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 Fairfax 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.

Many of the neighborhood and stream valley parks are accessible by pedestrians from adjacent communities because at the time the communities were developed the parks were embedded within them. They are not readily accessible from major roads and streets. Sometimes there are sidewalks or trails, but often informal paths from yards lead into the parks, which are not usually connected to the comprehensive countywide trail system.

The Cross County Trail (CCT) is a major trail that crosses the Fairfax Planning District along the Accotink Creek, Difficult Run, and Little Difficult Run Stream Valley Parks. The CCT can be accessed at Oak Marr Park. A major weakness in the trail system in this area is the lack of interconnection between the parks and the greater communities they serve. This is mostly due to patchwork development, and major roadways that stand in the way of potential trail connections.

Strategies:
F-C-1.   Use criteria provided in the Park Authority's Trail Strategy Plan to evaluate potential new trails, connections and improvements;
F-C-2.   Work with Somerset HOA to create a trail connection to Long Branch Stream Valley. This will allow students in the community to walk to Woodson High School and Old Forge Elementary School;
F-C-3.   The trail along Little Difficult Run should be continued from Stuart Mill to Lawyers Road; and
F-C-4.   A trail should be constructed in Carney Park between two developer-built trails.

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:
F-C-5.   Consider linking Gabrielson Gardens to a gardening interpretive theme including Green Spring Gardens and other horticultural parks; and
F-C-6.   Include the Difficult Run and Accotink Stream Valleys as significant nodes along a natural areas interpretive trail within the county.

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

Issue: District and Countywide parks and the Cross County Trail should be served by the public transportation system to provide equitable access to recreational facilities.

Some of the larger community and district parks in Fairfax are located along major roads, which make them accessible by automobile. Due to its location along a major road, Oak Marr Park and RECenter are served by the Metrobus 2B and 2G routes, which provide connectivity to the Vienna Metro station. Oak Marr is also within a half-mile walk of Fairfax Connector bus routes 621, 622, and 623. Bike and pedestrian access to the larger parks in the district is difficult because the roads and heavy traffic can present barriers and there is a lack of interconnecting trails in some cases.

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:
F-C-7.   Work with the Department of Transportation to improve bus transit service to parks in the Fairfax Planning District, especially Oak Marr Park. This should include coordination with bus stop locations and transit schedules.

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 Fairfax 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.

Community-building park facilities within the Fairfax District include one dog park at Blake Lane Park and garden plots located at both Eakin Community Park and George Mason Park. A weekly farmers' market is held at Oak Marr Park from May through October. There are no amphitheaters or reservable picnic shelters within the Fairfax Planning District. The City of Fairfax Parks and Recreation Department supports community building events that supplement the county's offerings and serve this district.

Strategies:
F-CB-1.   Consider adding reservable picnic shelters within the district;
F-CB-2.   Look for opportunities to create more garden plot sites in the parks; and
F-CB-3.   Consider adding playgrounds at local parks in the district.

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

In the Fairfax district, very few parks are collocated with other civic uses. Those that are adjacent to civic uses include Dixie Hill, Mosby Woods, Smokewood, and Long Branch Stream Valley Parks, which are all located next to elementary schools.

Strategies:
F-CB-4.   Add recreational facilities and amenities, where appropriate, to parks in the district that are collocated with other civic uses; and
F-CB-5.   Promote the collocation of parks with schools and other civic uses as the area redevelops and its population grows.

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 countywide 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 Fairfax 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: Fairfax Planning District 2020 Facility Needs Analysis

+ 60 ft and 65 ft diamond fields are assigned to the sport where primarily allocated.

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.

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

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 parks in the district are small or constrained and only half of the parks in the Fairfax district have been master planned. Of those that have existing master plans, 80 percent of these plans are more than 20 years old. At these older parks, the master plans have been mostly implemented.

Strategies:
F-SD-3.   Create a Master Plan for Waples Mill Meadow Park and Wayland Street Park, possibly in the same planning process given their close proximity.

The Park Authority has a great 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.

There are 24 facilities that are over 20 years old in the Fairfax District that should be reviewed for replacement. There are several muddy trail sections in need of drainage improvements. Existing fields should be upgraded to maximize playability (including adding lights).

Strategies:
F-FR-1.   Make repairs and upgrades to the Oak Marr RECenter;
F-FR-2.   Consider replacing older facilities at Eakin, and Surrey Square Parks;
F-FR-3.   Existing fields should be upgraded to maximize playability, including adding synthetic turf and lights to the fields at Oak Marr Park; and
F-FR-4.   Provide bicycle racks and playgrounds in local parks where planned.

