Have Thoughts on Jones Point Park?

[chris_s]

Have Thoughts on Jones Point Park? Apparently NPS would like to hear them.

The George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), part of the national park system, invites you to help chart the future of Jones Point Park. The National Park Service (NPS) will evaluate the existing condition and uses of Jones Point Park and, with public input, will develop a set of recommendations for desired recreational experiences.

A series of open houses will identify potential recreational and programming uses for Jones Point Park. All three meetings will offer the opportunity to provide ideas to the project team on the existing use of the park and to specify the types of activities and programs people would like. The meetings are as follows:
– Saturday, November 7, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Jones Point Park. Please note that the event is planned to take place outside under the Wilson Bridge. In case of inclement weather, portions of the meeting will take place in the Visitor Comfort Station under the Wilson Bridge. Parking is available at the site.
– Monday, November 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center, at 1108 Jefferson St, in Alexandria, Va. Parking is available at the site.
– Tuesday, November 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library, 717 Queen Street, in Alexandria, Va. On-street parking is available.

Also you can skip their meetings and just comment from afar via the wonder of the Internet. FYI, the presentation isn’t exactly illuminating.

Topic

[Steve O]

@chris_s 127373 wrote:

Have Thoughts on Jones Point Park? Apparently NPS would like to hear them.

The National Park Service (NPS) will evaluate the existing condition and uses of Jones Point Park and, with public input, will develop a set of recommendations for desired recreational experiences.

Perhaps they could replace the existing Bollard-Dodging, Hand-Smashing, Pedal-Catching, Crash-Inducing Obstacle Course with lawn bowling or something.

[ian74]

@chris_s 127373 wrote:

Have Thoughts on Jones Point Park? Apparently NPS would like to hear them.

– Saturday, November 7, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Jones Point Park. Please note that the event is planned to take place outside under the Wilson Bridge. In case of inclement weather, portions of the meeting will take place in the Visitor Comfort Station under the Wilson Bridge. Parking is available at the site.

This is brilliant! The Visitor Comfort Station is the bathroom. Will the women and men have to have separate meetings if it is nasty out then?

[Rootchopper]

Will there be courtesy flushes?

[CaseyKane50]

Help keep WABA’s regional Bike Safety course in Alexandria by speaking up at one of the National Park Service’s Public Meetings in the next few days. WABA signed an agreement with the National Park Service to install a “temporary” bike safety course (“Bike School”) on one of the parking lots. We want to keep WABA’s bike school here as part of the Park’s longer-term plan, enabling ready access to top-quality bike safety education in Alexandria. Please join BPAC’s Chairman, Jim Durham and WABA’s Executive Director, Greg Billing, at the first meeting on Saturday, November 7, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Jones Point Park. Other opportunities on Monday, Nov 9th, and Tuesday, Nov 10th are listed below.

If you can’t make one of the meetings, you can also submit comments electronically.

Thanks so much!

Other Public meeting times and locations:
Monday, November 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center, at 1108 Jefferson St, in Alexandria, Va. Parking is available at the site.
Tuesday, November 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Kate Waller Barrett Branch Library, 717 Queen Street, in Alexandria, Va. On-street parking is available.

[Rootchopper]

Thanks for the heads up on this. I just submitted comments: (1) Keep accommodating the WABA bike school, (2) provide a safe place for kids to learn (even when not part of the school), (3) revisit the ludicrous bollards and high curbs, (3) consult WABA and ABPAC before new construction so that we don’t have a repeat of the dangerous detours during the re-building of the park a few years ago.

[dasgeh]

If anyone wants to paste copy-and-paste-able-text…

[CaseyKane50]

@ian74 127411 wrote:

This is brilliant! The Visitor Comfort Station is the bathroom. Will the women and men have to have separate meetings if it is nasty out then?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]10061[/ATTACH]
The meeting took place on the side of the comfort station

@Rootchopper 127502 wrote:

Thanks for the heads up on this. I just submitted comments: (1) Keep accommodating the WABA bike school, (2) provide a safe place for kids to learn (even when not part of the school), (3) revisit the ludicrous bollards and high curbs, (3) consult WABA and ABPAC before new construction so that we don’t have a repeat of the dangerous detours during the re-building of the park a few years ago.

I added (4) plow the trails and (5) wayfinding.

Besides representatives from NPS, WABA, and BPAC, Mari Lou Livingood, President of the newly formed Trust for the George Washington Memorial Parkway was also in attendance at the event on Saturday.

Quote:

The Trust for the George Washington Memorial Parkway (Trust) is a 501 (c) (3) organization with the primary function to work with individuals, corporations, and foundations that further park stewardship through philanthropic efforts. The Trust will work with and support the GWMP, the 4th most visited park unit in the United States, by creating effective fundraising programs that support high-priority resource protection and education. The Trust’s strong public support of the National Parks will result in expanding awareness by engaging and collaborating with other Friends Groups, organizations and partners on behalf of the GWMP.

For those who would like to help fund improvements in the park, you now have an organization that you can donate to.

[CaseyKane50]

The National Park Service (NPS) has made the draft Jones Point Park Recreation and Visitor Services Plan available for public review and comment. The purpose of the plan is to evaluate the existing condition and uses of Jones Point Park and, with public input, develop a set of recommendations for desired recreational experiences. The public comment period closes on September 9th. A link to the draft document and comment form can be viewed on this webpage.

One important item from the document involves a realignment of the Mount Vernon Trail. The goal is to minimize conflicts between trail users. However, the alignment shown on page 14 of the draft document is incorrect and supposed to be revised.

Some other items of interest from the document.

• A flexible space for a bike safety course (formalizing WABA’s MOU with NPS
• A flexible space for kids bicycle court
• A bike fix-it station
• Additional bike parking
• A Capital Bike Share Station located in the Park (exact location TBD)
• A history interpretation path
• An enhanced existing perimeter trail (with nature/history interpretation)
• No mention of snow plowing the trail in Jones Point Park

[Oldtowner]

A big one in the draft plan is the idea to work with Alexandria to route the MVT around Jones Point Park, not through it. Not sure what that would look like. The “Bicycle-Friendly City” has never had a serious plan for routing bikes through the city safely and efficiently.

[Author]

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