The National Park Service is set to unveil three options for what’s next at the site of a former living history farm depicting the Colonial era, on 69 acres of parkland in McLean, Virginia, inside the Capital Beltway.
Possibilities include tying the area in with the series of parks, trails, and wildlife preserves that are considered part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, which is managed by NPS.
After a month of public input that began in April, the park service has distilled suggestions into three concepts that will be unveiled Thursday, beginning another month of hearing from the public.
The Park Service had previously said the land, nestled between the Potomac River and CIA headquarters, would not be used for commercial development.
“For those who think that the George Washington Memorial Parkway is just a way to get to and from work, it’s actually a scenic roadway, obviously honoring the nation’s first president,” said park ranger Aaron LaRocca, the chief of staff for the parkway.
One suggestion offered often by the public is to have trail connections through the Claude Moore Farm to the rest of the George Washington Memorial Parkway parks and trails.
“Then you could gain access to the Potomac Heritage Trail, which can lead you all the way down to Theodore Roosevelt Island, where that trail becomes paved, and it’s known as the Mount Vernon Trail,” said LaRocca.
Other concepts would include turning several acres of the park into a farming area or using it for community gardens. LaRocca said public input would gauge how those projects might operate.
A third concept would be to focus on the Turkey Run Park natural settings, with hiking, camping and an event area.
After a month of public input, ending Oct. 26, LaRocca said the park service would share information about its choices for implementation.
The Park Service’s agreement with Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm, a nonprofit that managed the facilities operations expired in Dec. 2018, after a 30 year cooperative agreement.
