[Michael Barnes, Planning Director – Community Development]: For years, the Southern Parkway was the idea of how to create the connection between Avon to 5th Street. Certainly, that need was greatly alleviated with the creation of the Wegman’s connection. So, I think it reduces the need for that. Additionally, there are a lot of challenges to trying to go over to the other side. As far as the possibility of the Southern Parkway as a bargaining chip, I don't think that has come up as something that we've been talking about. Maybe it's something we could consider. 

[Tim Padalino, Chief of Parks Planning – Parks & Recreation]: We understand that since the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan in 2015, the road network has changed and grown with the 5th Street Station Parkway being built across Moores Creek, which creates an East-West connection that helps alleviate the pressure in the Southern Development Area. Perhaps not perfectly, but it does expand the road network East-West. So the need or the utility of using the Southern Parkway for a road connection is lower than it was when the time that plan was adopted. I don't know that the County is in a position to say we would never build a road there. But in working with planning staff and Community Development in thinking about greenways, planning the highest and best use of that right of way is a bicycle and pedestrian connection that leads to the county's largest park – not a road project that would be probably $100 million or more and would require so much right of way acquisition on the west side of Biscuit Run. 

I think I'm on solid ground to say there are no near plans or intermediate plans to build a road within the Southern Parkway right of way unless it's an access road to get to a great public access greenway trail. 

[Tim Padalino, Chief of Parks Planning – Parks & Recreation]: We've been very thoughtful about the strategic location and the access importance of that existing publicly owned right of way. We haven't designed anything because we want to make sure that the conversation is in close coordination with the community. With it being currently publicly owned, it feels like it is a critical component of the overall network. It doesn't have to be emphasized as a recreational destination for people on the Greenway Trail.  

When I described recreational use [of the Southern Parkway], it was about formalizing the recreational use. We would love to have conversations about what's important to Foxcroft and to Mill Creek concerning what's there now, possible improvements, how a design, whether it's landscaping or fencing or something that may be able to kind of create an edge element to that and respect the private enjoyment of property while also creating this critical access point. It needs to be further studied and then eventually designed in collaboration with stakeholders, like the neighborhoods. There's an opportunity to have a more accessible pathway down there. I know the private asphalt trail is pretty steep in some places and I know the gravel access road that's used by the utilities is not that accessible to all users. Enhancements and upgrades could be incorporated, but we don't want to design anything or show a final solution before we understand what's most important. 

[Tim Padalino, Chief of Parks Planning – Parks & Recreation]: In Parks and Recreation, half of our vision is being superior stewards of the natural environment. That was where we were coming from with the idea of accepting a more narrow trail without a paved surface. We have expert staff within our organization who are very aware of and tuned into the importance of native plants and native plant communities, including threatened or at-risk species. 

The Avon Swamp is a really neat and important aspect of the whole Biscuit Run corridor. We understand there's a special turtle species there, Clemmys guttata, the Spotted Turtle. This is the westernmost range of that turtle in all of Virginia. It's more of a coastal species, typically found in the coastal plain. And there's also a rare or threatened species of orchid. Because it’s currently private property, we can't do much. An easement that gives the County rights to do recreational access trails, as well as sustainable land management practices, would be necessary. 

The County's point of comfort would be a 40-foot-wide easement for an 8-foot-wide trail, narrowing down to six feet where necessary to avoid any heritage trees. It gets hard to maintain a public access greenway trail with less than 40 feet of access, but we would not have 40 feet wide land clearance or land disturbance. I just want to make that so clear that we are committed to doing this project in part because it's upgrading and enhancing an existing corridor of disturbance, which is an old roadbed. We can't improve it with zero impacts, but we are committed to minimizing those impacts. 

[Tim Padalino, Chief of Parks Planning – Parks & Recreation]: A lot of the use is happening from outside [of Foxcroft and Mill Creek] members of the public. They are driving to Wegman's and using the future VDOT project, which is now an informal primitive trail. 

We have designated greenway trailhead parking coming at 5th Street Station – it was part of the rezoning that was a requirement for their rezoning approval. At Starbucks just across from Moore’s Creek – there's not a ton of parking, but add that to the large surface parking at 5th Street Station. Then, also add in the first phase of Biscuit Run Park trailhead and entrance down on Route 20 later this year. 

We're trying to create a network of parking around this project and the park that alleviates the pressure in one place and gives people options. So maybe they can't get there without driving, but they may not have to drive as far. There is a larger regional network that may not exist today, but it's planned and is something that is being worked on.