To the Editor:

It appears that few Alexandrians are aware of the drastic changes planned for Chinquapin Park and Recreation Center. There is $17.5M in the city budget for 2014-2018 to build an indoor 50m Olympic size swimming pool at Chinquapin, while keeping the existing pool for recreational use. The structure for the new pool is to be connected to the present building in some way. A feasibility study begins this month to determine where and how to do this.

A large chunk of the park has been set aside for the new pool and pool parking. Even though the Parks Department does not yet know how much of this space is actually needed, it is proceeding with plans to "improve" Chinquapin Park as part of a citywide Park Plan. The glory of Chinquapin Park is the broad open green space dotted with big, beautiful trees. It is a serene, pastoral oasis and is unique in Alexandria. The tennis courts, the basketball court, children’s playground, picnic pavilion and dog run are now located inconspicuously around the edge of the park. The "improvement" plan moves them onto the middle of the green space. Much of the rest of the green space is carved up by paved walking paths, connecting paths and entrance plazas. The pool expansion and thoughtless park planning threaten to turn this green oasis into a busy activities hub and destroy the character of the Park. See the plan (pages 35-48) at: www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/recreation/parks/CitywideParksImprovementPlan_PressRelease.pdf

A public hearing on the plan is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at City Hall by the Park and Recreation Commission, who has to endorse the plan before it goes further. Alexandrians who love the beauty of Chinquapin Park will have to speak up to save it.

Andrew Findlay

Alexandria