City Suggests Fenced Dog Park, Community Gardens at Four Mile Run Park

Alexandria’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Activities is proposing new community gardens, a fenced-in dog park, new trails and many more amenities to Four Mile Run Park as part of its draft improvement plan.

Park planners have spent the last nine months identifying a series of recommendations for each of the city’s large parks (those 20 acres or larger). Parks staff incorporated input from community meetings and online surveys for a list of suggestions.

“We tried to balance needs in all of the parks,” said Dana Wedeles, a park planner with the city.

After analyzing the feedback, 13 recommendations are proposed for Four Mile Run Park on top of three other recommendations included in the Four Mile Run Restoration Plan.

Residents are encouraged to comment and state their preferences on the draft plan through a new survey.

The public comment process continues through the end of June. Wedeles said staff will refine the plans in July and August and hopefully bring the final plans to City Council in late fall.

The draft plan recommendations for Four Mile Run Park include relocating the current playground located near the end of Bruce Street, coupling it with new athletic courts behind the Mount Vernon Village Center and constructing a new fenced-in dog park where the playground is currently located.  

“Throughout the city, there was a call for more fenced-in dog areas,” Wedeles said. “There’s a built-in community that comes with it. At the Simpson dog park, everyone knows each other. It creates a sense of community and security.”

Wedeles said safety and crime prevention measures are also incorporated into the recommendations, including new trails and an entrance in the south end of the park near Cora Kelly Recreation Center, wayfinding signs and mile markers so users know where they are and what to report to emergency personnel, and by moving activity centers to the perimeter of the park.

The recommendations also include a new cooperative community garden and park entrance off Dale Street. The garden would be located near Cora Kelly, allowing programs from both the rec center and school to utilize the plot.

• See: Cora Kelly School Playground Scheduled for Late May Opening over at The Arlandrian 

The terminus of Commonwealth Avenue near the east side of the park is also suggested to be modified by relocating the existing turnaround to the south, putting a new park entrance sign in the middle of a new roundabout and re-establishing the space to the north as a plaza. 

“I think it could be an interesting public plaza area,” Wedeles said. “It could be a great space for events.”

Other recommendations for Four Mile Run Park include renovating and restriping its parking lots, completing the implementation of the community building in the 4100 block of Mount Vernon Avenue, adding soft trails and a new bridge through a large wooded area near the water, and improving perimeter trees.

Wedeles said the athletic fields to the east are also slated for improvements, including flipping the direction of eastern softball field to get the sun out of players’ eyes.

Construction of much of the recommendations remains unfunded, but Wedeles said a plan should be in place when funding becomes available in the future.

The three recommendations of the Four Mile Run Restoration Plan include building a new overlook in the northwest section of the park, rehabilitating the wetlands and building a new pedestrian and cycling bridge across the stream. Some of these elements are already in detailed design phases.  

A Capital Bikeshare station will accompany the renovation of the Mount Vernon Village Center, Wedeles said. The controversial plan was approved by council in December 2011 but is currently stalled.

• See: Council Approves Mount Vernon Village Center Redevelopment

Look for stories on the draft improvement plan for Simpson Stadium Park and plans for a new park in Potomac Yard soon on Del Ray Patch. 

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