By David Newman

Lyon Park is our shared backyard—a place where children play, neighbors gather, and community happens. Maintaining the park is the responsibility of the Lyon Park Community Center’s Board of Governors (the “BOG”), so when the BOG saw aging playground equipment and picnic tables needing replacement and on-going water drainage issues, the BOG authorized creation of a Playground Committee to gather community input, identify neighborhood priorities, and develop recommendations.

Over the past year, an all-volunteer Committee, led by Mark Illich, has widely distributed a survey, held conversations at community events and meetings, provided updates in this newsletter, delivered flyers throughout the neighborhood, and worked to keep you informed on https://lyonpark.org/explore/parks-green-spaces/lyon-park-playground-renovation/.

Your collective input guided a playground design expert, whose work was funded by a generous donation. The expert sketches here and on the website reflect the general design plan. Finalizing the plan requires selection of the playground equipment, which happens at a later stage with further opportunity for community input.

What We Heard. Across multiple channels, community members expressed strong support for improving park drainage, replacing aging equipment, upgrading play surfaces, and adding play equipment for children 5–12. At the same time, neighbors emphasized the importance of protecting Lyon Park’s tree canopy, preserving the natural character of the park, and maintaining open play space and picnic areas. The proposed design strives to optimize the playground, while preserving the nature and spirit of Lyon Park. 

Design Elements:
-A rain garden to help capture and treat stormwater runoff
-Replacement of the equipment for children ages 2–5
-Addition of equipment for children ages 5–12
-Upgraded play surfaces to improve accessibility and the health and safety of our children and our trees
-Shifting the ages 2–5 play area away from the existing tree cluster and picnic tables to better protect critical root zones, expand picnic space, and make better use of the northwest portion of the park
-A second accessible entry path from 4th Street to improve access for strollers, wheelchairs, and others who need accommodation
-Preservation of the tree canopy. Only a small leaning cherry tree needs removal; while additional trees and native plantings will be in the project budget.
-If fundraising permits, free-standing play areas, such as a small playhouse village, balance play, or loose-parts play, may be added under existing shade trees.

As the project moves forward, the Committee will keep working with community members and organizations to ensure your priorities remain their priorities.

What Comes Next. The Committee will continue sharing information, answering questions, and gathering feedback at community meetings and events. Updates will be published in this newsletter, on the Lyon Park listserv, and at https://lyonpark.org/explore/parks-green-spaces/lyon-park-playground-renovation.

Eligible community members will have an opportunity to vote on the plan. The results of that vote, and other inputs from engaged community organizations and members, will determine the future of this initiative. Even after this decision point, if the project moves forward, further community input will be welcomed on finer details.

The next step will be fundraising, likely beginning with local businesses and potential institutional or corporate supporters, followed by outreach to neighbors seeking participation at a meaningful level.

Selection of playground equipment and plantings, with further community input, occurs after funding is in place.
Comments, questions, and concerns about the overall plan can be sent to Playground Committee Chair Mark Illich at milich@mkdevelopmentllc.com and to David Newman and Ann Pitts at LPCCGovernors@gmail.com.

By David Newman

Have you been to the playground at Lyon Park after a good rain?  The high tide stems from a stream running under the park.  Years ago there was a pond in the park!  Recognizing that our playground is well-loved and well-used, but aging, a Playground Committee, under the auspices of the Lyon Park Community Center’s Board of Governors and the Lyon Park Citizens Association, is working on a plan to address the water issues, add child-and environment-friendly play surfaces, and upgrade the aging playground equipment and picnic areas.

The Committee’s work is led by our neighbor Mark Ilich.  New committee members are still welcome, as the Committee continues to seek community input and begin fundraising.  Fundamental principles of this project include: (1) we want to protect our tree canopy, (2) any new gardens must be low maintenance, focusing on resilient native plants, (3) we want to protect open areas of the park, as much as possible, (4) we want community input, but there will be a cutoff, allowing plans to move forward; (5) funding will come from donations or perhaps some small grants; and (6) no phase of work will begin until we have funds to cover the cost.  For more information about the project, check out our website at https://lyonpark.org/explore/parks-green-spaces/lyon-park-playground-renovation/.  You also can look for information tables at some Lyon Park community events, watch for future articles in the Lyon Park and Ashton Heights newsletters, and keep an eye on the LP and AH community list servs.  To get involved, send an email to Mark Illich at milich@mkdevelopmentllc.com.  You also can contact the Lyon Park Board of Governors at LPCCGovernors@gmail.com, if you have questions.

If you were not able to visit the playground renovation informational tent at the egg hunt, you will have at least two more opportunities to learn about the plans.

Representatives of the Playground Committee will present at the LPCA meeting on Wednesday 5/13 at 7:00 pm.

An informational tent and people who can answer your questions will also be in Lyon Park during the Spring Fair on Saturday, May 16th. 

By Elizabeth Sheehy

On the afternoon of December 11, Lyon Park lost a beloved member of its arboreal family, the Japanese zelkova tree (zelkova serrata) that for many years stood guard near the southeast corner of Lyon Park. In the summer it offered shade, and its fall leaves were brilliant. The tree’s demise highlights two community concerns that Arlington County leadership must address: bureaucratic inflexibility and poor communication.

There is little doubt that Lyon Park is facing a tree crisis. The prevalence of aging trees (many 100+ years old), disease and development has reduced the tree canopy throughout our area. As a community, we value trees for their cooling shade, and role in cleaning the air and absorbing water runoff. After decades of neglect, the County is finally engaged, implementing the Circuit Tree Maintenance program in 2024, “proactively inspecting and scheduling maintenance to all street trees under [the County’s] care on a five-year cycle” to protect Arlington’s tree canopy. 

https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Sustainability/Trees/Tree-Maintenance-and-Health/Public-Trees/Circuit-Tree-Maintenance

Lyon Park certainly appreciates the County’s intentions, yet there is a right way and a wrong way to go about tree maintenance, and the treatment of this tree sure looks like the wrong way.

During this past summer, the County started working on Lyon Park’s trees. Communication was underwhelming, with a single notification about scheduled tree maintenance sent via email to the LPCA (which then distributed it to the list serve) in mid-August. This information was not sent to individual homes, so it came as a shock to many in mid-October when signs were nailed to a dozen trees, stating their removal was imminent. Residents were angry and confused, and it was two days later that the LPCA President received a County email stating the number of trees slated for pruning and/or removal.

Questioning why this important and seemingly healthy tree was being cut down, the community gathered at the site on October 25, inviting County leaders to join them for a “treeside chat.” No County employees attended, but residents who were present agreed that the tree appeared healthy and requested a second opinion on its viability. Communication went back-and-forth between the LPCA and County officials, with Lyon Park asking for time to review options to rehabilitate the tree, which serves as a focal point on N Fillmore Street. Responses were slow, but the LPCA believed it was still in conversation with its government representatives when, on December 11, the chainsaws arrived. 

Knowing this tree was a priority for the Lyon Park community, the County could have held off its irreversible actions until the community was convinced of its necessity. After decades of tree neglect, postponing this tree’s removal so alternate options could be considered was a reasonable request. Instead, Lyon Park’s concerns were ignored. Once the tree was removed, it was clear that there was no internal rot, and, having survived the recent derecho and various hurricanes, there was no reason to believe its limbs would fail any time soon. Residents’ sense of betrayal will not fade quickly, and the County’s actions highlight distrust in Arlington between elected officials and residents.  

Lyon Park deserves an explanation.

UPDATE: LPCA President Natalie Roy addressed this issue at the December 13 County Board meeting. The Board promised to look into the issue and get back to her. Stay tuned. 

By Steve Geiger

The LPCC Board of Governors has created a new Grounds Committee to oversee the natural environment of the park exclusive of the playground areas and the community center.  The committee is currently composed of Bill Anhut, Deborah Barber, Ann Bodine, and myself, but we are looking for others within the community who would wish to join and help us maintain the park.  Please let me know (miscsteve@comcast.net) if you would like to be a part of this committee.

The Grounds Committee performs various functions:  

We apply mulch to the trees every spring, supervise a professional arborist to check the health of the trees, conduct tree pruning when necessary, provide for emerald ash borer treatment of the two Arlington County Champion White Ash trees located in the center of the park, and oversee the mowing of the lawn.  

Deborah is doing a fantastic job in creating and maintaining the extensive gardens surrounding the community center, maintaining the rain garden located to the south of the community center, and preparing plants for the annual Lyon Park Plant Sale.  She currently is looking for volunteers to help with these tasks.  Please contact Deborah (deborah.barber@gmail.com) if you wish to help keep the gardens looking great. 

The Lyon Park Playground Committee is excited to be working with the community to develop a plan for renovating the playground at Lyon Park. We are a group of volunteers spearheaded by resident Mark Ilich and began meeting in February to discuss the project and how we can “Play It Forward!”

The basic intent is to: replace the equipment, address the current drainage problems, respect the park’s natural tree canopy, and install new surfacing. However, other details and what it will look like exactly is still an open question. Throughout the spring we will be at several community events to help raise awareness of the project and hear from the community. Last month we launched a survey to better understand the community’s preferences and priorities. If you have not already shared your feedback, please follow the link below to provide your input and make sure your voice is heard! Your input is very valuable in guiding the renovation and design process, and we want to hear from as many residents as possible. Please share with your neighbors and help spread the word!

We also invite you to come to our tent at the Lyon Park Spring Fair (5/17) where we will have an activity table for kids to build their dream playground and volunteers will be available to speak with you more about the project. 

