The Prince William Co. Park Authority (PWCPA) is in the process of purchasing a parcel of land that would provide for a second entrance/exit to Aden Rd. from the back of Hellwig Park. For the past 20 years, MCSA and now NVSC have been the primary users of the facility for soccer. Parking has been tight at times, and getting into and out of the park has been trying during peak hours and emergency weather situations. Starting this coming fall season, the baseball fields will be open, adding more cars to the already congested single entrance and exit. Additional parking has been added near the baseball fields, beyond the existing soccer fields, making an entrance/exit on the far side of the park attractive. Trying to back out of the existing parking spaces will become harder with the increased traffic all heading toward the current, single entrance and exit. However, more concerning is the safety of the players crossing the “road” between the pull-in parking spaces. Crossing the road between Fields 5/6 and 7/8 to get to their cars, the portable toilets, the concessions, typically results in constant pedestrian traffic. With the new baseball fields, and the new 350 parking spots, that’s 350 more cars to avoid than in the past. After reviewing the proposed plan with the PWCPA, the Executive Board of NVSC agrees with the PWCPA that this second entrance/exit would be a positive addition to the park. The opportunity to have two entrances/exits to a park is rare, and if not acted on now, it will not be available at a later date.
As members of NVSC, and users of Hellwig Park, please let your Supervisor know your position on this issue. If there is no interest among the members to obtain this property, then there will be no second entrance/exit. Here is the link to all the Prince William Co. Board of Supervisor’s contact information:
For the safety of all users of Hellwig Park, please consider taking some time to voice your opinion while we have a chance to make a difference.
In our meeting with the PWCPA, the facts presented to the BOD were:
• The parcel of land that is to be purchased is a 10 acre plot that was reconfigure along with 2 other 10 acre lots. They were reconfigured to provide a 2nd entrance that will avoid sensitive wetland and environmentally enriched areas.
• The new parcel makes this environmentally sensitive area park land allowing citizens the access, learn and study from them.
• A traffic study was completed in April of 2010. This showed the volume of traffic coming in and out of Hellwig (without Coles LL at that time) warranted a second entrance.
• A turn lane warrant analysis has been completed and confirmed the need for a right hand turn lane only.
• VDOT and PWC Transportation support the need for the entrance and declared a right turn lane would need to be added to a new entrance on Aden Rd.
• The front entrance is poorly constructed. A parcel of land will be purchased to improve the safety of the current entrance but this will not address the capacity of vehicles.
• The proposed road has been designed to minimally impact any of the current residents in and around the area with The closest house is 421’ from the future park access road which is further than any of the existing houses are and nearly 3 times the distance that most of the existing houses in Liberty Oaks or Keanon Ridge are from the road in front of their house.
• Nearly half (5 of 11) of the existing houses that adjoin, are adjacent or are somewhat adjacent to the future park access road are as close if not closer to Aden Road than they will be to the future park access road and there is significantly more traffic on Aden Road than there will ever be on the future park access road.
NVSC Executive Board
Following is a FACT SHEET that answers some questions:
FACT SHEET TO QUESTIONS ASKED
Will the proposed second access be located near existing citizens?
· The closest existing home is over 400 feet from the proposed 2 lane park access road and the average existing home is over 500 feet away through densely wooded areas.
Aden Road is dangerous and can’t handle the additional traffic.
· Many of the citizens opposing this access asked the BOCS to remove any future road improvements to Aden Road with the most current comprehensive plan update. Those complaining about the dangerous nature of this road live and use this road every day. Aden is like many other rural roads in PW County that citizens have been driving on for years.
· An actual traffic count was conducted by PWC in this location. A Turn Lane Warrant Analysis was prepared and Approved by both VDOT and PWC Transportation Department in April 2010. The Study resulted in only a “right turn taper lane” into the park entrance off Aden Road being required.
· An ”Intersection Sight Distance Analysis” has been prepared and provided to County Staff which indicates ample sight distance in both directions on Aden Road”
· Separation between the Keanon Ridge Subdivision to the East and the Liberty Oaks Section 3 main Entrance to the West and the proposed access road exceeds all VDOT requirements.
The proposed Road is environmentally unfriendly.
· The Developer of Liberty Oaks prepared a wetlands study with its development of Liberty Oaks and delineated existing wetlands in the area and protected such areas with platting a conservation area- specifically precluding any disturbance in conservation area.
· The area protected by the Conservation Area is a pristine wetland feature commonly referred to as a vernal pool. Rather than this site creating an environmental problem, it actually provides for an educational tool as to how valuable wetland conservation areas can be!
· The Proposed Road was carefully engineered in a location which eliminates any conflict with existing wetlands.
· A road grading exhibit has been engineered and provided to County Staff to definitively show the road would NOT encroach on ANY wetlands.
· The Developer of Liberty Oaks will reconfigure 3 lots or 30 acres to only provide enough land to install a two lane road.
Other allegations:
· Some have referred to the new access as “The Hellwig Highway.” This access is controlled by Park Authority, as is the Park area, and roadway out to Bristow Road. Significant use of speed bumps is currently used within the current park facility which would serve to eliminate the possibility of through road traffic. Common sense would dictate the average driver would not want to subject himself to the very congestion this road is intended to relieve.
· Comments have been made that approved acquisition of land at the current Bristow Road entrance would solve the problem and should be given a chance. The parcel acquired at the Bristow Road entrance will improve the safety of the existing intersection; however, this new entrance configuration will NOT eliminate the traffic congestion and safety concern at the rear portion of the park. (nearly ½ mile from the entrance). Nor will it relieve congestion at the entrance when park visitors try to leave the park simultaneously. Should the Park Authority be denied the approval of this acquisition, the developer of the Liberty Oaks, will simply put a home on the parcel making the access point unavailable in the future.
· An allegation has been made that the Park Authority is “subsidizing a developer” stating “this new road would provide access to un-built lots in the Liberty Oaks subdivision, saving the developer the cost of building their own road.” In no means is this road subsidizing the developer. The developer already has driveway entrances cut into the adjoining lots directly to Aden Road. In fact, approved grading plans showing these driveway entrances, without any road being needed for these lots, are contained in the staff report.
· An allegation that “the new road would go through a conservation area intended to protect one wetland” is completely false. The proposed road alignment, including a grading exhibit, has been provided to County staff, clearly depicting the avoidance of any portion of the existing conservation area.
