Alert:
Franconia Park Master Plan Revision
The Franconia District Park Master Plan Revision was approved by the Fairfax County Park Authority Board on May 23, 2018. The new master plan is available in the Planning Documents and Maps section on this page, as is the log of all comments received during the planning process.
Since the summer of 2013, the Fairfax County Park Authority has been working with the community to revise the master plan for Franconia District Park. The Park Authority posted a draft master plan on the project web page in December of 2013 and presented the plan to the Lee District Land Use Committee in March of 2014, before presenting to the community at a public meeting held on April 1, 2014. Based on comments received from the public, the project team revised the draft master plan and presented it to the public at a meeting held on November 12, 2014. In March of 2015, a Public Safety Meeting was held with representatives from Fairfax County Police Department, Fairfax County Department of Transportation, and Virginia Department of Transportation. Due to the concerns expressed by the citizens, the master plan process was put on hold to allow the police and Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) to monitor the park for public safety issues. After two years of observation, the police reported only minimal activity in the area of the park, most of which was unrelated to the park, and NCS reported no issues. On June 29, 2017, another public meeting was held to update the community on the findings from the observation period. The presentations and summaries from all the public meetings held during the Franconia District Park Master Plan Revision process are available in the Meeting Presentation and Notes section of this page.
Throughout the process, the Park Authority has welcomed comments by mail, e-mail, phone, and at public meetings. The public comment period has now closed, with revisions made to the draft master plan based on public input and further agency review. A detailed summary of the Franconia District Park Master Plan Revision process is available in the Planning Documents and Maps section of this page.
Located along the Capital Beltway, at 6432 Bowie Drive in Springfield, Franconia District Park has over 62 acres of playing fields, garden plots, parking, trails, and forest. The park is located in the Lee Supervisory District and is classified as a district park. Please refer to the vicinity map in the Planning Documents and Maps section on this page.
Franconia District Park consists of two parcels acquired by the Fairfax County Park Authority in 1974 and 1976. Existing facilities provide opportunities for park users to attend programs, camps, and sporting events; practice; exercise; walk their dogs; garden; picnic; go sledding; and enjoy the outdoors. The park’s key assets are its athletic fields, garden plots, open space, and trails, all of which are popular among surrounding neighbors and the broader community. More information about the park, its history, and current features are included in the draft master plan revision found in the Planning Documents and Maps section of this page.
Franconia District Park’s current master plan has guided the park’s uses and development since it was approved in 1974. As with many park master plans of that era, the plan consists only of a graphic conceptual plan representing the approved planned uses. Since 1974, visitation to the park has grown as the county has developed. Visitors of all ages now expect a dynamic, modern park experience, which requires flexibility and quality park facilities. A revised master plan will help Franconia District Park continue to evolve to meet the needs and interests of county residents while ensuring protection of the park's important resources for future generations. The 1974 master plan, existing uses, use patterns, and public input were considered in creating the master plan revision.
Documents
Maps
You can contact the Park Authority regarding the Franconia District Park Master Plan Revision or any other project through parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov
