Driving range plan contradicts park authority's recent surveys

Originally published in the Potomac News
Friday, April 4, 2003
by James Simpson

COMMUNITY MEETING TOMORROW, APRIL 5th - Sponsored by Supervisor Ruth Griggs will be held at 12 Noon in the McCoart building to discuss the Prince William County Park Authority's proposed elimination of the Eagle Scout trail and over 3 acres of wooded parkland to construct a driving range at the Lake Ridge Golf and Marina. It is my hope that after reading this column you will show up to provide support in opposition to this ill conceived plan.

The Park Authority's interest stems from a desire to "expand" a program known as First Tee, which is designed to provide at-risk youth positive values and life skills. While the First Tee program (which I should point out is already established and running successfully at Lake Ridge Golf and Marina) has merit, the expansion of it does not need to be at the expense of an established and popular park in a county that is rife with golf courses and driving ranges sufficient for its needs.

The following are just a few of the reasons that this is a bad idea:

- According to the Park Authority's own 2002 Needs Assessment report; citizens who were asked to rank facilities in order of their importance [Question 31] listed "Open space and parks" as number 2 with 11.5% of the vote, versus "Golf courses" which ranked number 8 with 5.2% responding in favor. Of those facilities mentioned "that did not adequately meet respondent needs" [Question 34], "Open space" was listed as number 4 with 6.5% of the vote and "Hiking trails" following at number 5 with 6.4% of the vote. "Golf courses and driving ranges" came in at number 11 with 3.4% of the vote.

- The program can be established at an existing golf course or driving range. According to a February 2002 Prince William County Office of Planning handout, there are over 20 existing or planned golf courses in the county.

- In this time of budget cuts and tax increases the county will still have to find some way to come up with the $200,000+ needed to meet the $300,000 construction cost. First Tee has only provided a grant of $100,000 to the Park Authority as seed money.

- The 3.5 acres of trees that will be removed are a buffer that protects the Occoquan reservoir; considered to be one of the largest reservoir systems in the US that provides safe drinking water from reclaimed wastewater.

- 14 story poles and netting, which would be dangerous to the Occoquan wild bird population, will be installed to prevent golf balls from leaving the range. It won't be long before lights are needed to keep the range open late enough for it to make a profit, after-all … a power utility, the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative, has already donated the first set of poles.

- The proposed driving range will be so limited in length that use of restricted flight balls will likely be necessary, negating the benefit of conveying the true trajectory of their swing to practicing golfers.

- The program would better serve the needs of those it was designed to help if an alternative site was chosen closer to the at-risk youth population … which is not in Lake Ridge.

While the Park Authority may have met the minimum necessary requirements for informing the public of this project it is clear to me that it was not done impartially. Placing a public notice in the newspaper (how many people even read those), leaving flyers in the Golf and Marina pro shop, and mailing a greater number of flyers to those who are members of the First Tee program than the surrounding residents hardly makes one agree that adequate notice was provided. It is my understanding that local homeowners associations (e.g. LRPRA and LOCCA/PELT) were not, until recently, provided complete details of the plan.

I fish in the Occoquan and don't like the thought that silt, fertilizer, and pesticides - natural byproducts of building and maintaining a driving range - could kill of or poison reservoir wildlife.

Please come out tomorrow, Saturday April 5th, to learn how you can help protect the Eagle Scout trail. If you are unable to attend the meeting you can still voice your concern by sending email to the Park Authority at bbolt@pwcparks.org.

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