Better integrating parks with surrounding land uses (neighborhoods and employment centers) and increasing park-to-park connections within the system will allow for greater access and enjoyment. Strategy suggestions include adding trails, trail connections, bridges and other forms of improved access to and between parks.

Map 3 illustrates existing and planned connections and points of interest within the Baileys Planning District. The map depicts high-level, conceptual connections and incorporates elements from the adopted Countywide Trails Plan and Park Authority Trail Strategy Plan. Connections link natural and cultural resources and recreational destinations, supporting recreational activity and frequently offering alternative transportation options.

Issue: The Park Authority should work to improve non-motorized access to parks from commercial and residential areas and to increase connectivity between park sites. 

The transportation system which runs within this area significantly impedes development of non-motorized trail connections. The small number of parks and distance between them also preclude connectivity between parks through parkland, which is the primary route in many other planning districts. Columbia Pike (Rt. 244), Arlington Boulevard (Rt. 50) and Leesburg Pike (Rt. 7) separate the planning district into five distinct areas between which those routes form significant barriers to connectivity.

The City of Alexandria's trail system within Holmes Run Stream Valley provides an opportunity for connection with Fairfax County trails.

Strategies:
B-C-1.  Use criteria provided in the Park Authority's Trail Strategy Plan to evaluate potential new trails, connections and improvements;
B-C-2.  Encourage and assist County staff to work with the Lake Barcroft Association to pursue public accessibility to the trail system in and around Lake Barcroft in a way that would protect the property and security of the Lake Barcroft residential community and provide a link between Fairfax County stream valley parkland south of Columbia Pike and Holmes Run Stream Valley trail west of Lake Barcroft; and
B-C-3.  Support City of Alexandria efforts to connect Park Authority and City of Alexandria trail systems at Glen Hills Park/Holmes Run.

Issue: Multiple, separate park sites located across Fairfax County should be linked through thematic interpretive connections.

Thematic connections, emphasized through elements such as signage, maps, or website information, can foster greater public awareness of important features. Increased knowledge of site features could encourage greater support for stewardship and management activities.

Strategies:
B-C-4.  Add the Clark House at Barcroft Mews to an interpretive trail that links the site to other historic structures within Fairfax County that illustrates changing architectural styles through the County's development; and
B-C-5.  Include the Holmes Run Stream Valley as a significant node along a natural areas interpretive trail within the county.

Issue: Park facilities should be served by the public transportation system to provide access to recreational facilities.

Almost all of the parks in the Baileys district are within a half-mile of existing Metrobus routes. Only portions of the Holmes Run Stream Valley Park are outside this distance. While it may appear that all of the parks in the district are currently well served by public transportation, they are not, due to stop locations and transit schedules.

Transit stops may be located farther away from parks than a half-mile, or across busy streets where safe crossing may be an issue. While there is some limited weekend transit service, the majority of the transit in the area is to support morning and evening commuting with flows to and from the Metro stations being a primary goal. Transit supporting commuting times and patterns do not necessarily serve park users who wish to use parks.

Strategies:
B-C-6.  Work with the Department of Transportation to improve bus transit service to parks in the Baileys Planning District, especially Lillian Carey and Holmes Run Stream Valley, where non-motorized trails exist. This should include coordination with bus stop locations and transit schedules.

Map 3: Non-motorized Connections and Points of Interest in the Baileys District

Issue: The Park Authority should work to improve access to waterways and promote the use of "water trails" throughout the County.

Since there are no navigable waterways in the district, no district- or park-specific strategies exist for this issue in the Baileys Planning District.

Local parks are places where people can interact and build community. Well-designed and located parks, park facilities and programs support greater social interaction. Community-building park facilities and activities include reservable picnic areas, amphitheaters, dog parks, garden plots, farmers markets, performances and special events. Collocation of facilities with other community uses can also assist in strengthening communities. Strategy suggestions include ways to increase the community-building role of local parks in residential neighborhoods and providing parks and recreation facilities near other civic uses.

Issue: Local and urban parks should include a combination of facilities, amenities and gathering spaces to attract and promote social interaction among community members.

Baileys has the highest population density of all the districts in the county and many high-density residential buildings, where residents do not have private yards. Outdoor community spaces for people and dogs are needed to provide casual leisure opportunities and to build community.

