Hi all,

Thank you again for signing the petition to save George Mason Park.  This coming Saturday, May 17, at 9:30am, Alexandria City Council and Mayor Gaskins will be casting their votes on whether the GM Modernization project should move forward as-is, or if any changes should be made before construction is slated to begin next month. Please consider writing a letter to City Council this week to express your opinion. Also, please show up to the hearing in person and send a comment for the public record.

Last week, the Modernization Team unveiled its Development Special Use Permit (DSUP #2025-10001). This document revealed new and even more extreme information regarding the destruction of the environment that this project will entail. The current plan is for the back half of the grass field to be preserved, while the half of the field closest to the school will be replaced with artificial turf and pavement. There will be an 8-foot fence surrounding the entirety of the field, stretching to the walking paths on each side and beside the tennis courts. They also plan to replace the entire walking path, and to do so they will destroy every tree in their way. 

According to the DSUP, there are 198 trees on the entire property of the school and field. Of these, 108 trees are slated for destruction (55%). Using my best estimates according to the map they provided (page 58 of the DSUP linked above), 27 trees will be destroyed to make way for the new building footprint and surrounding landscaping designs. 22 trees will be destroyed to make way for new parking lots. And 58 trees will be destroyed so that they can replace the walking path and make improvements to the existing natural features around the park.

If you share in my outrage at these plans, please write a letter to City Council and Mayor Gaskins RIGHT NOW.  Whether your opposition stems from losing our park to pavement and plastic, or the 8-foot fence that will physically and psychologically close off the park to the community, or the wanton and needless destruction of over 100 trees, this is your final chance to urge our city leadership to make an environmentally conscious and community-friendly decision. If you are able to make it to the hearing at 9:30am this coming Saturday, please do so and make a public comment in support of preserving what we can of our park. If you have neighbors and friends who might also speak or write on behalf of the park, please urge them to do so.

Harry Wilmer