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

Strategies:
F-FR-5.   Consider expanding the parking lot at Blake Lane Park;
F-FR-6.   Examine parking lots to determine if temporary facilities such as Port-a-Jons, trash cans and recycling bins may be taking up space that is needed for parking; such as the recycling transfer facility at Blake Lane Park; and
F-FR-7.   If allowed, consider placing new parking lots over utility easements, such as gas or water lines, to save space that can be used for other purposes.

Additional parkland is needed to protect and buffer currently owned natural areas and historic sites, provide room to develop new recreational facilities, and to protect existing private "green spaces" within neighborhoods. Strategy suggestions include continuing to add appropriate land to the Park Authority's land holdings to expand the park system.

The district is fairly well served by local parks, with the exception of the Fair Oaks / Fairfax Center Area and the Smokewood neighborhood. Both areas are built out and it is not likely that new local parks can be added. Oak Marr and Nottoway are larger parks that serve the district well. The land area of the Fairfax Planning District is 11,160 acres, of which 1,327 acres are parkland.

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.

Table 3 shows the projected surplus or deficit of parkland in the Fairfax Planning District for the year 2020.

Table 3: Fairfax 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.

The largest land deficit for the Fairfax district is in the larger parks. However, the area is served by District and Countywide Parks outside its boundaries that include Nottoway, Braddock, Burke Lake, and Patriot Parks. In addition, some resource based parks also serve local park needs, such as Fairfax Villa Park. The distribution of local parks in the district is mostly to the east and south leaving gaps in the Fairfax Center area. Land available for active recreation is deficient.

Strategies:
F-LA-1.   Seek opportunities to acquire land for new local parks that will support recreation facilities in the Fair Oaks/Fairfax Center Area; and
F-LA-2.   Seek opportunities to acquire land for a new Local park that will support recreation facilities in the Smokewood neighborhood.

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).

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

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

Strategies:
F-LA-3.   Acquire additional parcels and historic resources adjacent to and in the vicinity of Waples Mill Meadow Park;
F-LA-4.   Acquire additional historic sites in the Fairfax District including Squirrel Hill, adjacent to Wayland Street Park;
F-LA-5.   Encourage new development to create buffers between historic sites and development; and
F-LA-6.   Acquire additional properties that contain significant cultural resources.

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

Strategies:
F-LA-7.   Seek to acquire and/or protect through purchase, donation, development dedications, or conservation easements remaining natural areas in the district, especially large tracts, those connecting to other natural areas and those containing unique or significant natural resources;
F-LA-8.   Seek opportunities to add land near Waples Mill Meadow Park, especially on the western side;
F-LA-9.   Seek opportunities to acquire additional properties adjacent to Fairfax Villa Park;
F-LA-10.   Seek opportunities to expand Long Branch Stream Valley Park;
F-LA-11.   Encourage owners of large private parcels to place easements on their property to protect natural and cultural resources;
F-LA-12.   Encourage the management of utility corridors and other easements with natural resource goals not just utility goals; and
F-LA-13.   Seek opportunities to acquire the several large, relatively undisturbed private parcels that provide important linkages between natural areas and areas with high-quality resources.

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.

The larger parks including Oak Marr, Random Hills-Carney, and Fairfax Villa Parks contain some high-quality resources but are disconnected from larger natural areas and remain under stress due to human activity, invasive species, and deer herbivory. The remaining large parks are in stream valleys, which contain fairly healthy wetlands and habitats that support uncommon plant and animal species. These parks and several adjacent private parcels constitute the best wildlife habitat and stream buffering in the planning district.

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, into the 20th century.

Several interpretive opportunities exist at Fairfax Villa, Waples Mill, Gabrielson Gardens, Eakin, and part of the Accotink Stream Valley Parks. These parks include a 58-acre wooded park providing a unique example of nearly intact native, upland oak-hickory forest, 5,000-year-old Native American sites, old mill remains, a portion of a Civil War campsite, and remnants of the Manassas Gap Railroad.

Strategies:
F-RI-1.   Provide interpretive signs at Eakin, Fairfax Villa, Waples Mill, Gabrielson Gardens, and along the Accotink Stream Valley;
F-RI-2.   Provide interpretation of vernal pools in the Accotink Stream Valley for park visitors; and
F-RI-3.   Conduct an archaeological study of Gabrielson Gardens and use the information to guide preservation and interpretation of the site.

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 .

The Fairfax Planning District contains many important cultural resources, including Civil War features such as the Manassas Gap Railroad. There are several 18th and 19th century mills, which are important for understanding early industry, manufacturing of building materials, and food products. The district also contains many Native American sites that date from the earliest known occupations 12,000 years ago up to European contact, many of which are on parkland.

