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TextGreat Parks, Great Communities: Lincolnia Planning District
- Supervisory District(s): Mason
- Maintenance Area(s): 2
- Watersheds: Cameron Run
- Major Trails and other connections: Little River Turnpike (Route 236), Ravensworth/Annandale Road, Edsall Road (Route 648) and Braddock Road (Route 620)
- Existing Conditions
- Revised Plan
Location & Character
The Lincolnia Planning District is located in the eastern portion of
Fairfax County. It is adjacent to the City of Alexandria and shares
overlapping service areas with City of Alexandria recreation
facilities.
This planning district is one of the oldest continuously-settled areas of the County, holding significant natural and cultural resources. It is also the smallest planning district and has the second highest population density among planning districts (10.2 persons/acre), with only the Baileys Planning District having a higher population density. The area is almost completely developed, with approximately 5% of the land currently vacant.
Park System Summary
Map 1 depicts the public
parkland in the Lincolnia district. The district consists mostly of
Resource-Based parks and is within Park Authority Maintenance Areas 2
and 3. These parks protect both the cultural and natural resources
within the district and provide a few recreational facilities. Cultural
sites within parks include the Joseph F. Barnes Battery and Green
Spring Farm/Moss House. Natural resources include stream valley areas
associated with the Indian Run and Turkeycock Run waterways.
The two most visited parks in the District are Green Spring Gardens and Pinecrest Golf Course. Green Spring Gardens is Fairfax County's premier horticultural park with over 20 thematic demonstration gardens, a horticultural center with library and greenhouse, educational programming, as well as wooded trails, ponds, and magnolia bog. Pinecrest Golf Course is a 9-hole par 35 executive golf course, offering a clubhouse with indoor golf simulation, snack bar, pro shop and golf lessons. These two facilities draw visitors from throughout Fairfax County and the larger region to utilize the amenities offered there.
The few local serving parks in Lincolnia are located in the southern half of the district. This contributes to the district's shortage of Local and District parkland and therefore many recreational opportunities for residents of this planning district are provided by parks outside the district. 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 Lincolnia District
Map 2: Protected Land in the Lincolnia 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 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 Lincolnia district according to the County parks classification system or by regional, 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 Lincolnia Planning District
|
Park Name |
Acres |
Supervisor District |
Park Classification |
Approved Master Plan Date |
Master Plan Action Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Backlick Run |
8.34 |
MA |
Local |
* |
|
|
Bren Mar |
26.31 |
MA |
Local |
1981 |
X |
|
Green Spring Gardens |
32.38 |
MA |
Countywide |
1992 |
X |
|
Indian Run S.V1 |
56.69+ |
MA |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Joseph F. Barnes Battery |
3.80 |
MA |
Resource-Based |
|
|
|
Lincolnia |
4.64 |
MA |
Local |
1985 |
|
|
Mulberry Hill |
6.35 |
MA |
Local |
|
X |
|
Pinecrest Golf Course |
52.62 |
MA |
District |
1984 |
|
|
Turkeycock Run S.V.1 |
69.35 |
MA |
Resource-Based |
|
|
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 Lincolnia 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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