Should the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail be built?

Date published: 7/14/2006

Hitting the trail

F IRST, SOME HISTORY. During World War II, the U.S. government bought property in King George County from private landowners to build a railroad to serve the Dahlgren Navy base. The railroad right-of-way roughly parallels State Routes 218, 3, and 206. When Dahlgren no longer needed it, the government sold the property to the R,F&P Railroad, which then sold it to CSX.

Then, in 1997, King George resident Joe Williams bought the right-of-way with an eye to preserving the 16-mile stretch of rural land so that others could enjoy it. Now momentum is gathering to establish on the property a biking-hiking path that supporters call the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail. Some furious K.G. residents are looking to derail the project; others are giving it a green light. Would the DRHT be boon or bane to King George?

"Progress" is tough, especially in rural areas where the view out the back porch hasn't changed in a lifetime. Resisting development and its inevitable impositions on the rural way of life is a natural response--ask any Stafford Countian who has seen favorite hunting grounds subsumed by townhouses and bright lights mar the view of the heavens at night.

So when a former state legislator from Woodbridge, David Brickley, obtained the rights to use the King George land and announced plans to use it for a rails-to-trails project, some local people blew their tops, citing crime, pollution, noise, and infringe-ment on a church cemetery. At a ribbon cutting in June, protesters' chants almost drowned out speakers at the ceremony. Some K.G. supervisors are challenging the idea, too.

But there's a different way to look at the rails-to-trails plan. Like it or not, King George ranks among the fastest-growing communities in the nation. Without the kind of strong comprehensive plan that enables counties to resist becoming part of exurbia, King George could, in a decade or two, look much like hideous Prince William County. That's why Mr. Brickley, who represented Prince William in the legislature, thinks now is the time to preserve some pristine land for walking, hiking, and horseback riding, and for enjoying the fields, flora, and fauna that today mark the King George woodlands.

All over Virginia, and, indeed, throughout the nation, rails-to-trails projects have proved to be community assets, enjoyed by residents and visitors seeking solace from the world's worries. A rails-to-trails project in Warrenton offers Fauquier residents a place to hike and bike and remember some history. (During its construction, workers discovered an old railroad turntable.) There's a mile-long Trolley Trail in Ashland and a 50-mile-long New River Trail. From Norfolk to Arlington, Virginians find these pathways projects safe, fun, and therapeutic.

Yet usually in the beginning, say experts, there is resistance. Abutting landowners worry about crime, noise, and intrusions. DRHT supporters need to be sensitive to such concerns and work carefully with the Board of Supervisors as they move toward increased public use of the land. "Aginners" need to understand that the land is private property, and if Mr. Brickley wants to give people access to the trail, he has a perfect right to do so.

Fundamentally, everyone needs to try to discern what's best for the people of King George. If the experience of other localities nationwide holds true, both sides may find that a path through the peaceful woods, open to all, is actually a boon.

Date published: 7/14/2006