ADVOCACY UPDATE: Protect Bles Park’s Natural Assets
On October 14, the Loudoun Planning Commission voted 5-2-2 (two commissioners were absent) to deny the Bles Park “enhancements” application. But the final decision is up to the Board of Supervisors, who likely will take up the issue during its December 15 public hearing (this is a tentative date and subject to change).
While planning commissioners applauded the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services (PRCS) department for making modifications to reduce the impact to the natural resources at Bles, the majority agreed that the proposal does not do enough to balance the protection of natural resources and the needs for active recreation and greater park amenities. They heard the community’s concerns for impacts to the natural resources loud and clear, and they are protecting them for the benefit of the community.
Commissioners expressed that this application “screams for less, not more” amenities, that “proceeding with caution would not be cautious enough” to protect the natural resources, and the efforts that have been made are too small to protect Bles Park’s unique environmental benefits and natural assets. However, multiple commissioners said there are alternatives and solutions that would protect the natural assets while providing park amenities the community needs, and they hope alternatives will be sought and this application further modified before it goes to the Board of Supervisors. We wholeheartedly agree with the Planning Commission, and we will continue to urge further modifications to this proposal.
What Can You Do?
Now is the time for the community to speak up and voice their concerns to the Board of Supervisors since it is their decision to approve or deny this application. We encourage members of the public to write to their supervisor, and/or the entire board, to let them know that the existing wildlife habitat at Bles Park should be protected (contact information can be found at the bottom of this page). Your voice matters and makes a difference!
The Planning Commission included four main reasons in their findings for denial of this application:
- The application proposal is contrary to the Loudoun County 2019 General Plan policies that call for the protection of natural, environmental, and heritage resources.
- The proposed increase in impervious surfaces, structures, and development at Bles Park would destroy habitats for rare and sensitive plant and animal species, and species of greatest concern.
- The application proposal puts exemplary natural communities and ecosystems at increased and unnecessary risk.
- There are alternative solutions to locate appropriate amenities and additions outside of the floodplain and/or away from sensitive habitat areas, so as to safeguard the natural resources, wildlife habitat, and environmental community benefits in Bles Park that exist nowhere else in the county, much less eastern Loudoun, and are irreplaceable for our residents.
While the staff report notes that this application generally complies with the 2019 Comprehensive Plan, it is not compatible with natural heritage resource policies to protect areas of natural biodiversity. Bles Park is one of Loudoun’s top places in terms of bird biodiversity, with numerous shy, sensitive, and reclusive bird species. Other species of concern for the state of Virginia are found at Bles Park every year. The natural areas are excellent habitat for dragonflies, pollinators, aquatic mammals, and other species. This exemplary wildlife habitat should be protected, not destroyed.
The PRCS department did remove the proposed maintenance facility from its proposal, relocated the pickleball/tennis courts to the proposed parking lot area, and reduced the unprogrammed lawn area by 57%. However, the proposal still seeks to:
- Build a boardwalk through a sensitive wetland;
- Allow vehicular access alongside the sensitive wetland;
- Create an unnecessary “unprogrammed lawn area” that would destroy forest and pollinator habitat; and
- Expand the paved parking area in a floodplain.
Loudoun Wildlife’s suggested modifications include:
- Eliminate the boardwalk through the most sensitive area of the park, and instead install observation platforms at strategic locations at the edge of the wetlands. The application references other boardwalks in parks in the Northern Virginia region such as those at Huntley Meadows (1,500 acres), a park more than ten times the size of Bles Park (132 acres). This unnecessary amenity would drive away the wildlife it seeks to connect people with.
- Do not allow vehicular traffic along the edge of the wetlands, but require kayak users to use carts to wheel their kayaks to the newly proposed kayak launch. This inconvenience is necessary to protect the sensitive wetlands from noise and traffic. The current path is used frequently by hikers, runners, walkers, and other user groups, and it would create unnecessary conflicts and safety risks. We also support finding alternate locations for the kayak launch as proposed by the commissioners (that would not require vehicular access adjacent to the wetlands), which were dismissed.
