Curvy or Triangle Path? Boulevard Improvements and Mini-Park Come Down to Aesthetics

Progress on the planned fence and landscaping along George Mason Boulevard and the mini-park at the end of School Street came down to minute aesthetic details at Tuesday night's council meeting. 

Council members had three mini-park designs to choose from. They opted for design No. 2, a curvy path connecting School Street and University Drive pedestrian traffic. 

RK&K consultants and city staff urged the council to make a decision to keep the project on schedule. RK&K intends to present a final project plan for council decision in October. Had the council opted to poll the community further on their preferences for any of the three options, the final plan would be delayed and Virginia Department of Transportation reimbursement approval would be pushed into the holidays, delaying the project's groundbreaking, staff said. 

Council members hoped for more time to discuss the options with the community, particularly Cresmont, Mason Oaks and other nearby neighborhoods before coming to a decision. Though consultants and staff said they recently presented the design options to neighboring communities, council members had yet to hear the feedback.

But the thought of delaying the project even further pressed them to decide on the fly.

The project will cost about $464,0000, $64,000 more than the city allotted. 

"I'm sure part of this issue with this increasing cost is because this project has taken so long to get to this point that costs go up," said Mayor Rob Lederer. "So I'm guessing we need to make a decision sooner rather than later."

The council shrugged aside their least favorite option, a straight path through the mini-park, and focused on the other two options, similar in every way but aesthetics. Neither option would cost much more than the other or upset already existing underground utilities. 

City staff recommended the third option, a triangle-like path design that would wind along two small groups of flowering trees, for its ease of maintenance.

"We were very close on any of these three options," said Michael McCarty, executive director of Parks and Recreation. "It was the annual maintenance of maintaining the planting beds, plant material, amount of plant material that would require slightly more for option two. It wasn't a dealbreaker, option three is a nice option, option two is a nice option as well."

The council decided to proceed with option two, preferring the aesthetic value of that design over the others.

"Personally for me, in reviewing these, I like design option No. 2," said Councilman Dan Drummond. "I think it's more aesthetically pleasing and it seems to strike a balance between ease of maintenance but at the same time it's not as linear if you will as design option No. 1. I also think it's in keeping with University Park, which is also curvy."

The park will be placed where School Street dead ends before connecting with University Drive. Staff and council members hope the park will deter traffic and provide a more pleasant walkthrough area for pedestrians. The park will include lounging areas, trash receptacles and low-lighting along the path.

Other parts of the project include 450 feet of fencing on both sides of George Mason Boulevard to create a buffer between the road and adjacent residences, and the reconfiguration of a driveway at 4226 University Drive to provide ease of access for the homeowner.

The project schedule plans to submit a final design for council approval in October. The project will then be sent to VDOT for approval and advertised for bids. Construction will start in March and wrap up about three to four months later.

If the council can't make up the $64,000 difference in project costs with competitive bidding, some aspects of the project may be cut to reduce cost.