiences of up to a day in length.
Resource-Based Parks have significant cultural and natural resources. These parks support nature, horticulture and history programs, gardening, nature watching and appreciation of local, regional, state and national history. Extensive stream valley parks are part of the resource-based parks network. Typically, trails and interpretative features and facilities are the primary uses. Some resource parks may have separate areas designated for recreation purposes.
Regional Parks are lands and/or facilities administered by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA). These parks have region-wide significance that supplement and enhance the County and municipal park systems.
While some parks are Resource-Based, note that all park types may include areas designated for natural and/or cultural resource protection. In addition, many state and federal parks augment local and regional parks and also serve to protect natural and cultural resources within the County. Table 1 lists and classifies the parks in the Fairfax district according the County parks classification system or by state or federal ownership. Table 1 also includes information about whether and when parks were master planned and if a master planning action (new master plan development or plan update) is needed.
Table 1Table 1: Parks in the Fairfax Planning District
|
Park Name |
Acres |
Supervisor District |
Park Classification |
Approved Master Plan Date |
Master Plan Action Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Accotink S.V.1 |
801.69+ |
BR,LEE,MA,MV,PR |
Resource-Based |
1995 |
|
|
Ashby Road Conservation |
3.71 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Blake Lane School Site |
10.30 |
PR |
Local |
1986 |
|
|
Borge Street |
3.61 |
PR |
Local |
1986 |
|
|
Carney |
40.44 |
SP |
Local |
1999 |
|
|
Cobbdale |
0.53 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Country Club Hills |
7.52 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Dale Lestina |
7.78 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Daniels Run |
46.72 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Difficult Run S.V.1 |
900.68+ |
HM, DR |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Dixie Hill |
3.42 |
SP |
Local |
1980 |
|
|
Draper Drive |
16.57 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
E. Calvin Van Dyck |
31.18 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Eakin Mantua |
74.04 |
PR |
Local |
1995 |
|
|
Eakin Community |
47.63 |
PR |
Local |
1995 |
|
|
Fairchester Woods |
1.00 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Fairfax Villa |
60.69 |
BR |
Resource-Based |
2007 |
|
|
Foxvale |
24.36 |
SU |
Resource-Based |
1977 |
|
|
Gabrielson Gardens |
12.08 |
SU |
Resource-Based |
CDP date |
|
|
Gateway Regional |
3.53 |
|
Regional |
|
|
|
George Mason |
6.01 |
BR |
Local |
|
|
|
Green Acres Rec |
9.56 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Kutner |
10.24 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Little Difficult Run S.V.1 |
389.69+ |
HM |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Long Branch S.V.1 |
155.51+ |
BR |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Mosby Road |
1.17 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Mosby Woods |
7.11 |
PR |
Resource-Based |
1985 |
|
|
Oak Marr |
138.53 |
PR |
District |
2009 |
|
|
Oakborough Square |
7.58 |
PR |
Local |
|
|
|
Olde Forge |
6.33 |
BR |
Resource-Based |
1977 |
|
|
Pat Rodio |
3.97 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Pozer Garden |
0.37 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Providence |
16.16 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Random Hills |
11.44 |
SP |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Ranger Road |
7.10 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Ratcliffe |
3.21 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Rebel Run |
4.45 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Rutherford |
21.59+ |
BR |
Local |
1971 |
|
|
Sally Ormsby |
39.44 |
PR |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Smokewood |
13.89 |
BR |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Shiloh Street |
6.60 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Stafford East |
9.17 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Stafford West |
14.05 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
Surrey Square |
9.33 |
BR |
Local |
|
|
|
Tattersall |
36.01 |
PR |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Thaiss |
10.77 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
|
University |
9.69 |
BR |
Local |
|
|
|
Villa D'Este |
9.01 |
PR |
Resource-Based |
1985 |
|
|
Waples Mill Meadow |
36.74 |
PR |
Resource-Based |
|
X |
|
Wayland Street |
16.44 |
SU |
Local |
|
X |
|
Westmore |
0.98 |
|
City of Fairfax |
|
|
1. Resource-Based Stream Valley parks by practice do not have Master
Plans.
* This park was dedicated by a private developer and may be subject
to a Conceptual Development Plan associated with an approved rezoning
that takes the place of a park master plan.
+ A portion of this park lies outside of the Fairfax district.
Acreages for non-FCPA parks are estimates derived from GIS.
Park Master Plans
A park master plan is a general guide for appropriate park uses and
their approximate location within a specific park site. The plan serves
as a long-range vision (10-20 year timeframe) for future development
and programming. Issues typically addressed include planned park
elements, natural and cultural resource management, and general design
concerns. The plan is conceptual in nature and not intended to address
detailed issues related to engineered site design or park operations.
The plan is just one of many steps in the process that leads to the
development of a public park. An archive of park master plans
is available.
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