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Where We are Now
As most of you have heard, on February 20, the City was notified that the National Park Service had reversed course and now advised the City that it “will take no action to modify the Consent Judgment Order, Stipulation of Settlement, or Deed which resolved our dispute related to ownership of the Waterfront Park in Alexandria, Virginia.”
In a letter to City Manager Parajon, the NPS noted that only specifically authorized uses related to park use were limited to: “pedestrian walkways, bicycle trails, seating, landscaped areas, fountains, gardens, play areas, plazas and temporary facilities for special events. No other uses were authorized or permitted.” Those uses, as well as the 15-foot height limit on any park-related buildings, “rights, limitations, and obligations (are) binding on the City and its successors and assigns, and run with the land as covenants in perpetuity,”
It seems the NPS has adopted much of what we requested in our December, 2024 letter to the Director of the NPS. Although head spinning, with the unexpected no from the NPS to the City, all plans for future flood control and open space improvements are back on the table. It seems we have some work to do!
The position of the Old Town Civic Association:
We need to hear your input and viewpoints. At this time, we believe it will be wise to move back a step or two before moving forward. The City has been fixated on one solution and one only—a very large pump station to be built in a park because they say it is the cheapest place to build it and their engineering consultants like to build big things and not think outside of the Way It Has Always Been Done. Other possibilities have thus been consistently brushed aside or never considered; innovation is thus discouraged.
It is long past time for the City to deal in good faith, and not ignore or brush off the persistent views of the City’s residents and business owners seeking ongoing engagement with the City. While the Waterfront Commission has made continuous efforts to keep us appraised of the City’s actions—and to weigh in as necessary—what is perhaps needed is a task force, or whatever one wishes to call it, that can meet more frequently, devote itself to one topic, and weigh in more quickly. The City has utilized such groups very effectively in the past, and it is perhaps time to do so here. We know that task forces are not favored by the City at the moment, but that may be exactly why they are well worth considering.
The City’s Position
We don’t know yet. The City probably doesn’t know yet. OTCA, and others, are engaged with the goal of advising the City of its hope to be able to work with it and be a productive partner. We fear that the City will try to persuade the NPS to reverse its reversal, but that now entails interacting with the legal branch of the Department of the Interior. That is not as easy as reaching the lower echelons of the NPS who work out of Ohio Drive and have frequent contact with residents of the DMV area.
What We will be Doing
OTCA and others will be reaching out to the City Council shortly. Our message will continue the efforts we have made in the past, which is to seek engagement with the City. Acknowledging the need for flood mitigation to protect the parks and streetscape improvements, we will urge the City to look at potential alternatives, and, yes, to explore solutions other than a large, ugly structure in our Waterfront Park. We are also engaged in looking both backward and forward, i.e., are there potential solutions that were raised in the past, and discarded when free park space looked better? Are there ways to look at this issue that do not put us in thrall of rigid engineering “solutions” that have prevented other, more creative ideas from being considered?
So, here we are! That brings us to our March meeting, and why we are doing something different here, starting with this abbreviated newsletter. We are busy putting together a meeting where we share what we know, what might happen, and we hear what you have to say about these developments.
This is what we are planning to do on Wednesday. Our objective is to hear from you. We are proud of the progress we have made to get here, but now is the time to understand what we have learned, and to make your views known. Much wisdom and many good ideas come from public dialogue. What you have to say that is useful and constructive, and even provocative perhaps, will be taken seriously into consideration.
We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday March 11!
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