Minor Hill Land Use Plan
(August 2002)

General Goals for Minor Hill/Sharp Park Area: We recognize that ensuring the integrity of the County's water supply is the overriding goal of all measures affecting the Minor Hill area. However, we believe that the interests of the Williamsburg neighborhood and the immediate neighbors near Minor Hill must also be considered. The County and the neighborhood should work together to find ways to ensure the security of the water supply while:

• Taking measures to make the water facility less of an eyesore
• Preserving and enhancing the existing tree canopy
• Using the available spaces in this area to benefit neighborhood needs
• Avoiding measures that would unduly sacrifice the interests of adjacent homeowners, by creating uses that significantly increase parking needs
• Replacing the current ugly fencing with fencing that is both more secure and more attractive

Recognizing that the limits of space and available parking preclude active recreational uses (such as a tot lot), the Williamsburg Civic Association supports primarily passive use of the Minor Hill area, such as a butterfly garden and a small park area with park benches or one or two picnic tables.

Williamsburg neighbors are strongly opposed to the use of the Minor Hill area for telecommunications towers, especially in instances when such towers involve removal of any part of the tree canopy and/or the construction of additional structures. We also believe that - given the high priority that Williamsburg neighbors place on public open space and parkland for our neighborhood - the interests of the neighborhood should be given greater weight than those of telecommunications companies.

Area A Recommendations:

1. Provide a small picnic area, including picnic tables, trash receptacles and an accessible path on the northwestern side of the pump house. On-street parking on N. Powhatan Street is available to serve this area, if needed.
2. Remove chain link/barbed wire fence along N. Powhatan Street to provide access to this area for pedestrians. Install a new, taller, dark green, chain link fence on both sides of the pump house connecting to the perimeter fence.
3. Remove low, metal fence which bisects the area north of the pump house.
4. Install street/shade trees along N. Powhatan Street behind sidewalk.
5. Install removable/locking bollards at the driveway entrance.

Area B Recommendations:

1. 1. Reclaim asphalt parking area for green space.
2. Evaluate plant material along N. Powhatan Street and throughout this area. Remove all volunteer and invasive plant material, including trees, shrubs, ground cover and vines. (Depending on the amount of plant material removed, new trees should be installed.)
3. Selectively prune remaining plant material to open views to/from N. Powhatan Street.
4. Remove large, overgrown shrub groupings.
5. Provide a small butterfly garden, including benches and accessible paths. On-street parking on N. Powhatan Street is available to serve this area, if needed.
6. Install metal bollards and chain along the west side of service drive.
7. Locate bird house(s) in this area.

Area C Recommendations:

1. Widen and realign asphalt path connecting to Williamsburg Boulevard.
2. Reclaim remaining asphalt path for green space.
3. Supplement existing trees with native tree plantings

Area D Recommendations:

1. Remove concrete sidewalk and return to green space.
2. Reclaim asphalt parking area for green space and install native trees.
3. Remove existing entrance metal gate and replace with removable, locking bollards.
4. Retain asphalt connection to service drive.
5. Remove wooden bollards and split rail fence.
6. Install metal bollards and chain along the east side of asphalt path.
7. Remove split rail fence.

Note: Locate bird house(s) in this area.

Area E Recommendations:

1. Stabilize slope by installing a retaining wall to prevent erosion at southeast corner of concrete tanks. New wall should be compatible with existing retaining wall materials. Remove invasive plant material. Add new plantings.
2. Screen the large tank wall facing Sharp Park by installing evergreen/coniferous trees and large shrubs

Area F Recommendations:

1. Install dark green, chain link fence to restrict access to service area on the east side of the tanks.
2. Remove light fixtures and associated concrete bases on top of concrete tanks.
3. Study the feasibility of removing concrete wall and chain link fence on top of wall. Replace with dark green, chain link fencing.
4. Remove graffiti from concrete surfaces.
5. Paint or replace the existing chain link fence on top of the concrete tanks.
6. Install evergreen shrubs in front of concrete structures at the center and corners of the tanks.

Area G Recommendations:

1. Study the feasibility of removing the existing external chain link fence with barbed wire and replace with a taller (8 or 10 ft. ht.), dark green, chain link fence. The treatment of fences abutting areas A, B, C and D should take into consideration adjacent pedestrian activity, as well as security requirements.
2. Study options for replacing internal chain link fences which enclose the underground tanks, with a less visually obtrusive option.

Note: Fencing recommendations are pending the results of a separate consultant study that is reviewing fencing and security for county facilities.

Numbers are keyed to the Minor Hill Land Use Map.

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