A few parks in the Baileys Planning District provide community building facilities that help to promote social interaction and better integrate local parks with the surrounding community. Dowden Terrace and Lillian Carey Parks have picnic shelters and many other parks have picnic tables and playgrounds. Reservable picnic shelters are not available within this planning district, nor are there any other facilities that would serve large family or community gatherings within these parks.

There are no amphitheaters, dog parks, garden plots, farmers markets, or performance and special event spaces in the Baileys district, although nearby Mason District Park in the Annandale Planning District provides most of these types of facilities.

Strategies:
B-CB-1.  Explore possibilities for providing a neighborhood-scale off-leash dog area; and
B-CB-2.  Consider adding reservable picnic shelters and community gathering spaces; perhaps in conjunction with other public buildings.

Issue: Parks should be collocated with other civic uses (libraries, community centers, senior centers, etc.) to promote social interaction among community members.

Many existing parks are located with other public facilities. Community centers, libraries, and all types of schools are adjacent to various parks within the Baileys Planning District. The collocation of these facilities allows for some access and parking to be combined in one location (as at Baileys Park). This also allows for the parks to provide supporting recreational uses, such as the provision of trails and picnic areas in Lillian Carey Park for the Baileys Community Center.

J.E.B. Stuart Park is adjacent to J.E.B. Stuart High School and the diamond field is utilized by school teams. Belvedere and Baileys parks are adjacent to identically named elementary schools and provide recreation and outdoor space for the schools as well.

Baileys Park is adjacent to the Woodrow Wilson Community Library and provides outdoor space for library users.

Strategies:
B-CB-3.  Add recreational facilities and amenities, where appropriate, to parks in the district that are collocated with other civic uses; and
B-CB-4.  Strengthen use relationships between parks and adjacent civic spaces.

The Park Authority provides quality facilities that are well used, but may not be equitably distributed across all parts of the County or accessible to all groups. Countywide and specialty facilities, in particular, may not serve a true county-wide service area. Residents desire recreational facilities and opportunities at parks near where they live and for all age groups and socio-economic populations. Strategy suggestions include creating more facilities, better distributing facilities across the County, and reducing barriers to use.

Service level standards for over twenty park facility types were established through the 2004 Needs Assessment process and incorporated into the Countywide Policy Plan in 2005. Facility standards are countywide goals for providing park and recreation facilities that reasonably satisfy community needs. Standards are expressed in units per population, and are based on extensive analysis of citizen demand and preferences compared with the existing public facility inventories. Based on the Countywide adopted facility service level standards and projected population growth, Table 2 shows the projected surplus or deficit of several key local serving facilities in the Baileys Planning District for the year 2020. While overall facility needs are quantified in Table 2, the location of needed facilities is determined through the site specific master planning process that considers site conditions, context, resources, and community input. For more detailed information on existing facilities in each park and service levels, please see the Existing Conditions Report.

Table 2: Baileys Planning District 2020 Facility Needs Analysis

Issue: The Park Authority should provide and equitably distribute facilities to meet established facility service level standards.

There is a severe shortage of athletic fields, particularly rectangular fields, in the Baileys district. Mason District and Jefferson District Parks are large parks that provide a significant number of fields and recreational amenities. Both are located outside of the Baileys district, but do serve a portion of the recreation needs of the area. The district is also served by Upton Regional Park, administered by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA).

A synthetic turf rectangle field with diamond overlay was recently completed at Bailey's Elementary School. This field will better serve community and school needs and better withstand heavy use than a grass field. Unlike other planning districts, there are no athletic courts or field facilities in this district that are planned but not constructed.

Strategies:
B-SD-1.  Coordinate with NVRPA to allow Fairfax County to include fields at Upton Regional Park in the Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) scheduling system;
B-SD-2.  Consider adding court facilities and complexes at local parks in the district to address the deficiency of local-serving athletic courts;
B-SD-3.  Pursue partnerships with schools to improve field quality and increase public access to school athletic facilities;
B-SD-4.  Explore the possibility of adding a neighborhood skate park facility to one of the parks in the district; and
B-SD-5.  Seek proffered funding and/or development of athletic facilities through the development process.

Issue: The Park Authority should provide new kinds of parks and facilities and in new ways to meet the needs of the County's changing population.

Strategies:
B-SD-6.  Continue to develop relationships with immigrant communities in the district and seek their input on providing appropriate park facilities and spaces to meet their recreation needs.

Issue: The Park Authority should re-examine park master plans to determine if parks are planned to best serve the needs of Fairfax County residents.

Most of the parks in the district have existing master plans. Most of these master plans are over 30 years old and planned with facilities that may not best support adjacent residential uses. Some sites, such as Lilian Carey Park, offer the opportunity to expand local park usage by conversion of older, less popular facilities (horseshoe pits, sand volleyball court) to newer facilities that will better meet the needs of the community.

Strategies:
B-SD-7.  Consider revising the master plan for Lilian Carey Park to allow for development of new or different recreational facilities to meet the needs of Baileys residents; and
B-SD-8.  Look for opportunities to create single activity-oriented parks (such as a tennis court complex) that will create sport destination parks within the district that would support league and drop-in sport participation.

The Park Authority has a diversity of facilities and resources in various lifecycle stages. Funding and schedules for replacement or reinvestment are inconsistent and adding new facilities has sometimes taken precedence over renewal of existing facilities. Strategy suggestions include repairing, replacing, upgrading, and improving utilization of existing facilities and equipment.

Issue: Repair, replacement, and upgrading of existing park facilities should be addressed through a system-wide lifecycle replacement program that takes into account changing facility needs.

Strategies:
B-FR-1.  Replace playground equipment at Parklawn Park;
B-FR-2.  Renovate or enhance the playground areas at Dowden Terrace and Munson Hill Parks;
B-FR-3.  Collocate play equipment for the full age-range of children wherever possible to increase use of playgrounds by the community; and
B-FR-4.  Continue neighborhood partnerships to reinvest in local parks, such as those that have taken place at Munson Hill and Parklawn Parks.

Issue: Parking standards and levels of service should reflect user patterns to minimize impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.

Due to the dense residential nature of the district, there can be parking conflicts between local residents and park users arriving by automobile.

Strategies:
B-FR-5.  Develop all local parks in a way that encourages non-motorized access to the surrounding residential areas; and
B-FR-6.  Promote shared access and parking agreements when parks are adjacent to other civic uses, such as places of worship, libraries or schools.

Additional parkland is needed to protect and buffer natural areas and historic sites and to provide room to develop new recreational facilities. Strategy suggestions include ways to continue to add appropriate land to the Park Authority's land holdings to expand the park system.

Service level standards for both local and district/countywide parkland were established through the 2004 Needs Assessment and incorporated into the Countywide Policy Plan in 2005. Parkland standards represent countywide goals for providing land for the two types of parks (Local and District/Countywide) that support service delivery and facility development and are expressed in units per population. Local parks include both suburban and urban park types. Resource-based parks occur where resources are located and therefore do not require quantitative service level standards. Please refer to the Park Classification discussion earlier in this chapter for additional information on park classification descriptions.

Based on adopted service level standards and projected population growth, Table 3 shows the projected surplus or deficit of parkland in the Baileys Planning District for the year 2020.

Table 3: Baileys Planning District 2020 Park Land Needs Analysis

+ The District and Countywide Parks that serve this Planning District may be located outside the Planning District and this outlying acreage is not reflected in this table.
* There is no service level standard for Resource-Based parkland. The amount of resource based parkland owned and/or protected is based on the existence and sensitivity of the resources.

Issue: Parkland for recreation should be provided according to adopted service level standards and distributed equitably throughout the County.

Due to the existing dense development within Baileys, there are few opportunities to purchase land suitable for park facilities. Therefore the most likely source of new parkland to address the service level deficiencies will come from infill development and redevelopment within commercial areas or from outside the Baileys district. Improvements to schools, libraries, and community centers may offer opportunities to improve existing parkland or create new parks.

Strategies:
B-LA-1.  Seek land dedications to create additional local serving parks with infill development and redevelopment; and
B-LA-2.  Consider adding or improving parks and public recreation uses when other public properties are redeveloped and/or renovated.

