City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MARCH 8, 2017
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
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Consideration of the Open Space Master Plan 2017 Updated Implementation Strategy.
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ISSUE: City Council consideration of the Open Space Master Plan 2017 Updated Implementation Strategy.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council receives the Open Space Master Plan 2017 Updated Implementation Strategy and authorizes the City Manager to proceed with its implementation.
BACKGROUND: In 2002, an interdepartmental staff team and the Open Space Steering Committee produced the City of Alexandria Open Space Master Plan, establishing fifteen ambitious goals for protecting, enhancing and expanding open space. The Open Space Plan established a framework to address the City's short and longer term open space needs by acknowledging and protecting the City's existing open spaces and identifying additional open space opportunities for the future. City Council adopted the Open Space Master Plan in 2003 and an interdepartmental work team developed an action plan in 2004.
DISCUSSION: In the fall of 2016, the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (RPCA) hired Lardner-Klein Landscape Architects (LKA) to document successes in the protection and expansion of public open space since the plan adoption in 2003. In addition, LKA, in cooperation with an interdepartmental work team, developed a ten-year strategy to continue the implementation of the Open Space Plan.
A summary of successes to date include:
* Goal 2 - Develop Innovative Opportunities for Creating Additional Public Open Space: Acquisition of and creation of additional open space (103 acres)
* Goal 3 - Complete Implementation of the Potomac River Waterfront Plan: City Council adoption and implementation of the Waterfront Small Area Plan
* Goal 5 -...
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