Ives Park Working Group
Update June 3: The Working Group confirmed the County is OK with small beautification such as seating and planter boxes and trees around the perimeter that would not break up spaces and provide shade. A Staghorn Sumac donated by a neighbor has been planted. Flower boxes and seating will hopefully be added soon.
Background
In 2018, Arlington County acquired the property on the north west corner of 20th and Ives streets as park land. This February, the County is in the final stages of removing the structures and driveway from the property, with the intent of leaving it as basic unimproved park space.
Since before the property was even acquired, the County has been consistent in notifying the community that there is no funding or staff resources available to make any park improvements. Such funding is typically provided through the county Capital Investment Program (CIP) or Neighborhood Conservation (NC) program, both of which can require lengthy (5-10 year) timeframes.
Ives Park Working Group Formed
To make the best use of the new park space, the Aurora Highlands Civic Association board initiated a call out to create a working group for the new Ives Park in Aurora Highlands. The scope is to develop a consensus on small improvements the community may be able to implement to make the space more usable and attractive.
Because there are no funding, staff resources, or county planning, this would be an entirely community and volunteer driven effort. The goal is to allow the community to use the park by spring 2020 with some basic fixtures and beautification in place.
Notifications & Announcements
November 2019 – January 2020
The Aurora Highlands Civic Association Board initiated a call out to create a working group for the new Ives Park in Aurora Highlands. Notification and working group invitations were presented in the Aurora Highlands Newsletter (delivered to 1000 households), civic association website, and Nextdoor.
20th & Ives Park Exploratory Committee
Demolition of the house at the 20th & Ives park was scheduled for “fall”, but we’ve been notified issues with contractors may delay that. Regardless, AHCA would like to convene an exploratory committee to think about what the future of this pocket park could look like and consider basic improvements that could be implemented by neighborhood volunteers. If interested, contact info@aurorahighlands.org.
November 2019 AHCA newsletter (delivered to 1000 households)
Notifications and invitations were also hand delivered to households near the park in November asking if they wanted to participate in the working group.
Ives Park house demolition starting in next few weeks
In the next few weeks, the County will finally be clearing the lot at the corner of 20th & Ives: “Within the next couple of weeks workers will cap the sanitary line and install erosion and sediment controls, construction limits of disturbance and tree protection fencing. Once this is completed, the house and asphalt drive way will be demolished. Finally we will re-establish the curb and gutter.” FYI, this parcel was acquired by the County in 2018 for use as a pocket park, but no funding has been allocated for anything other than removing the house, asphalt driveway, and portions of the fencing and brush along the sidewalk, and leaving it as an open public space.
The Aurora Highlands Civic Association has convened a working group to consider small improvements we may be able to implement to make the space more usable and attractive. Contact info@aurorahighlands.org if interested in assisting.
Nextdoor notification and another working group invitation on January 21, 2020
Working group progress
A group of 16 individuals (including one landscape architect) began discussing ideas and communicating with the county.
February 2020
On Feb 7th the group held its first on-site park meeting to discuss ideas, concerns and to ask the county questions. Here is a summary of that meeting:
February 7th Ives Park working group planning update
Fence: The County has said it will leave the fence at the corner and a “few feet” in either direction, while removing the rest, so as to provide open access to the park but give a bit more security for the portions near the intersection.
Intersection: A couple of people brought up the possibility of requesting that the intersection be made into a 4-way stop as an additional safety measure.
Bamboo: There is A LOT of bamboo. It has the benefit that it provides a visual and noise screen. The downside is that it takes up quite a bit of the space, and there are concerns over rodents. Everyone seemed to agree that keeping some of the bamboo would be good, and that at least initially, we could try cutting it back to give back some of the space, trimming the tops down to about 3-4ft high, and thinning it out. Also, the idea of making it into a maze or other manicured hedge, once it is cut low, came up.
Trees: Shade trees would be great, and we will look into the possibility of getting some through the county program.
Plantings: We would designate an area, or a couple of areas, where we could plant bushes, flowers, etc. It would be nice to attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators!
Design: It was agreed that for this initial phase, simplicity would be the best approach. It is wonderful to be thinking of what we would all like to see eventually, but given our current lack of budget, we should try to stick to the basics. We did discuss the fact that for any pathways, we would like to avoid concrete, and rather go with pea gravel or mulch.
Seating: Something mobile would be ideal. This has the benefit that park users can place the chairs/benches to suit their needs at any given time, as well as not running into issues with perhaps the County not liking what we pick.
Funding: The idea of approaching JBG for some assistance was brought up, given their past contributions to Virginia Highlands Park.
Dogs: This will not be a dog park. Dogs will be allowed on the grounds, though, as with all County parks. Though most dog-owners are responsible and pick up after their dogs, we understand that there can be times when either an owner runs out of bags, or unfortunately, is not as considerate as others. In order to encourage a clean area, the idea of having a pole with a trash can and bags available to use was suggested. Similar poles are present at both the Parc View Apartments (across from the library) and Instrata Pentagon City. An additional thought that was suggested, and which is in use in Shirlington, is a big boulder in a designated area. Apparently, dogs will tend to “mark” the boulder, so that it all stays in one general area. Should we decide to follow this model, it was suggested that in fact a sign making it clear that it was a designated area be installed.
Questions: Some questions which came up, and that I will be sending to our contact with the county were as follow:
Will the trees that are currently on the property, especially the dead ones, be removed? Will all stumps be removed? What is the plan for the driveway?