Issue: Urban parks should be provided in higher density/mixed use areas of the County (i.e. Tysons Corner, Transit Station Areas, Commercial Revitalization Districts).

The Bailey Crossroads and Seven Corners Commercial Revitalization District (CRD) is an area of the county targeted for revitalization and higher density mixed use developments. While Parklawn Park is the only park within the CRD area, there are an additional seventy acres of parkland within 0.5 miles of the CRD. Some of these parks are within walking distance of the CRD and should be viewed as contributing elements to support revitalization efforts within the CRD. Primary among these are J.E.B. Stuart, Dowden Terrace, and the Boyd and Charlotte Hogge parks. Additional urban park opportunities have been identified within the Baileys Core Area plan that will serve growth in this area and provide essential placemaking elements.

Strategies:
B-LA-3.  Encourage rezoning applicants to provide turnkey urban parks and recreational facilities in the growth areas of Baileys Crossroads and Seven Corners to serve new residents and employees that will be concentrated there; and
B-LA-4.  Encourage new development in the Baileys and Seven Corners CRD to provide improvements to existing parks in the district.

Issue: Property acquisition is important for protecting cultural resources in Fairfax County and ensuring their preservation for future generations.

Strategies:
B-LA-5.  Seek to acquire and/or protect through purchase, donation, development dedications, public access easements or conservation easements remaining natural areas in the district, especially urban parks and large tracts connecting to other natural areas and those containing unique or significant natural resources.

Issue: Property acquisition is an important strategy for protecting natural resources in Fairfax County and ensuring open and natural areas for future generations.

Most of the natural and cultural resource areas in the Baileys district have been developed or are impinged by existing development. A large portion of Lillian Carey Park contains natural areas that support the Holmes Run Stream Valley ecosystem.

Strategies:
B-LA-6.  Continue to seek opportunities to acquire property within the Holmes Run stream valley, in accordance with the stream valley policy.

Residents may not be aware of or understand the importance of the vast number of natural and cultural resources the Park Authority holds in public trust. Strategy suggestions include adding to the existing interpretive facilities, signs, and programs. Roadway and trail waysides permit park visitors opportunities to stop and view interpretive signage.

Issue: The full range of natural and cultural resources within Fairfax County should be interpreted through facilities as needed.

When compared to other planning districts, parkland within the Baileys District has limited natural resources. Holmes Run Stream Valley and Lillian Carey parks comprise the majority of the natural resources in the district. These resources are primarily related to the water resources of the stream valleys and the large non-fragmented forested areas of these parks. Most of the remaining parks in the district have fragmented natural areas.

The Baileys Planning District has many important cultural resources. The most important of these are Civil War features and Native American sites. Native American sites exist in abundance in the undeveloped portions of our park lands. Historic sites in county parks in the district reflect different phases of the architectural and agrarian history of Fairfax County during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. They provide opportunities to interpret the evolution of Fairfax County from colony through the Revolution, Civil War and into the period of the New Nation.

Strategies:
B-RI-1.  Provide appropriate cultural resource signage and interpretive facilities at Clark House, Summers Cemetery, Munson Hill, Skyline, and Parklawn Parks.

Many factors threaten the health, protection and viability of natural and cultural resources on county parkland. Strategy suggestions include focusing on managing threats and actively managing existing natural and cultural resources consistent with guidance provided in the countywide Cultural Resource Management Plan and Natural Resource Management Plan.

Issue: Historic structures should be stabilized, repaired, renovated and/or restored to ensure their preservation and availability for public viewing and interpretation.

Some of the important historic resources in the district are the Clark House at Barcroft Mews, The Summers Cemetery, and Munson Hill.

Strategies:
B-CR-1.  Restore, preserve, and maintain the Clark House; and
B-CR-2.  Evaluate the condition of Summers Cemetery and surrounding fence and gate, repair and reinstall gravestones currently housed at the James Lee Center, and replace any missing gravestones, where possible.

Issue: Cultural Resources should be identified and evaluated prior to any proposed construction activity.

Strategies:
B-CR-3.  For any site subject to proposed construction activity, a preliminary assessment of the property will be carried out using GIS and pedestrian reconnaissance. Should potential resources be present, a cultural resource survey will be conducted and mitigation measures will be developed, as necessary.

