Fort Ward Park Testimony

Testimony by J. Glenn Eugster
to the Alexandria City Council
December 13, 2008

Good day. I’m J. Glenn Eugster of 4022 Ellicott Street, Alexandria, VA. I’ve lived in Alexandria for more than 20 years. My wife and I picked Alexandria to live in because of the history, sense of community and the wonderful quality of life.

For the last 14 months I’ve been communicating with 55 homeowners in our neighborhood and others from nearby. I have sent you requests on their behalf asking for assistance. Each time that we have contacted you it was after a good-faith effort to resolve problems directly with the City Departments.

City park managers have routinely ignored, resisted and actively worked against residents who have expressed concerns about crime, garbage, flooding, noise, crime, crowds, and cultural resource degradation. We have encountered passive aggressive and arrogant behavior in response to our concerns.

For example, when we experienced a variety of park-related crime in our area, park managers refused to close the gate to the park and night, removed the gate, and said, “Criminals will get in the park with the gate is locked or not”.

When we asked to move the solid waste transfer station in the park maintenance yard I was told, “We are looking at an option to place the dumpsters behind your house”.

When we complained about the expansion of the park maintenance yard to care for multiple parks, without a Special Use Permit or any public input, we were told, “The maintenance yard has always been there”.

When we expressed concern to numerous City officials about the protection of Virginia Fitzhugh and the other African Americans, buried in Fort Ward Park-outside the cemetery after the Civil War, we were totally ignored.

During the last two summers we complained regularly about the amplified noise levels and very large crowds without permits at the park. We were told that, “Call the Police Department”. 

After trying for 8 months to secure a copy of the plan for Ft. Ward Park, we were told on November 7, 2008 that no plan exists. Recently we found a plan on the City’s website dated October 16, 2008 that was prepared by City staff without public input. Not surprisingly the plan doesn’t address the concerns we have expressed nor does it have a goal, any objectives or even include all the areas of the park.

The residents of Marlboro Estates and other need your help. The Parks & Recreation Department intends to carry this flawed plan out to the public to present it at a hearing.

After over 30 years the park surely needs a plan. Park use and management has destroyed park resources, had a negative impact on adjacent homes, and contributed to health, safety and crime problems. However, we need a plan that is well-developed from the start with experts and the public rather than one that is presented to them at a hearing.

Please make the City take adequate time
to do a quality plan for Ft. Ward Park with expert and public input at the start.

Remove the October 16, 2008 study and
recommendations from the City’s park planning website and call for a process that brings people together to develop a plan rather than have government carry out a preconceived proposal for people to react to.
Take action to change the culture of the
Parks & Recreation Department to carry out their duties in ways that are more honest, open, and respectful of adjacent landowners.
Request the Department to be more
collaborative and committed to protecting park values while pursuing recreation services.

We won’t get these ongoing problems solved, or achieve the economic, environmental, recreational or educational potential of this part of our community unless the Council sets a better direction. We can’t afford the current “we” and “they” approach--it must be “us”. We do our best work when we work together. Help us please!
Thank you.