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TextGreat Parks, Great Communities: Upper Potomac Planning District
- Supervisory District(s): Dranesville, Hunter Mill, Sully
- Maintenance Area(s): 5, 6
- Watersheds: Cub Run, Difficult Run, Horsepen Creek, Nichol Run, Pond Branch, Sugarland Run
- Major Trails and other connections: Potomac Heritage Trail, Cross County Trail, W&OD Trail
- Existing Conditions
- Revised Plan
Location & Character
The Upper Potomac Planning District is located in northwestern Fairfax
County. It is bounded on the north by the Potomac River, on the east by
Difficult Run, on the south by Route 50, and on the west by Loudoun
County and Dulles Airport.
The Great Falls area, located along the Potomac River is semi-rural. In contrast, the planned community of Reston and the Town of Herndon are more densely developed. Suburban Centers along Routes 50 and 28 and the Dulles Toll Road are planned for high intensity mixed use.
Park System Summary
Map 1 depicts the public parkland in the
Upper Potomac Planning District. There are 58 public parks with a total
of about 4,700 acres in the district. These parks make up about 16
percent of the total acreage of the district. About 40% of all the park
acreage in the district is owned by the Park Authority, and is within
Park Authority Maintenance Areas 5 and 6. The rest is owned by other
providers, primarily the Federal government, Northern Virginia Regional
Park Authority (NVRPA), Town of Herndon and the Reston Association.
The parks in the district include a lakefront park, working farm, district parks, local-serving parks, historic sites, natural resource protection areas and stream valleys. Facilities include trails, rectangle fields, diamond fields, tennis courts, multi-use courts, volleyball courts, nature center, garden plots, dog parks, playgrounds, and picnic facilities.
One of the largest parks in the district at nearly 500 acres, Lake Fairfax Park has an 18-acre lake and provides a variety of facilities such as sports fields, group picnic areas, campgrounds, fishing, carousel, Water Mine Family Swimmin' Hole and marina. Frying Pan Farm Park is a working model farm typical of Fairfax County farms of the early 20th century. The Turner Farm provides equestrian facilities and an observatory that takes advantage of the darker skies in this part of the county. Significant historic sites in the district include the 19th century Sully Historic Site and 18th century Colvin Run Mill.
Riverbend Park, Great Falls National Park, Upper Potomac Regional Park and Fraser Preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy protect the majority of the Potomac Gorge shoreline in the district. These parks provide miles of shoreline for hiking, nature watching, kayaking, canoeing and fishing along the Potomac River.
As rail transit is built along the Dulles Toll Road, new urban parks may be created in mixed-use areas. The rural nature of the Great Falls area may offer opportunities to convert open areas to parks, but opportunities in other parts of the 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 Upper Potomac District Map 2: Regulatory Protections on Land in the Upper 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 Upper Potomac district according to this system. 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 Upper Potomac Planning District
|
Park Name |
Acres |
Supervisor District |
Park Classification |
Approved Master Plan Date |
Master Plan Action Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alabama Drive |
11.08 |
DR |
Local |
1990 |
|
|
Arrowbrook |
6.44 |
HM |
Local |
* |
|
|
Baron Cameron School Site |
60.00 |
HM |
District |
2001 |
|
|
Braedy |
14.10 |
DR |
Town of Herndon |
||
|
Bruin |
8.20 |
DR |
Local |
1966 |
|
|
Chandon |
8.00 |
DR |
Local |
2002 |
|
|
Clarke's Landing |
13.56 |
SU |
Local |
X |
|
|
Colvin Run Mill |
36.83 |
DR |
Resource-Based |
2008 |
|
|
Colvin Run S.V.1 |
74.63 |
DR |
Resource-Based |
||
|
Cuttermill |
5.10 |
DR |
Town of Herndon |
||
|
Difficult Run S.V.1 |
900.68+ |
HM, DR |
Resource-Based |
||
|
Dranesville Tavern |
14.59 |
DR |
Resource-Based |
1991 |
|
|
Dulles Corner |
6.69 |
HM |
Local |
2006 |
|
|
Fair Oaks |
3.69 |
SU |
Local |
X |
|
|
Fair Woods |
14.36 |
SU |
Local |
* |
X |
|
Floris School Site |
4.80 |
HM |
Local |
1986 |
|
|
Folly Lick S.V.1 |
46.67 |
DR |
Resource-Based |
||
|
Fox Valley |
11.04 |
SU |
Local |
* |
X |
|
Franklin Farm |
8.13 |
SU |
Local |
1984 |
|
|
Franklin Glen |
3.66 |
SU |
Local |
1984 |
|
|
Franklin Oaks |
5.96 |
HM |
Local |
* |
X |
|
Fred Crabtree |
208.52 |
HM |
District |
1995 |
|
|
Frying Pan Farm |
135.26 |
HM |
Countywide |
2002 |
|
|
Frying Pan S.V.1 |
77.08 |
HM |
Resource-Based |
||
|
Garnchayne |
21.31 |
SU |
Local |
||
|
Grand Hamptons |
5.01 |
DR |
Local |
* |
|
|
Great Falls Grange |
9.02 |
DR |
Local |
1985 |
|
|
Great Falls Nike |
45.52 |
DR |
District |
1991 |
|
|
Great Falls National Park |
697.00 |
DR |
Federal |
||
|
Haley M. Smith |
9.50 |
DR |
Town of Herndon |
||
|
Herndon Centennial Golf Course |
137.00 |
DR |
Town of Herndon |
||
|
Hickory Run School Site^ |
10.60 |
DR |
Local |
X |
|
|
Holly Knoll |
5.86 |
DR |
Local |
* |
X |
|
Horsepen Run S.V.1 |
127.30 |
SU |
Resource-Based |
||
|
Hutchison School Site |
28.50 |
DR |
Local |
1991 |
|
|
Lake Fairfax |
478.99 |
HM, DR |
Countywide |
2001 |
|
|
Lexington Estates |
14.71 |
DR |
Resource-Based |
X |
|
|
Little Difficult Run S.V.1 |
389.69+ |
HM |
Resource-Based |
||
|
Lockmeade |
5.08 |
DR |
Local |
X |
|
|
Merrybrook Run S.V.1 |
16.61 |
HM |
Resource-Based |
||
|
Navy Vale |
1.20 |
SU |
Local |
||
|
Reston North |
9.54 |
HM |
Local |
1984 |
|
|
Reston Town Green |
5.00 |
HM |
Local |
X |
|
|
Riverbend |
411.18 |
DR |
Resource-Based |
1975 |
X |
|
Runnymede |
56.00 |
DR |
Town of Herndon |
||
|
Shaker Woods |
13.55 |
HM |
Local |
X |
|
|
South Lakes Drive |
13.90 |
HM |
Local |
1983 |
|
|
Stanton |
10.85 |
DR |
Local |
1976 |
|
|
Stratton Woods |
25.58 |
HM |
District |
1999 |
|
|
Stuart Road |
6.36 |
DR |
Local |
1986 |
|
|
Sugarland Run S.V.1 |
224.42 |
DR |
Resource-Based |
||
|
Sully Historic Site |
31.44+ |
SU |
Resource-Based |
2005 |
|
|
Tamarack |
20.85 |
HM |
Local |
1989 |
|
|
The Turner Farm |
56.04 |
DR |
Countywide |
2000 |
X |
|
Trailside |
6.00 |
DR |
Town of Herndon |
||
|
Upper Potomac Regional |
655.00 |
DR |
Regional |
||
|
W & O D Regional Trail |
172.00+ |
DR |
Regional |
||
|
Windermere |
24.06 |
DR |
Local |
X |
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 Upper Potomac
district.
^ School Sites operated on an interim basis as parks by the Park
Authority do not have master plans as they are owned and governed by
the Fairfax County Public Schools.
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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