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TextGreat Parks, Great Communities: Springfield Planning District
- Supervisory District(s): Springfield
- Maintenance Area(s): 3, 4
- Watersheds: Accotink Creek (89%), Cameron Run (10%), and very small portions in Pohick Creek and Little Hunting Creek
- Major Trails and other connections: Cross County/Accotink Stream Valley Trail
- Existing Conditions
- Revised Plan
The Springfield Planning District is located in central-southeast part of the county and is bounded by the Capital Beltway (I-495) and the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks on the north, Rolling Road on the west, and Beulah Street and Telegraph Road on the east. The district is bisected from north to south by I-95.
Springfield has a predominantly suburban residential character, with some mid-rise office and commercial development in the Springfield Community Business Center (CBC) and the Franconia/Springfield Transit Station Area. The General Services Administration (GSA) Warehouse and the Fort Belvoir North Area (FBNA) are two large Federal properties in the district.
While the addition of BRAC-related jobs to the Fort Belvoir Main Post and the Fort Belvoir North Area (FBNA, previously EPG) in September 2011 is not anticipated to bring new residents immediately, the County could eventually see 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
Springfield Planning District. There are 25 public parks with a total
of about 1,030 acres in the district. All of the public park acreage in
the district is owned by the Park Authority, and is within Park
Authority Maintenance Areas 3 and 4.
The parks in the district include a lakefront park, historic sites, local- and district-serving recreational facilities, and stream valleys. Facilities include rectangle and diamond athletic fields, tennis and multi-use courts, playgrounds, garden plots, trails and picnic areas.
Franconia, Hooes Road, Lake Accotink, and Accotink Stream Valley are the most utilized parks in the district. Accotink Stream Valley Park comprises more than 50 percent of the total parkland in the district and contains portions of the Cross County Trail. Franconia and Hooes Road Parks have multiple athletic fields and are hubs of team sports activities. Franconia Park is the largest park in the district with athletic facilities, containing five athletic fields and two parking lots. In addition, Franconia Park has community garden plots, a native plant nursery, and a significant amount of mature canopy trees. The 448-acre Lake Accotink Park, primarily located in the adjacent Annandale district, has natural areas, trails, boating, mini-golf and picnicking facilities that serve the Springfield district.
Significant cultural sites in the district include the remains of an 18th century home and gardens known as Mount Air and a variety of Native American sites within undeveloped portions of parks. Natural resources include Lake Accotink and the stream valley areas associated with Accotink Stream and Backlick Run waterways. Map 2 identifies parkland and areas that contain regulatory or other protections including public park ownership, conservation easements, and Chesapeake Bay Ordinance Resource Protection Areas (RPA).
Map 1: Public Parks by Class in the Springfield District Map 2: Protected Land in the Springfield 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 Springfield 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 Springfield 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 |
|
|
|
Amberleigh |
17.74 |
LEE |
Local |
1988 |
|
|
Backlick S.V.1 |
90.70+ |
BR,LEE,MA |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Brookfield |
26.80 |
LEE |
Local |
1968 |
|
|
Byron Avenue |
5.67 |
LEE |
Local |
|
X |
|
Cardinal Forest |
15.62 |
SP |
Local |
1964 |
X |
|
Carrleigh Parkway |
10.23 |
SP |
Local |
* |
|
|
Franconia |
62.87 |
LEE |
District |
1974 |
X |
|
Hooes Road |
21.06 |
LEE |
Local |
1974 |
|
|
Hooes Road School Site |
10.60 |
LEE |
Local |
1994 |
|
|
Hunter Village |
19.80 |
SP |
Resource-Based |
* |
|
|
Island Creek |
95.51 |
LEE |
Resource-Based |
* |
|
|
Lake Accotink |
448.09+ |
BR |
Countywide |
1993 |
|
|
Lee High |
23.54 |
LEE |
Local |
2004 |
|
|
Levelle W. Dupell |
28.35 |
MV |
Local |
1987 |
|
|
Loisdale |
8.64 |
LEE |
Local |
1974 |
X |
|
Lynbrook |
0.54 |
LEE |
Resource-Based |
* |
|
|
Monticello Woods |
13.71 |
LEE |
Local |
* |
|
|
Mount Air Historic Site |
33.15 |
MV |
Resource-Based |
* |
|
|
Rolling Forest |
3.94 |
SP |
Resource-Based |
* |
|
|
Royal Ridge |
12.46 |
SP |
Local |
1973 |
|
|
Springfield Forest |
10.50 |
LEE |
Local |
* |
|
|
Springvale |
8.83 |
LEE |
Local |
1973 |
|
|
Trailside |
6.65 |
LEE |
Local |
|
|
|
West Springfield |
8.06 |
SP |
Local |
1970 |
|
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 Springfield district.
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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