Name the Polk Avenue Park: Sawmill Park, Sawmill Woods Among Possible Names

Alexandria city officials are exploring names including Sawmill Park or Sawmill Woods for the new park on Polk Avenue in the West End.

The forested, hilly open space at 5325 Polk Ave. was once home to a sawmill and later a house that burned, city officials told area residents during a community meeting on the park’s future Tuesday at the William Ramsay Recreation Center.

Local residents already have suggested names based on the sawmill history and at Tuesday evening's meeting also suggested using the space as a small bird sanctuary and hosting a ribbon cutting later this year.

A three-person city naming committee will vet names for the park that are submitted by the public. The name will be decided after a public hearing. (Residents can send written comments to city staff to suggest names; contact information is at the bottom of this article.)

The city purchased the  2.34-acre property in January for $1.9 million. The city received $1.5 million to go toward buying the property from the Department of Defense to mitigate loss of open space in the West End, as well as $0.4 million in City Open Space funds. The Beauregard Rezoning Advisory Group recommended the acquisition of this site in October after reviewing eight sites in the West End that had been nominated by area residents.

Staff will take the community input from Tuesday’s meeting and draft a plan for future use, which will be reviewed and discussed at a public hearing with the Park and Recreation Commission this spring. City officials plan to leave most of the park as is, said Laura Durham, Alexandria’s open space coordinator. 

“This site is something we’re not going to be messing with a whole lot,” she said.

Rod Simmons, the city’s natural resources manager, said the park has a great diversity of plants, including oak and mountain laurel, and boasts a ridgecrest with a view. 

“Over the years, it’s managed to escape any disturbance of a serious kind,” Simmons said. “ … This is a little piece of the past we were able to preserve. Obviously we don’t have a lot of opportunities for this.” 

In the 1940s, the site was home to a sawmill accessible by a gravel road, Simmons said. The road, which remains in good shape, could be used as a trail, perhaps as part of a loop system.

Durham said the city intends to maintain the park for passive use, and there are no plans for a playground or dog park. The gravel road will be for pedestrian access only, except for maintenance vehicles. City officials are also looking at the possibility of installing a sidewalk adjacent to the road.

In response to a question about fire safety, Durham said the city is prohibited by law from banning smoking in the park, but the city can install signs encouraging people not to smoke. Simmons said the site contains little tinder and is not a fire hazard.

On park furniture, Durham said the city can install benches along the trail and a trash can at the street level. Community members also raised the issues of parking space and a second entrance into the park. Those plans remain under development.

West End resident Kathy Burns suggested city officials talk with staff at One Good Tern on Fern Street and Wild Bird Store on Duke Street, who she said could help provide expertise in making the park a bird sanctuary. Resident Carolyn Griglione suggested the city work with elementary schools to use the park to help teach students about ecosystems.

Community members also suggested the city hold a ribbon-cutting for the park’s official opening.

Suggest a Name

Alexandria residents who were unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting can send written comments to the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, Attention: Laura Durham, 1108 Jefferson St., Alexandria, VA 22314, or e-mail laura.durham@alexandriava.gov.