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

Strategies:
F-CR-1.   A concerted effort should be made to preserve and protect the historic features of this district, particularly the Manassas Gap Railroad and mill sites.

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

Strategies:
F-CR-2.   A concerted effort should be made to preserve and protect the cultural features of this district, particularly the Native American sites, the Manassas Gap Railroad and other Civil War sites and mill sites; and
F-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:
F-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 Fairfax Planning District. This is an issue of countywide concern that should be addressed with centralized facilities.

The Fairfax district is largely built out with mostly small-lot residential and commercial land uses. The landscape is intensely developed with a suburban and urban character, leaving few areas of natural open space. A number of stream valleys in the district are protected as parkland, including Accotink Creek, Long Branch, Difficult Run and Little Difficult Run. Fairfax Villa Park is a good example of mature oak-hickory forest, which is the dominant climax forest community type in this area. The relatively undisturbed soils and low levels of invasive plant cover at this park are a sign of a healthy forest that is likely to remain so if managed properly.

Issue: Natural habitats and the wildlife they support are disappearing due to development and are fragmented from development, trails, easements and utilities. Meadow and upland habitats are especially scarce.

Existing natural habitat is degraded by the impacts of development - excess stormwater runoff, fragmentation, harmful landscaping practices, and spread of invasive species. Multiple encroachments on park land impact habitat and disrupt corridors. In addition, several key linkages remain unprotected by public ownership or conservation easement.

Strategies:
F-NR-1.   Seek to acquire and protect remaining natural areas in the district especially large tracts, those connecting to other natural areas and those containing unique or significant natural resources;
F-NR-2.   Protect and improve existing corridors, linkages and watersheds;
F-NR-3.   Provide new linkages between remaining public and private natural areas;
F-NR-4.   Manage utility corridors and other easements consistent with natural resource goals, not just utility service goals; and
F-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.

Limited land in a natural condition, dense development with high percentages of impervious surface and very few stormwater controls result in flashy conditions during storm events, which cause considerable erosion and degraded stream conditions, such as cut banks, silted stream bottoms, and low stream fauna diversity. This is evidenced by the frequency of channel armoring and minimal plant and fish diversity present during surveying (Stream Protection Strategy Baseline Study, January 2001).

The Park Authority works closely with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) on watershed planning and implementation. In the short term, construction of new stormwater controls could be disruptive to natural resources and park activities. However, in the long term, benefits to water quality and in-stream habitat should be significant. Without increases in stormwater management, the quality of preserved parkland is threatened.

Strategies:
F-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;
F-NR-7.   Encourage private property owners to adopt wildlife and water friendly landscaping practices to improve water quality and habitat; and
F-NR-8.   Restore riparian buffers on parkland.

Issue: The Park Authority does not have an adequate inventory of natural resources on parkland, nor the capacity to actively manage and protect natural resources.

Significant vernal pools are known to exist along portions of Accotink Stream Valley within this planning district. These vernal pools provide wildlife habitat to several amphibian species and educational opportunities for park visitors. In order to protect and manage these wetlands, inventories must be done to identify their location, extent, and condition.

Strategies:
F-NR-9.   Direct development of park infrastructure to areas that, when inventoried, reflect few or poor quality natural resources, unless otherwise incompatible;
F-NR-10.   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;
F-NR-11.   Conduct natural resource inventories and develop and implement natural resource management plans for natural areas; and
F-NR-12.   Inventory vernal pools and amphibian species in Accotink Stream Valley.

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

Without control of non-native invasive species, the quality of preserved parkland is threatened. Citizen participation in invasive species removal events has occurred or is planned at five parks within the Fairfax District. Rutherford Park, parcels within the Difficult Run Stream Valley, and Accotink Stream Valley are being managed as part of the Park Authority's Invasive Management Area pilot program.

Strategies:
F-NR-13.   Educate citizens on the problems associated with invasive plant species. Work with them to eliminate or limit invasives on private property near parks and to prevent new introductions of invasive species; and
F-NR-14.   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.

Tree cover is low in the Fairfax Planning District, where most of the land is privately held. County goals to increase tree cover identify private land as the primary place to plant new trees to increase and enhance tree cover.

Strategies:
F-NR-15.   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;
F-NR-16.   Encourage tree planting and natural landscaping techniques on private land;
F-NR-17.   Incorporate natural landscaping techniques on parkland, avoid tree loss from development and where possible increase tree canopy; and
F-NR-18.   Designate permanent resource protection zones in park master plans that define appropriate uses and development in relation to significant natural resource areas.

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 Fairfax Planning District.