Master Plan
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan is an ongoing update to the City of Fairfax's parks master plan, the last version of which was adopted in 2014. 4 separate matters touch this plan or program; each has its own status.
Pat Rodio Park
Pat Rodio Park is a municipal park that has been undergoing a playground relocation and broader redevelopment effort. As of October 2024, staff identified that the playground needed to be moved to a new location; by November 2024, a relocation site had been identified and public outreach was planned.
- Feb 13, 2025Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · item 7aProject Updates – Master Plan, Pat Rodio, Van Dyck Redevelopment, Old Town Renovation, KJM Turf, Splashpad
PRAB met with Berry and Dunn last month to review the Master Plan.
- City Council Orientation
The Parks Master Plan is being updated; the last update was in 2014.
- Project Updates
A statistically significant survey is going out to residents; staff is working with Berry Dunn to facilitate group discussions.
- New Business – Pat Rodio Master Plan Discussion
PRAB voted to support moving $100k in CIP funds away from a Pat Rodio Master Plan toward a master plan for the Westmore School site, including improvements like utilities and a bathroom. The community survey for the Parks Master Plan will be presented to City Council on January 6th.
passedMotion to support the movement of $100k in CIP funds from a Pat Rodio Master Plan to a master plan for the Westmore School site.✓ Rice✓ Paceley✓ Ross✓ Knowles✓ Gibson✓ Russell✓ O'Brien✓ Curtin✓ Neway· Kuiler· Hickman· Stewart
Van Dyck Redevelopment
The Van Dyck Redevelopment is a funded parks project in the Town of Vienna that has been tracked by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) since at least October 2024. The project was initially placed on hold pending the start of Thaiss Park construction, and by February 2025 its construction start was pushed to FY28 to avoid concurrent work with the Blenheim Boulevard and Willard Sherwood Center projects.
- Feb 13, 2025Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · item 7aProject Updates – Master Plan, Pat Rodio, Van Dyck Redevelopment, Old Town Renovation, KJM Turf, Splashpad
PRAB met with Berry and Dunn last month to review the Master Plan.
- City Council Orientation
The Parks Master Plan is being updated; the last update was in 2014.
- Project Updates
A statistically significant survey is going out to residents; staff is working with Berry Dunn to facilitate group discussions.
KJM Turf
The KJM Turf project involves the renovation and turfing of fields associated with KJM Middle School, a effort that has been in development for at least 10 years. As of the May 2025 joint PRAB/School Board meeting, the current plan — developed with consultant Timmons — estimates a total cost of approximately $10 million and encompasses two turf fields, a track, and a paved area, with a projected construction timeline of 16–18 months (potentially shorter if synthetic turf is selected). $6 million in funding has been identified ($4 million already allocated plus $2 million in ARPA funds), leaving a gap of $6–8 million.
- Feb 13, 2025Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · item 7aProject Updates – Master Plan, Pat Rodio, Van Dyck Redevelopment, Old Town Renovation, KJM Turf, Splashpad
PRAB met with Berry and Dunn last month to review the Master Plan.
- Project Updates
A statistically significant survey is going out to residents; staff is working with Berry Dunn to facilitate group discussions.
Thaiss Park
Thaiss Park is a City park undergoing full redevelopment, including new ballfields, a playground, adult exercise equipment, a clubhouse building, and related infrastructure. The City Council approved a $7,725,650 construction contract with Bright Masonry, Inc. on October 8, 2024, and the project was fully funded.
- City Council Orientation
The Parks Master Plan is being updated; the last update was in 2014.
- Parks and Recreation Department Report – Master Plan Update
The Master Plan was placed on hold during summer due to high season workload and staffing shortages; it will be picked back up in the fall.
- Urban Forestry Master Plan Presentation
Anna Safford presented the Urban Forestry Master Plan to PRAB; the project is in Phase 2 covering outreach, engagement, and development of three draft versions, with draft #2 open for public comment October 10–29 and Planning Commission/Council hearings anticipated in December/January. Survey feedback results have been received; staff needs to meet with the consultant to go over the results.
- Stakeholder Update – Planning Commission (Matt Rice)
The Van Dyck Master Plan Implementation is included in the current draft CIP as a project of interest to PRAB.
- Jun 11, 2026Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · item 5bStakeholder Updates – Environmental Sustainability Committee
The ESC's upcoming meeting will identify short and long-term goals congruent with the 2035 Master Plan.
In full
Staff engaged consultant Berry Dunn to lead the update process. As of early 2025, PRAB had met with Berry Dunn to review the plan, and by April 2025 a statistically significant resident survey was being distributed alongside facilitated group discussions. Work was paused over the summer of 2025 due to peak-season workload and staffing shortages, with resumption planned for fall 2025.
By October 2025, survey feedback results had been received and staff needed to meet with the consultant to review them. At the November 2025 meeting, PRAB voted unanimously (9-0, with three members absent) to redirect $100k in CIP funds away from a Pat Rodio Master Plan toward a master plan for the Westmore School site. A presentation of the community survey results to City Council was scheduled for January 6, 2026.
Separately, the Urban Forestry Master Plan (presented in October 2025 by Anna Safford) and the Environmental Sustainability Committee's goal-setting aligned with a 2035 Master Plan represent related but distinct planning efforts ongoing in parallel.