3550 Commonwealth Avenue Park Naming

Para tomar esta encuesta en español contacta a Ana Vicinanzo a ana.vicinanzo@alexandriava.gov o visita la recepción en el centro de recreación de Leonard “Chick” Armstrong para una copia en papel.

In Fall 2019, City Council adopted a naming policy for the renaming of parks and recreation facilities in the City of Alexandria. The objective of this policy is to establish a consistent approach for the official naming or renaming of City public parks, recreation areas, and facilities.

The policy allows for a community-driven naming process, stating, "An individual or group submits a name recommendation to the Director of the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (RPCA) either by mail or online form. The submission must include the justification for the proposed name, including how the name meets the criteria in this policy, at least one letter of recommendation from representatives in the community, such as a community organization (HOA/Civic Association), and an explanation of any additional information on a community outreach process."

Recently, RPCA received two potential names for the park at 3550 Commonwealth Avenue. The two names and the rationale for each are summarized below:

1. Unity Park: As stated in the proposal, Unity Park reflects the “hopes and dreams that we have for this park…it would be a place of connection, recreation, and fun for all of the people that live in the neighborhoods surrounding it. It would also serve as a reminder of where we have come from and where we are going. In addition, the name also speaks to the fact that it sits between several neighborhoods and recognizes all the work the residents of the various surrounding neighborhoods put into the original park construction.”

2. Shirley Tyler Park: For more than 40 years, Mrs. Shirley Tyler was a community leader in Alexandria. Tyler and her family moved to Arlandria in 1965 where she was a resident until her death in February 2018. They were the first African American homeowners in their neighborhood. Tyler became involved in the Arlandria Civic Association. In 1973, Tyler was appointed to the Alexandria School Board. From 1974 to 1976, she served as vice chair and from 1980 to 1982 served as the first African American female chairperson. She was an educator. From 1969 to 1979, she was a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher at Grace Episcopal School. In 1975, she became the Headmistress and remained in that position until her retirement in 1989.

Please provide your input on either of these two names or other potential options below.

Question Title

* 1. Which do you prefer as a future name for the park at 3550 Commonwealth Avenue?

Unity Park

Shirley Tyler Park

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 2. Please provide any comments regarding your response.

Question Title

* 3. If you would like to be contacted on the next steps of this process, please provide your information below.

Name

Email Address

Phone Number

Thank you for your feedback. If you have any questions please contact Dana Wedeles, Principal Planner, at dana.wedeles@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.5491. Or, learn more about the park naming process.