A study commissioned by a citizens group concludes that Hampton Roads needs more parks and suggests converting Fort Monroe into parkland when the Army leaves in two years.
The Fort Monroe National Park Foundation hired the Trust for Public Land for the study, called "Bracing for Change: Fort Monroe and the Need for Parkland in Hampton Roads."
Peter Harnik presented some of the study's conclusions Tuesday at a meeting of the Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority.
The authority, which is overseeing the base's transfer to state control, has adopted a reuse plan that calls for some new development on the 570-acre waterfront property, with 228 acres - 40 percent - designated as parkland or for recreational use.
Harnik, with the Trust for Public Land's Center for City Park Excellence, said 40 percent of the shoreline in the San Francisco area is parkland, while New York City's shoreline is about 37 percent parkland. In Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, Harnik said, less than 20 percent of the shoreline is parkland. Those five cities are home to nine military installations, he noted.
"And because the shoreline along these bases is not publicly accessible, it is critical that Fort Monroe's shoreline be conserved as open, public parkland in the future," Harnik wrote in the report.
Bill Armbruster, executive director of the Fort Monroe authority, said he agrees that the region could use more parkland, and the reuse plan sets aside significant open space for public use.
"We get the message. We're on board with that," Armbruster said after the meeting. "We clearly see that as part of what we want to sell down here - heritage tourism and recreational tourism."
Kate Wiltrout, (757) 446-2629, kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com
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In Hampton?
The 'Locals' will just turn it into an open air drug market while they destroy or steal everything from park benches to sod.
Just Make Sure The Park Stays Open
Just make sure the park is under city or state control, so that it remains truly open. The NPS showed last year in North Carolina that they can’t be relied on to keep public lands open to the public.
Regarding veterans services, the first poster should note that 228 acres are to be parkland, which leaves 342 acres for development. Hopefully some of that development will go to the needs that he is properly advocating for.
fort monroe
you know it really is a shame that we really think we need another park when we as a military community have such a large number of homeless veterans that could really use a safehaven and a new starting ground where they can get help and have support and start their lives heading towards a better direction and better quality of life that they as the ones responsible for our freedom deserve. They don't need a park to sleep in, they need help, support , and shelter..We have the space their are so many buildings and so so so much potential on that base that it would be a disgrace to turn it into a park..I am disappointed in those that made that decision..I hope people read this and open their eyes...those that are blind to reality need to be made to see the most.they say ignorance is bliss but not when there are lives involved..wake up people.