Alexandria park board circulates draft survey, plans outreach on unnamed 23‑acre site

The Alexandria parks board reviewed a draft paper-and-online survey intended to identify which parks residents use and what recreational amenities they want, and asked staff to add a short explanatory section about an ``unnamed 23‑acre park'' so respondents know where it is and what it includes. A board member said the final survey will be identical in print and online and asked members to provide feedback by email within about two weeks.

The draft lists all county parks and asks frequency-of-use questions, then asks whether respondents want outdoor programming such as bird‑watching and nature hikes. Board members said some suggested programs were borrowed from other communities and may not be appropriate locally; they asked staff to pare options so the questionnaire is concise. The draft also contains demographic questions to help the board understand who completes the survey.

Members discussed using survey results to prioritize park visits and improvements; if several parks are cited repeatedly, the board intends to inspect those sites to determine what features attract users. The board agreed not to finalize distribution until the explanatory language about the 23‑acre property is added so average residents will recognize the parcel when asked about it.

Practical matters discussed included formatting changes to make a shorter printed instrument and ensuring the paper and SurveyMonkey versions match. The board also noted it can solicit feedback through youth athletics and the community center email lists to boost responses. The board did not set a firm finalization date but indicated about two weeks for members to provide edits before staff builds the online version.