Better traffic circulation, accessibility, and amenities are some potential changes that could come to Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and National Park Service unveiled a proposed amendment to the park’s general management plan during a virtual public meeting on May 25.
“In general, the goal, in very broad strokes, is to improve the visitor experience,” Wolf Trap National Park Acting Superintendent Ken Bigley said. “In keeping with the preservation mandate of the National Park Service, we want to preserve the natural beauty and the character of this very special space…This is exactly where you come in as members of the public.”
The upgrades will focus on improving amenities, accessibility, safety, and security features; addressing long-documented site challenges, such as transportation access, pedestrian circulation, and stormwater management; addressing deferred maintenance areas; improving the visitor experience, and expanding opportunities for year-round park use.
The approximately 130-acre park located on former farmland has three outdoor venues: the Filene Center, the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, and the Meadow Pavilion, each served by a collection of structures that could be removed, rehabilitated, or upgraded. Other structures could also be added.
Concession buildings in the Filene Center area are outdated and could get upgrades, according to the presentation.
A food services building will be rebuilt to provide concession services, restrooms, and a deck area, while a service building will be replaced with two new buildings that will provide concession service, a security screening area and restrooms, and a rooftop-accessible picnic area.
The Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods could get needed support facilities, such as an area for parents to comfort their children. The facility is also slated to get a pavilion.
The plan recommends rehabilitating a building to provide offices, a catering kitchen, restrooms, and a cabin to house U.S. Park Police and work as a space for park ushers.
Existing trailer offices would be removed.
Other additions include a security perimeter and a new pedestrian tunnel.
Architects are also looking at parking, traffic, and circulation. The three options being considered all widen the Main Circle Road to add a bypass lane for vehicles that need to access certain lots or parts of the park, while removing existing parking around Main Circle Road.
Option A would retain more trees than Option C, while Option B could incorporate a parking garage, the location of which has not been vetted, according to the presentation. Read More
By 2023, McLean Central Park (1468 Dolley Madison Boulevard) could be completely overhauled with a suite of new recreational amenities, though there’s some back and forth in the community over what exactly those should be.
The Fairfax County Park Authority is currently gathering public input on what the community hopes to see from a revitalized McLean Central Park, and at a meeting on Monday (May 24), local residents shared their hopes for what could be included, as well as concerns for what the overhaul would mean for nearby residents.
The plan is to reconfigure much of the 28-acre park to include new recreational facilities, an amphitheater at the southern end of the park, and a dog park where the tennis courts are today.
Bocce ball courts are included in the plan, but some residents expressed a hope that frisbee golf might make a return, and one resident was particularly pining for some ping-pong presence in the park.
Other callers who participated in the meeting said they were concerned the overhaul of the park would attract more cars to central McLean, potentially making local streets more hazardous.
The discussion also delved into the minutiae of the park plan, such as a comment that a proposed fiberglass bridge looked out of keeping with the wooden bridges around McLean. Paul Shirey, a manager at the Fairfax County Park Authority, said the decision to go with fiberglass was an economic one.
According to Shirey, wooden bridges might last 20 or 25 years, but a fiberglass bridge could have double that lifespan and greater durability.
County staff said the project will likely start construction in fall 2022, with 10 months of construction leading to a summer 2023 opening.
The public comment period on the park authority’s development concept will be open until June 25. Comments can be sent by email to [email protected] or [email protected].
Photo via Fairfax County
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(Updated at 11:20 a.m.) Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is still a month away from launching its 50th anniversary season, but the National Park Service is already looking further into the future.
In partnership with the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, NPS announced yesterday (Thursday) that it will unveil a proposed amendment to the park’s general management plan at a virtual public meeting on May 25.
“As we mark our 50th anniversary season, Wolf Trap Foundation and the National Park Service are collaborating on proposed improvements that will elevate the Wolf Trap experience for visitors and artists into the next 50 years and ensure that Wolf Trap continues to be a treasured cultural community resource for generations,” a Wolf Trap Foundation spokesperson said in a statement to Tysons Reporter.
Last updated in 2005, the Wolf Trap National Park general management plan guides the park’s programming, services, facilities, and operations.
NPS spokesperson Jan Lemons says the general management plans for each national park are created by staff and reviewed periodically with updates coming “as needed to improve the visitor experience while still preserving the history, landscapes, and resources of the park.”
“The goal of this proposed amendment…is to strategically guide the park in future developments in a cohesive manner,” Lemons said. “The proposed amendments include several updates to the Filene Center to improve safety and security along with aesthetics, comfort, and convenience.”
According to a news release, the potential changes include:
- Update Filene Center amenities to meet current industry standards
- Improve traffic flow, add new parking and build a new pedestrian tunnel
- Improve accessibility for visitors with disabilities throughout the park
- Improve security
- Build, update or replace facilities including concession stands and restrooms
- Build a new structure to serve visitors
- Add directional and wayfinding signs
- Expand opportunities for year-round park use
The move to update Wolf Trap’s master plan comes as the park prepares to resume in-person performances more than a year after suspending most programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The park is also in the midst of a privately funded renovation project that will introduce new, permanent pavilions in place of the temporary tents that cover many facilities.
The live, virtual public scoping meeting on the proposed amendment will take place on May 25 from 6-7:30 p.m. Community members can join the meeting through Microsoft Teams or by calling 877-286-5733 and entering conference ID 161885943#.
The presentation materials will be posted on the project website that day, and a recording of the meeting will be available for viewing after May 26.
The meeting will be followed by a public comment period with a deadline of June 25. The NPS will accept feedback through the project website or by mail to Wolf Trap National Park Acting Superintendent Ken Bigley at 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA 22182.
According to the NPS, the 30-day public comment period is the first step in the process of developing an environmental assessment to evaluate how the proposed changes might affect park resources.
“The NPS is preparing an Environmental Assessment for this proposed amendment,” the NPS said. “We’ll consider public comments as we develop and finalize the amendment, and then will implement park improvements as funding becomes available.”
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