Issue: Impacts to National Register eligible cultural resources should be avoided where at all feasible. If impacts cannot be avoided mitigation level documentation or data recovery should occur.

Strategies:
B-CR-4.  Document and record buildings and structures using Historic American Buildings/Historic American Engineering methods (research, measured drawings and archival photographs) and conduct data recovery excavations for archaeological sites, as appropriate.

Issue: New, expanded, and upgraded facilities are needed to house artifact collections to ensure their preservation for future generations.

No district- or park-specific strategies exist for this issue in the Baileys Planning District. This is an issue of countywide concern that should be addressed with centralized facilities.

The natural areas of the district are extremely fragmented, with significant portions of edge and few large tracts remaining. Most of the natural areas are concentrated in the low-lying lands since many of the uplands have been converted to built features. Transportation and utility corridors and other easements crisscross natural areas, often resulting in less than ideal management practices. Neighborhoods are located too close to existing wildlife corridors for movement of animal and plant species. This also has the effect of increasing citizen/wildlife conflict and limiting natural migration in these corridors.

Issue: Natural habitats and the wildlife they support are disappearing and are fragmented.

Strategies:
B-NR-1.  Seek to acquire and protect remaining natural areas in the district;
B-NR-2.  Protect and improve existing corridors, linkages, and watersheds;
B-NR-3.  Provide new linkages between remaining public and private natural areas;
B-NR-4.  Manage utility corridors and other easements consistent with natural resource goals, not just utility service goals; and
B-NR-5.  Designate permanent resource protection zones on parkland that define appropriate uses and development.

Issue: Water resources and stream valleys are degraded due to development and associated stormwater runoff.

Strategies:
B-NR-6.  Work with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) and private land owners to capture and treat stormwater. This could take the form of incorporating Low Impact Development (LID) methods on residential and commercial lots and renovation of larger properties to provide new or enhanced stormwater facilities;
B-NR-7.  Encourage private property owners to adopt wildlife and water friendly landscaping practices to improve water quality and habitat.

Issue: The Park Authority does not have an adequate inventory of natural resources on parkland.

Strategies:
B-NR-8.  Direct development of park infrastructure to areas that, when inventoried, reflect few or poor quality natural resources, unless otherwise incompatible;
B-NR-9.  Ensure that natural resources are assessed prior to any park development. Use design principles that minimize natural resource impacts and include monitoring and restoration of impacted natural areas as part of development plans; and
B-NR-10.  Conduct natural resource inventories, develop, and implement natural resource management plans for natural areas, especially within the Holmes Run stream valley corridor.

Issue: Non-native invasive plants are threatening natural resources by reducing the diversity of native species and impacting wildlife habitat.

The extremely fragmented nature of the natural areas in the district coupled with small park size and high levels of human disturbance have generally resulted in degraded natural areas within parks with high occurrences of invasive plant species. Due to the mature nature of the urban and residential development in the Baileys area, invasive plant species are well established and often cover large percentages of vegetated areas.

Strategies:
B-NR-11.  Educate citizens on the problems associated with invasive plant species. Work with them to eliminate or limit invasive plants on private property near parks and to prevent new introductions of invasive species; and
B-NR-12.  Expand non-native invasive plant management and habitat restoration on parkland by implementing the Non-Native Invasive Plant Prioritization Plan and Assessment.

Issue: The County has a goal to expand tree canopy. The Park Authority should contribute to this goal wherever possible by ensuring existing forested areas are sustainable and expanding canopy where possible.

Strategies:
B-NR-13.  Ensure sustainability of tree canopy on parkland by developing and implementing management plans and controlling threats such as non-native invasive plants and deer herbivory;
B-NR-14.  Encourage tree planting and natural landscaping techniques on private land;
B-NR-15.  Incorporate natural landscaping techniques on parkland, avoid tree loss from development and where possible increase tree canopy; and
B-NR-16.  Designate permanent resource protection zones on parkland that define appropriate uses and development.

Issue: The Park Authority should utilize innovative practices in construction of recreational facilities and buildings to minimize impacts to the environment and demonstrate stewardship.

No district or park-specific strategies exist for this issue in the Baileys Planning District.