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TextGreat Parks, Great Communities: Lower Potomac Planning District
- Supervisory District(s): Mount Vernon
- Maintenance Area(s): 3 & 4
- Watersheds: Dogue Creek, High Point, Giles Run, Kane Creek, Mill Branch, Occoquan and Pohick Creek
- Major Trails and other connections: Cross County Trail, Countywide Trail, Fairfax County Parkway Trail, Laurel Hill Greenway Trail, Occoquan Regional Park Trail, Interstate Route 1 Bikeway Trail, and the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
- Existing Conditions
- Revised Plan
- Public Comments
Location & Character
The Lower Potomac Planning District is the southernmost district in
Fairfax County. The district is bounded to the south and southeast by
the Occoquan and Potomac Rivers, which have shaped development patterns
and contribute significantly to the natural and cultural resources in
the district.
Lower Potomac is one of the first visited areas of Fairfax, with Captain John Smith documenting Mason Neck on his first voyage up the Potomac River in 1608. Lower Potomac is the fastest growing district due to the Laurel Hill area development resulting from transfer of the DC prison property to the County.
The addition of 14,000-19,000 BRAC-related jobs to the Fort Belvoir Main Post and the Fort Belvoir North Area (FBNA, previously Engineer Proving Grounds) in September 2011 will initially encourage mostly non-residential development however, residential growth pressures may follow this growth and spur an associated increased demand for recreation facilities in this part of the County. Both increased demand and additional constraints on where recreation facilities can be developed may affect this District in the future.
Park System Summary
Map 1 depicts the public
parkland in the Lower Potomac Planning District. There are 22 public
parks with a total of over 10,300 acres in the district. Only 15% of
all the public park acreage in the district is owned by the Park
Authority, and is within Park Authority Maintenance Areas 3 & 4.
The rest is owned by other providers, including the Northern Virginia
Regional Park Authority (NVRPA), the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the
Federal government. Most of this non-county owned parkland is located
at Mason Neck.
The parks in the district include special uses, historic sites, local- and district-serving recreational facilities, and stream valleys. Facilities include rectangle and diamond ball fields, golf, disc golf, tennis and multi-use courts, playgrounds, trails and picnic facilities. A majority of the Park Authority's land holdings in the district are concentrated in Laurel Hill Park and smaller parks in the Lorton South - Route 1 area.
Laurel Hill Park, at 1,350 acres, is the largest county-owned park in the district. The park is envisioned to draw countywide users to a mix of recreational opportunities and natural and cultural resources. The acquisition of Old Colchester Preserve and Park has helped to preserve substantial natural and cultural resources, especially those associated with the County's first settlement.
The majority of parkland in the district is provided by other government agencies, including Mason Neck Regional Park, Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Mason Neck State Park, and Meadowood Farm. These adjoining parks located on the Mason Neck peninsula provide habitat for American bald eagles and great blue herons. Over 200 species of birds have been documented in these parks, making them a popular destination for birders. Pohick Bay Regional Park and Mason Neck State Park also provide a variety of recreation facilities, including an outdoor water park and swimming pool, golf course, boating access, kayaking and campgrounds. Map 2 identifies parkland and areas that contain regulatory or other protections, including conservation easements, and Chesapeake Bay Ordinance designated Resource Protection Areas (RPA).
Map 1: Public Parks by Class in the Lower Potomac DistrictMap 2: Protected Land in the Lower Potomac 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 Lower Potomac district according to 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 Lower Potomac Planning District
|
Park Name |
Acres |
Supervisor District |
Park Classification |
Approved Master Plan Date |
Master Plan Action Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Accotink S.V.1 |
841.13+ |
BR,LEE,MA,MV,PR |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck NWR |
2,050.00 |
|
Federal |
|
|
|
Fort Belvoir Golf Club – North Thirty-Six |
420.00 |
|
Federal |
|
|
|
Fort Belvoir Golf Club - South Nine |
115.00 |
|
Federal |
|
|
|
Gunston Hall Plantation |
560.00 |
|
Regional |
|
|
|
Jackson Miles Abbot Wetlands Refuge |
150.00 |
|
Federal |
|
|
|
Laurel Hill |
1,350.54 |
MV |
Countywide |
2005 |
X |
|
Laurel Hill School Site |
41.00 |
MV |
Local |
* |
|
|
Lorton |
4.39 |
MV |
Local |
1985 |
|
|
Mason Neck Regional Park |
220.00 |
|
Regional |
|
|
|
Mason Neck State Park |
1,800.00 |
|
State |
|
|
|
Mason Neck West |
46.10 |
MV |
District |
1984 |
X |
|
McNaughton Fields |
12.33 |
MV |
Local |
* |
|
|
Meadowood Special Recreation Area |
800.00 |
|
Federal |
|
|
|
Occoquan Regional Park |
420.00 |
|
Regional |
|
|
|
Old Colchester Park and Preserve |
142.34 |
MV |
Resource-Based |
|
X |
|
Pohick Bay Regional Park |
1,000.00 |
|
Regional |
|
|
|
Pohick Estates |
5.00 |
MV |
Local |
1977 |
|
|
Pohick S.V.1 |
822.88+ |
SP, MV |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Southgate |
2.74 |
MV |
Local |
* |
|
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 Lower Potomac 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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