Feedback Sought on Ft Barnard Laydown Yard Plan
Over the past year, the Douglas Park community has worked with Arlington County staff to modify the County use of the fenced-off portion of the Ft Barnard site, near the intersection of South Pollard Street and 19th Street South. When implemented, the modifications will result in a sharp reduction in the use of the site as the site will become a storage area for a half-dozen large refuse containers which will be removed and utilized off-site in the event of major storm damage or very large public events. The DRAFT Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is available here.
As part of this effort, Douglas Park has requested more vegetative screening to further buffer the community from onsite activities. A PDF document showing the initial landscape plan sketch and screening areas is available here. Staff met with residents on Monday 15 May 2017, to gather feedback on the screening plan. At that meeting, the attendees:
- Identified several key elements that they would like to see in the new landscaping along S. Pollard Street.
- Suggested a variety of native plants to attract pollinators and offer several seasons of interest including evergreens to screen in the winter with edible plants incorporated where possible.
- Requested a low landscape screen along the community garden side, made up of a variety of native plants.
- Asked that more of the impervious surface be returned to seeded dirt/grass.
As part of the County’s commitment to sustainability, the County will try to incorporate topsoil fabricated at Arlington County’s Earth Products and Recycling Yard facility as it becomes available. Staff will also work to dispatch a tree crew to prune the existing oaks, and schedule bulk material pick-up from the streetside.
If you have additional comments regarding the landscaping plans or the proposed MOU,
please use the email link here to send your comments to our County liaison and the DPCA Exec Team. Please provide your comments by Monday 12 June 2017. County staff will then update the landscape plan to reflect the above community comments along with any additional comments received.
