Patriot Park in Fairfax torn down to build new soccer fields

By Marissa Acker
On Sat., March 3, a ceremony was held to celebrate the groundbreaking of Patriot Park, located at 12111 Braddock Road in Fairfax. The property for this new park was purchased by multiple groups, including the Virginia Department of Transportation, the George Mason University Foundation, and several private owners. The land was purchased for about $1.3 million.
According to the Fairfax County Government web site, "The 2004 Park Bond will fund the initial phase of construction, which is anticipated to cost approximately $2.6 million." Tessa Construction and Tech Company of Chantilly will perform the construction. The project is aimed to be completed by September.
Patriot Park is a 97-acre site, and will include the largest recreational turf field in the entire county. Not only will the new park include state-of-the-art sports fields, but it will also include several nature trails. According to the Fairfax Country Government web site, "infrastructure such as parking and storm water management facilities" will also be included in the park.
The construction is going to be "phased." The first phase will include "construction of an access road through the adjacent Mott Community Center, 120 parking spaces and associated lanes," according to the government web site. Also, there will be three lighted synthetic turf soccer fields, along with detailed landscaping of trails and sidewalks.
The second phase of construction will add three 90-foot baseball diamonds and three additional soccer fields for area sports and recreation leagues to use. Also, a playground for children and designated picnic areas will be added at this time.
The construction of the new park is controversial in that the park contains wildlife that have been pushed out of their natural habitats, and some have even died because of the construction of Patriot Park. "I understand the goal of creating a new state-of-the-art park, but, at the same time, it is upsetting, because so many innocent animals are being displaced," said senior Anna-Kate Collier.
Senior Stacey Dodd agreed with Collier, saying, "I guess it is a good idea to have all the space for the athletic fields, but if they are going to do it in a way that is going to harm animals, then they should find another way to do it."
The construction crews are attempting to minimize animal displacement and loss during the construction phases. For example, some natural wooded areas will not be cut down and will be designated for wildlife.

By Stephanie Axelrod |  May 18, 2007; 8:53 AM ET
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