THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 27, 1994 TAG: 9406270086
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940627 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH
Most people either risk trekking miles on busy suburban streets or give up and drive to a playground, ball field, picnic area or waterway.
{REST} The city would like to hand its residents a more natural option. It has proposed the Outdoors Plan, which would tie the scattered recreation sites together with ribbons of ``greenways.''
These are natural corridors for walkers, hikers and bikers, designed to beautify an area, protect its environment and provide refuge for birds and other wildlife.
The extensive network of greenways and trails is a main component of the city's first stab at a plan for its outdoors.
The plan, which will be considered by the City Council on Tuesday, lays the framework for treating recreational resources and facilities as a system rather than a collection of individual locations.
``We've been very successful in Virginia Beach, and I think we can take quantum steps when bringing all these parts together,'' said Susie Walston, city parks and recreation director. ``This plan can showcase Virginia Beach's natural beauty and contribute to the quality of life here.''
The greenways approach to outdoor planning is a relatively recent concept that's gaining national attention. The Northern Virginia Parks Authority has pursued greenways and has established a 42-mile-long, east-west corridor.
``We can't afford to drive our cars everywhere anymore,'' said J. Barry Frankenfield, Virginia Beach parks planner. ``Would we still drive two blocks to the shopping center if there's a safe, tree-lined trail we could walk?''
Virginia Beach has a few bikeways running along major roads. They are far from scenic, and H. Clayton Bernick III, head of the city's environmental management center said, ``they don't go anywhere.''
Greenways and trails are relatively inexpensive to develop because they usually don't require land purchases. Often, they run along abandoned railroad rights of way or public utility easements, such as Virginia Power's high tension wire corridors.
The plan also seeks to meet a growing need for passive recreation, such as walking, canoeing and nature study.
``Recreational trends have changed as our population has aged,'' Frankenfield said. ``Walking is the No. 1 activity. There's a great interest in environmental issues and health and wellness issues. These are life activities.''
``Being the young, active community Virginia Beach is,'' Walston said, ``we've done a good job of taking care of active recreational needs. Now we need to look at supporting passive recreation. That's a logical step for us.''
To demonstrate some of the concepts in the Outdoors Plan, six projects have been slated for development in the first year:
Canoe access and natural areas are now being developed at two sites, Alton Creek off the North Landing River and Carolanne Farms along the Elizabeth River. The state parks division, the state Conservation and Recreation Department and the Virginia Coastal Resources Management Program have provided financial and technical assistance.
Mount Trashmore Park would undergo a significant renovation to preserve both natural resources and city finances.
Instead of the manicured design that now requires tremendous upkeep, some areas would be left to grow naturally into a meadow; wildflowers would be planted; and marshes would be established along the shorelines of the lakes to stabilize the banks and improve water quality.
A pedestrian and bicycle network would be established throughout the park, and the Soap Box Derby track would be removed.
A 6.2-mile bike and pedestrian trail would be built from the intersection of Rosemont and Holland roads to the Municipal Center (called the Landstown/Pungo trail) area along city property purchased for a road project that was later scrapped. The city has already obtained a $515,000 federal grant toward the project, and community groups have volunteered to do the planting along the trail, which would tie into another proposed project, West Neck Creek park.
West Neck Creek park would include more trails, nature areas, an education center, observation areas and canoe access. From West Neck Creek, a greenway system would later be developed south to Munden Point Park.
A ``history park'' would be developed at the Francis Land House on Virginia Beach Boulevard, using the property around the house. Small walking trails would be created, with interpretive information on the history and environment of the area. There would be a lookout tower, a Colonial or Native American exhibit area and a wharf.
A neighborhood park would be developed along a three-block undeveloped street right of way adjacent to Pecan Gardens. It would include basketball courts, a playground and a picnic area.
The city already has a funding mechanism for the Outdoors Plan. In 1988, it decided that 7/10 of one cent of Virginia Beach's real estate tax rate be used for the Open Space Initiative Reserve Fund. This tax generates about $1.3 million a year. The city hopes to leverage this money with a number of state and federal grants available for recreation and open space.
Frankenfield estimates that almost $4 million would be needed to complete the first six years of the project. The city would contribute 60 percent, or $2.7 million, and he hopes to get the remaining 40 percent in grants and in-kind services.
The city would seek public input on the projects, especially for things like alignment of trails that would cross neighborhoods.
``You cannot replace the traditional park,'' said Art Buehler, director of the division of planing and recreation for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. ``But using this system would enhance the use of existing facilities.''
by CNB