We call on the Board of Commissioners and Planning Commission to:

1. Protect Bowie Nature Park by denying Ordinance 2020-29, the rezoning request for “The Neighborhood at Bowie Park.” Any such rezoning can endanger Bowie Nature Park and the wildlife in the park with flash flooding, sediment transport, and groundwater pollution, which would materially change the character of trails, lakes, streams, and wetlands within the Park. Bowie Nature Park has been a cherished part of our community for nearly 20 years. Any development that borders the park should do no harm to this vital and unique part of Fairview.
2. Protect the legacy of Dr. Evangeline Bowie and her sisters, Anna and Byrd. The proposed development is not entitled to profit from the park by using Bowie Nature Park in the neighborhood name.

This rezoning request to change from RS-40 Single Family Low-Density Residential to R-20-Single Family Medium Density Residential Planned Overlay Development (PUD) calls for 168 homes to be packed into approximately 80 acres. 142 (or 85%) of these are on 10,000 square foot high-density lots. Most of these homes will be developed within a few hundred feet up to a few dozen feet from the Perimeter Trail.

The new development plans show a 25 foot landscaped buffer plus an additional 10 foot easement. This treed buffer must be kept separate and apart from the necessary drainage swales and channels required to transport storm water from these lots to the detention basins. If buffer trees are planted within the drainage swales, their survivability is tenuous at best. Furthermore, the detention basins are currently only shown in two dimensions by dotted lines. There is some concern that, considering the slopes near this boundary to Bowie Park, these detention basins cannot be practically constructed to handle the necessary volume of storm water.

Instead, the zoning should remain RS-40 Single Family Low-Density Residential to reduce the problems with water runoff and flooding, keep traffic in line with the roadway capacity, and remain consistent with existing neighborhoods and homes adjacent to the property.

Furthermore, there should be a sufficient buffer of between 100-300 feet around the entire park to ensure stormwater retention, pollution and noise is reduced.

The proposed rezoning will cause many significant problems for the park including:

• Pollution, sediment and significant increase in water from stormwater run-off into the Hickman Branch Creek and Little Turnbull Creek will flow into the park damaging fragile wetlands and ecosystems that make this park a unique and cherished part of our community. This additional water will damage trails, flood creeks, ponds and lakes.
• Light and noise pollution from a neighborhood this close to the park will forever alter the character of the park, it’s wildlife and the experience visitors will have.
• The proposed new trailhead and park access would create safety and maintenance concerns that an already understaffed Park would be unable to enforce.

Finally, this proposed development sets the precedent for future projects around the park. Packing in neighborhoods with homes on ¼ acre or less around the park will forever alter the park and is contrary to the wishes of the Bowie sisters, the Land Trust Agreement and the wishes of the Fairview community as clearly defined in the Fairview Forward 2040 plan.