- While the unprogrammed lawn area adjacent to an existing pond was reduced, it should be removed altogether. It is unnecessary and it would destroy mature trees and pollinator habitat currently existing at that location.
- While the number of parking spaces were reduced (to accommodate the pickleball/tennis court in the parking area), the amount of parking requested is still excessive. We recognize that there are overflow parking concerns on weekends when soccer games are held, and that the current parking does not meet the current, and arbitrary, “standard” for parking spaces for soccer fields. However, the parking issue stems from multiple issues including a lack of residential parking for the neighboring community, which has resulted in residents and commercial vehicles being parked on the street adjacent to Bles Park – where overflow parking for soccer games should be – outside of the floodplain along the street, and scheduling conflicts which results in people leaving games and attending future games at the same time. Additional parking solutions should be outside of the floodplain. Another alternative proposed by commissioners was to coordinate with the nearby NTSB facility for weekend overflow parking. It is unnecessary to expand parking and increase impervious surfaces in a floodplain, destroy wildlife habitat at a stormwater management pond, and increase the heat island effect, for a limited number of weekend soccer games. There is currently more than adequate parking for a vast majority of the year.
Furthermore, Loudoun Wildlife supports the Planning Commission’s follow-up motion to:
- Pursue an initiative to develop expertise in wildlife biology, natural ecosystems, and native plant and animal communities.
- Pursue the opportunities uncovered and developed during this application process including alternative parking solutions, an alternative for the boardwalk, an alternative kayak launch location at Bles Park, and construction of proposed active recreational amenities at other close-by locations.
This application has underscored the need for the county to include more expertise throughout the planning process to adequately balance protecting our natural ecosystems and native plant and animal communities, especially at exemplary wildlife habitats such as those at Bles Park, while providing needed park amenities. We applaud the Planning Commission for bringing this topic to the forefront.
Here are some tips to craft a compelling message to your supervisor:
- Introduce – Briefly describe your position on the topic.
- Persuade – Tell your personal story, and how the topic relates to you. Your story is impactful.
- Inform – Provide background information and data on the topic.
- Conclude – Restate your message with a call to action.
Board of Supervisors – you can email the full board at bos@loudoun.gov.
Chair of the Board
Phyllis Randall: Phyllis.Randall@loudoun.gov
Staff: Sarah Tuggle@loudoun.gov
Laura TeKrony@loudoun.gov
Elizabeth Bennis@loudoun.gov
Algonkian District
Juli Briskman: Juli Briskman@loudoun.gov
Staff: Rey Banks@loudoun.gov
Ellington Arnold@loudounlgov
Ashburn District
Mike Turner: Mike.Turner@loudoun.gov
Staff: Rachael Mai@loudoun.gov
Joel Gicker@loudoun.gov
Blue Ridge District
Tony Buffington: Tony.Buffington@loudoun.gov
Staff: Rachael Holmes@loudoun.gov
Robin Bartok@loudoun.gov
Christi Maple@loudoun.gov
Broad Run District
Sylvia Glass: Sylvia.Glass@loudoun.gov
Staff: Michelle McIntyre@loudoun.gov
Kent Erwin@loudoun.gov
Abigail Rivas@loudoun.gov
Catoctin District
Caleb Kershner: Caleb.Kershner@loudoun.gov
Staff: Stacy Carey@loudoun.gov
Jonathan Bales@loudoun.gov
Dulles District
Matt Letourneau: Matt Letourneau@loudoun.gov
Staff: Tom Parker@loudoun.gov
Jared Midwood@loudoun.gov
Leesburg District
Kristen Unstattd:Kristen Umstattd@loudoun.gov
Staff: Valerie Suzdak@loudoun.gov
Laura TeKrony@loudoun.gov
Sterling
Koran Saines (Vice Chairman): Koran Saines@loudoun.gov
Staff: Omar Masood@loudoun.gov
Tianni Ivey@loudoun.gov
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