[Archived] Alexandria’s Park and Recreation Commission Hosts Public Hearing On Recreation Fields at Witter Drive And Alexandria Freedmen's Cemetery Land Acquisition

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	July 13, 2005 PIO# 231-05/rdo	Steven J. Mason, Public Information Officer, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

Alexandria’s Park and Recreation Commission Hosts Public Hearing
On Recreation Fields at Witter Drive
And Alexandria Freedmen's Cemetery Land Acquisition

The City of Alexandria’s Park and Recreation Commission will host a public hearing to discuss the acquisition of the CSX property, located south of Witter Drive and west of Telegraph Road, for recreation fields, and the property known as Alexandria Freedmen's Cemetery, located at 1001 S. Washington St. and 714 Church St., for a memorial park. The public hearing will be held at 7 pm on Thursday, July 21, at the Mt. Vernon Recreation Center, 2701 Commonwealth Avenue.

New recreation fields at Witter Drive are being proposed on 13.7 acres of land to be acquired from the CSX Railroad. The CSX property, located south of Witter Drive and west of Telegraph Road, would be acquired with federal funds as part of the settlement of a lawsuit related to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge construction project. The settlement will also provide funding for the construction of fields, restrooms, and adjacent parking, which are scheduled to be completed in 2008 and 2009.

Also, as part of the settlement, property will be acquired for the purpose of a passive memorial park, called Alexandria Freedmen's Cemetery Memorial Park, to honor refugees from slavery during and immediately following the Civil War.

A special meeting of the Park and Recreation Commission will immediately follow the public hearing.

For more information, call the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities at 703.838.4842.

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