The second working group meeting was held on February 23rd. Here is a summary of that meeting:
February 23rd Ives Park working group planning update
Design
Acknowledging that there are some differences in opinion, a basic design was agreed upon by the majority of the working group. One of the aspects of this design which appealed to many in the group was the ability to have a wide open area in the center while creating separate usage “rooms”, i.e. the semi-circular areas created with plantings. These individual areas would provide opportunity for different activities to take place simultaneously, such as throwing a frisbee in the open space, or simply sitting and reading near the pollinator garden. The added plantings not only beautify the space, but also act as a buffer from the street, making it a bit more difficult for kids to run into the street. The large trees surround the park, providing shade for the sidewalks, and the kid and seating areas, while the center is left with fewer trees to allow the sun in and open skies for play and viewing opportunities.
The design is shown in 3 phases; Phase 1 will occur within the next few months, Phase 2 within the next year, Phase 3 possibilities for the future.
CLICK TO VIEW ALL SLIDESThe selected design respects the scope of the park, as described in the county staff report: “The approximately ¼-acre new park could be used to provide the kind of casual use space residents in the area have been asking for – a park that is open and available for a range of casual uses such as having a picnic, throwing a Frisbee, laying out on a blanket, reading or having small social gatherings.”
Nothing is certain because we may not have the funding to add things, we may not have the volunteers to install or maintain things and so on. For example with the pollinator/bird friendly/wildlife plantings, we will need experts in the neighborhood to help flesh out what plantings work best, how it will be funded, implemented and maintained. The same goes for any other elements like a path, trees, and so on. For things such as the bamboo, we will need to figure out best options and we may need to try to different things. This will definitely be an iterative process. We anticipate having further details shared with the Civic Association/community along the way for further feedback.
Additional discussion about elements in the space:
Mosaic: The idea was presented for a small “patio” area created by mosaic stepping stones. These would be made by neighborhood children, and would create an interactive, fun, and colorful, area. There would also be the possibility of using additional stones to make a path through the bamboo.
Boulders: Boulders, placed near the mosaic patio, would add another interactive element to the park, giving children something to climb on.
Seating: Previously, it was suggested that some form of mobile seating would be purchased for the park. At Virginia Highlands Park, the community had plastic Adirondack chairs which worked well. Unfortunately, these simply did not last and broke. They were not stolen. We would not suggest the plastic Adirondack chairs types but instead IKEA type for durability. It would also be possible to use gently used or donated garden/outdoor chairs. One of the working group members has also kindly offered to donate a granite bench to the project.
Fence: There were suggestions to remove all the fence, as well as to keep all the fence for safety. How much fence remains is up to the county.
Dogs: “No dogs allowed” signage was suggested; though dogs are not allowed on playgrounds or sports fields, they are allowed in all Arlington parks. There are concerns about owners not cleaning up dog waste; a baggie station was added to the design of the park as an element to assist with keeping the park clean.
Funding: GoFundMe, bake sales and community yard sales were suggested as possible sources of funding for the park.
Water/birdbath: The addition of a small basin for wildlife to access water, especially in our hot summers, was proposed. Concerns for mosquitoes were voiced; the addition of a small solar fountain for $15 to move the water and thwart mosquitoes was proposed. It would be preferable to add a water basin when a water source can be identified, eg spigot.
Lighting: There is no electricity in the park and that would have to be something that the County would need to assess and install. If some solar path lights are desired, that could be accomplished possibly by the neighborhood.
Path : A path is included in the design for the future only as an optional/possible need. Natural toe paths (grass erosion) may start forming from regular usage to determine where a path may be placed.
There has also been discussion about what the park will not have:
Capital bike share, scooter docks, bike rack, car parking spaces: Typically pocket parks do not have these kinds of amenities since they are supposed to be walkable, not a destination for those from further away who would need transportation in order to reach it. Bike shares, racks and scooter docks could be assessed in the future. Concerns that it take up too much space and pavement or become a dumping ground for scooters, that it’s inappropriate for the type of park. The county would likely not allow for the installation.
Playground, tennis/basketball courts, recreational fields, bathroom: these are amenities found at larger parks, which have a different scope than do smaller pocket parks.
And finally, VOLUNTEERS ARE WELCOME! As soon as we gain access to the property, we will be looking for help with installing and maintaining the various elements. Please let us know if you would like to contribute to our new park, either with your time or with donations of plants, materials, or funding. Please email us at info@aurorahighlands.org
We are working on a survey to allow additional community feedback that should be added soon.
Presentation to AHCA membership, March 2020
At the March 11th AHCA monthly meeting, the Ives Park working group presented their consensus concept plan of a simple and beautified Ives Park with volunteers to help implement it over the next couple of years. The Civic Association membership voted unanimously in support of the design after a lot of substantive questions and suggestions and were extremely appreciative of the work the group and thought the members had put into the plan. They will continue to work with the County and among the sub-groups on implementation.
Working Group Members
The Aurora Highlands Civic Association, Ives Park working group members:
- Simona Cristanetti
- Kari Klaus
- Gerald Woodruff
- David Cobert
- Elizabeth Mook
- Susanne Fyffe
- Rebecca Pollack
- Shannon Yee
- Irita Valdez
- Heather Spence
- Mary Penchoff
- Mary Pickering
- Noel Kyle
- Chris Kyle
- Pamela Van Hine
- Colleen Ference-Burke
Connect
Connect with us on the following social media platforms.