Planned park highlights
The Master Plan is a long-term vision for the park that will be completed in phases. In the first phase, a multi-use, ADA-accessible trail connection will be built from Route 1 to the Four Mile Run Trail. Two existing playgrounds will remain. The second phase of development will include the remaining elements of the Master Plan.
Amenities to be added include a plaza offering views of Four Mile Run and the City of Alexandria skyline; a riverfront overlook where people can step off the Four Mile Run Trail and get closer to the water; pathways for shared pedestrian and bicycle use throughout the park, and a 4,500-5,000 square foot “dog run” with artificial turf. Public art, still to be designed, will also be added.
Because the paved pathways lie within the Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area, they will be offset by a new, 26,000 square foot riparian meadow that will improve stormwater absorption, help prevent erosion and offer habitat for wildlife. The County also will plant more trees, for a total of about 82 trees across the park.
Planning integrated with City of Alexandria
Short Bridge Park straddles the boundary between Arlington and the City of Alexandria. The County worked closely with the City to seamlessly integrate parkland owned by Alexandria with Arlington’s park. Eventually, Short Bridge Park will connect to a larger park system as redevelopment continues in Alexandria, via the City’s North Potomac Yard Small Area Plan. That plan calls for a park to be located where there is now surface parking serving the Potomac Yard strip mall. A decommissioned railroad bridge now fenced off to the public will connect Short Bridge Park to Crescent Park. It is envisioned as an “urban deck” similar to New York’s High Line Park.
This image is from the 2006 Four Mile Run Restoration Master Plan (on page 44). It is an artistic rendering of Short Bridge Park and the City of Alexandria bridge, also known as the “urban deck.”
The area owned by Alexandria will be improved as part of the development in North Potomac Yard, Coordinated Development District #19. Note that Condition #20 of CDD #19 identifies the improvement triggers and Condition #71 identifies the required improvements. There is no immediate timeline available for the future design process and construction as it is dependent on this development.
Public engagement
Public engagement for Short Bridge Park’s Master Plan launched in February 2017. The plan was developed by staff and a consultant team, based on site analyses and the public feedback. Four public meetings were held, and an online comment form garnered 213 submissions. Staff made presentations to neighboring civic associations and to the adjacent Eclipse Home Owners Association, as well as the County’s Park and Recreation, Urban Forestry, Environmental, Pedestrian Advisory, Bicycle Advisory commissions and committees, and to the Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission.