You don't think of the Tysons Corner area of Fairfax County as a place with many trees. But there are still some woods left.
Some residents are fighting to preserve the tranquility of one of the last small woods parks left in Tysons. The old courthouse Stream Valley, is one of the last woods in the Tysons area.
"Lots of people come back here and walk their dogs, just to take walks. It's very peaceful here. But imagine a four-lane road here, right by the stream," said Randy Adkins who is one of the residents flighting to stop a four-lane road from being built right next to the stream.
"It's going to be noisy. There's going to be pollution. Runoff," said Adkins.
Neighbors fight to save tranquility of one of last Tysons woods as @fairfaxcounty Board votes on new development plan. 6pm @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/QyqRQsqqoG
— Peggy Fox (@PeggyTV) September 26, 2017
"It'll destroy the last little piece of natural forest that we have. The ability for people to get out and actually enjoy themselves, create some sort of buffer between all the industrialization and the homeowners," said resident Nathan Sonnenberg.
The new roadway called Boone Boulevard is part of the huge development planned to replace the car dealerships along Route 7 near Metro's Silver Line.
"If you want to have a park that has value, you go there for tranquility, to enjoy the speed of butterflies. And if you want that, we need more of a forest and not a busy road," said Floortje Bliindenback-Dressen, an innovation expert.
The local civic associations that represents local residents asked for a compromise that Boone Boulevard be only two lanes instead of four. Last Tuesday, after WUSA9 made inquiries to Fairfax County Supervisors, and before residents spoke at a hearing, the board actually voted to approve that compromise.
However, Adkins remains convinced the road should not be adjacent to the park, but be curved away from the park.