In June, based on all the input collected in our Survey, we will launch the next phase of conceptual design and begin fundraising in earnest. A generous donation has allowed us to engage a local design firm to help us shepherd the project through these initial engagement and conceptual design phases; however ongoing volunteer efforts and fundraising will be critical to turning this vital need into a reality. Please be on the lookout for ways that you can participate in and donate to the efforts and help us PLAY IT FORWARD!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LP-Playground-Renovation 

By Anne Bodine

The County’s Urban Forester Vincent Verweij reported in our March meeting that Lyon Park’s tree canopy had grown—per the County’s newest survey of comparing tree canopy countywide from 2014 to 2023—from 29% to 33%.  LPCA members expressed some skepticism about the data and the county’s overall stewardship; many felt Arlington wasn’t doing enough to save mature trees.  Brooke Alexander, tree canopy coordinator for Ashton Heights, presented maps showing trends for mature trees (those 40’ or taller, compared to the County’s survey which measures canopy at the 12’ level).  

Lyon Park’s tall trees (40’ or taller) grew only 1% and Ashton Heights’ grew only 4%, these numbers would be much higher but for the impact of development (disease/invasives/age/owner convenience) also causing tree loss). One block of N. Edgewood (just north of LPCA) illustrates the problem.  Google Earth shows the teardowns in real time; the survey shows loss (orange), new growth (lime green) and dark green (no change).  

Alexander pressed Verweij to help us set goals—and I pressed for county support to achieve them—so Lyon Park and Ashton Heights could help us make the overall county goal of 40% canopy (NOTE:  Rosslyn is only 19%).  He followed up after our meeting to suggest a standard for low-density residential areas set by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) of 55%.  LPCA and AHCA will continue to work with the Forestry office—please pitch in to water, care for, and plant trees (especially oaks as a keystone species) so we get from 33% to 55%!    

By Brooke Alexander

This is a saga about the first AH Greenway section, and I wish it had a better ending. The first Greenway section came to be with the granting of Use Permit U-1794-68-4 on R-6 zoned properties at 930 Irving Street and 927 Ivy Street.

Where is this located? It’s on the neighborhood side of the businesses along 10th Street (Vespa, WBM used cars, and Budget Rental) between Ivy and Irving Street. 

A little history. I got involved because of the landscaping. 

In the summer of 2023, the County was pressing for the landscaping to be re-installed; most of it had died. I approached the tenant to ask if he would be interested in installing native plants, relying heavily on canopy trees with an understory of perennials for pollinators. The land is owned by Edmunds Motors. The tenant, Ali Nezam, was enthusiastic in his support for this idea. 

 He asked me if I would make him a plan. I agreed. He asked me to source and price the material, to which I also agreed. I developed a landscape plan which was cheaper than re-installing the plants that are called for in a 1982 County landscaping plan. 

The plan I developed had the additional benefits of adding to the neighborhood tree canopy and feeding the local ecosystem, and complying with the Ashton Heights Tree Canopy and Native Plant Principles.  

To change landscape plans required an application to the County.  Mr. Nezam asked me to fill out the form, which I did, including the proper sized graphics, and thumb drive requirements. I also spoke with the county staff on the owner’s behalf to affirm that the Administrative Change would be positively reviewed.  

I obtained 6 free trees that I kept alive on my driveway, awaiting planting; offered my member discount on native perennials from Earth Sangha and to deliver the plants; and arranged a free Tree Canopy Fund tree which was planted. Mr. Nezam asked me to oversee his landscape crew in planting the 6 trees. But on May 2 the landscaper (and I) discovered that there is 7 inches of packed gravel on this site. This is inhospitable to plants and likely contributed to the previous plants’ demise.  

When I looked more deeply into the 193 pages of County records on the permit, I found that in 2012, the fence along the Greenway had been removed, and the Greenway paved over with these 7 inches of packed gravel, in order to enlarge the parking lot. The County subsequently required the plantings to be re-installed, and that was done in 2014. Unfortunately, the County did not require that the paving be removed at that point.  

Current status: After all this elapsed time, and work, the owner and tenant installed plantings on Dec. 4..   Unfortunately they used the 1982 plan.  They did not apply for an Administrative Change for permission to use the native plants. This is disappointing on several fronts, but they have the right to do just that. The 7 inches of packed gravel remain. Oh, and the plants on the Ivy Street frontage were planted in the wrong place. 

Before this occurred, the AHCA wrote to Arlington officials about the landscaping and other compliance issues. 

“We request that if the landowner does not wish to pursue the alternative plan developed by Brooke Alexander, that the landowner be required to bring the property up to Arlington’s current code for landscaping for parking lots as a condition of renewing the Use Permit,” the letter states.

From 1968 until 1996, the County reviewed this Use Permit every 6-36 months. The County has not reviewed this Use Permit since 1996.  AH named 15 compliance issues, in addition to the landscaping issues, in this recent letter to the Board. The County is moving to examine these now. I will be able to update you next month. Stay tuned!