Fort Hunt Park Seeking Input Tonight On Potential Visitors Center

After eight months of review, the GWMP has completed their Environmental Assessment and Assessment of Effect and is hosting a public follow up meeting on September 21, 2011.Park staff will be on hand to answer questions and accept comments from community members.

The National Park Service has received $250,000 for development of a plan for a visitors center or other improvements to Fort Hunt Park. 

Potential changes include alterations to picnic areas, redesign of the roads, an educational visitors facility and pathway changes. The preferred alternative C plan offers the following improvements(click the pdf to the right for info on the other choices):

• The option would realign the park entrance road and provide two-way traffic from the park entrance to Parking Area C, where use of the roadway would end with a turn-around.
• The loop road between Picnic Areas D and E would be eliminated along with the parking areas at these locations.
• A visitor facility would be constructed at the site of the existing Picnic Pavilion/Area C.  An interpretive trail would extend from the visitor facility to areas throughout the park.
• Picnic Pavilions/Areas B, C, D, and E would be removed as well as the restroom facility located in the vicinity of Picnic Area E.
• The ball field adjacent to Picnic Pavilion D would be removed, while the ball field adjacent to Picnic Pavilion A would be “improved”.
• The park service would create a new pedestrian/bicycle trail would parallel the north section of the loop road, while the southern portion of the loop road would be narrowed by about 50 percent (10 to 12 feet) for pedestrians and bicyclists

The public has until October 6, 2011, to review the GWMP plans and solicit public comments on the Environmental Assessment or Assessment of Effect. Community members are encouraged to submit any issues with the proposed plans or suggest their own alternatives.

This past February, the National Park Service’s George Washington Memorial Parkway hosted a  where park representatives heard community input on proposed improvements to Fort Hunt Park.

 “The idea is to find where it best sits on the land. And, make sure the site has the least impact on the land there,” Sheffer said.

This past February the National Park Service’s George Washington Memorial Parkway hosted a  where park representatives heard community input on proposed improvements to Fort Hunt Park.

“The comments were consistent with what the park was expecting,” Sheffer reported. “Balance was asked for the overwhelming use of the picnic spaces and there were suggested improvements to the bike and pedestrian pathway, with the interest to improve safety there.”

Click here to review the plan and submit you comments online or mail them to Superintendent, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Turkey Run Park, McLean, VA 22101.

Naomi Nix contributed to this report.