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TextLangley Fork Park Master Plan
Project Update
Spring warms into summer in Fairfax County and the planning for Langley Fork Park continues. The original project schedule had anticipated the Park Authority returning to the community to present the draft master plan in late spring or early summer. However, to quote the poet Robert Burns, “The best-laid schemes of mice and men, often go awry.” The delay in presenting a draft plan, though, is for good reason. Field investigations of the site last fall and this spring indicate the possibility of resources that require further investigation. The Park Authority is preparing for a more detailed series of studies so that the master plan can move ahead in an informed fashion, with greater knowledge of the value of the site. Thank you for staying involved in the master plan process. Please check back from time to time for project updates.
Project Overview
The Fairfax County Park Authority has initiated the process to revise the master plan for Langley Fork Park located at 6250 Georgetown Pike in McLean, Virginia. The purpose of this process is to establish a long-range vision for the park’s development. The original master plan for Langley Fork was approved in 1980 and has guided the park’s development over the past 31 years.
As Fairfax County continues to grow, the Park Authority will occasionally revise a park master plan so that it remains valid to guide the most appropriate usage of parkland and resources in context with a park’s surroundings. The Dranesville District has seen dramatic growth since the initial master plan was drafted in 1980. Growth in the McLean area and the demand for active recreation fields indicate the merit of re-evaluating the best usage of Langley Fork Park and how it may best serve the surrounding area of the next 20 to 30 years.
As part of the master plan revision process, the Park Authority held a public information meeting on Thursday, October 13, 2011 to present information about the park site and to identify community preferences, concerns and issues to be addressed during the master plan revision process. The master plan revision is will be developed concurrently with consideration of a potential land exchange between the Park Authority and the National Park Service which will require preparation of an Environmental Assessment. The meeting presentation and summary of questions and comments from attendees is available for review. Comments and questions are encouraged and can be sent via e-mail to: Parkmail.
Comments from the public will be considered in balance with site characteristics and area planning goals in development of the draft park master plan revision. When completed, the draft plan will be published for review and another public meeting held to present the draft plan to the community and receive comments.
The Park Site
Langley Fork Park, which is approximately 54 acres in size, is located in Dranesville Supervisory District. Located at the northwest corner of Georgetown Pike and Colonial Farm Road, the property is owned by the federal government and permitted to Fairfax County Park Authority. The park is currently developed with two diamond fields, two rectangle fields, basketball courts, fitness trails and parking while much of the park remains heavily wooded.
National Park Service Involvement
Fairfax County Park Authority has used the 1980 Master Plan to manage Langley Forks Park since 1981 under a permit from the National Park Service (NPS) on land that is a part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP). As a part of this project, the Park Authority is considering an equitable land exchange with NPS, whereby the Park Authority could acquire ownership of Langley Fork Park from NPS in exchange for an equally valued portion of nearby Langley Oaks Park.
Any possible change in use of federally owned property requires documentation that satisfies the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), including an evaluation of impacts from potential development. The master plan revision, therefore, will be written concurrently with an Environmental Assessment, prepared in cooperation with NPS. The Environmental Assessment will evaluate the potential land exchange and alternatives for site development identified through the master planning process.
The Park Planning Process
The Park Authority’s master plan process is designed to determine the best uses for a specific park and to optimize management of the site's resources. The master planning process for Langley Fork Park will seek to address the demand for active recreation, how to most feasibly and sustainably address that demand, and an evaluation of natural and cultural resources on the property. Park patrons can expect to see staff from the Park Authority, the National Park Service and their consultants out at the site over the months ahead as we seek to gather a wealth of information about the park’s natural and cultural features.
Once the draft master plan is completed, it will be presented to the community for review and comment at a public comment meeting, which is anticipated to be held in the spring of 2012. More information on the park master plan process can be found by visiting the Park Planning and Development homepage.
Contact and Comment
To provide comments throughout the planning process or for further information on the Langley Fork Park Master Plan Revision, contact Gayle Hooper, Project Manager, Park Planning Branch, Planning and Development Division, Fairfax County Park Authority, 703-324-8725 or through Parkmail.
The Environmental Assessment will be run as a related but separate process under the review of the NPS. The Park Authority and NPS anticipate Public Scoping for the Environmental Assessment to take place in conjunction with the presentation of the draft master plan in spring 2012. Questions regarding the Environmental Assessment can be directed to Ben Helwig, Park Ranger (Community Planner), George Washington Memorial Parkway, at 703-289-2515 or ben_helwig@nps.gov.
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