Virtual Walking Tour - Melwood

This a great project, and I am proud to have it in my community. The only critique I would have is to make sure to conserve as many older trees where possible. There is a line of old oaks along the western edge of the property that would take either a century to regrow or millions of dollars to replace.

As they are already at the edge of the current parking lot, it should be somewhat trivial to preserve them and not add to the destruction of native trees, the acceleration of climate, and the deterioration of neighborhood character.

I hope the trees are native trees and not non-native that just happen to be more resilient/etc. We have enough native trees that fit more difficult growing requirements. I'd like to see some sort of innovative use of building stormwater connected perhaps to the downhill Nelly Custis Park. Perhaps a below ground cistern that uses solar power to pump out water down an above ground swale with visible stream rushing down to infiltration areas that help recharge and water the various planting areas in the park, showing people the volume of water coming off impervious surfaces. Where excavation for this is required a horizontal loop geothermal loop could be created to heat the building at least partially. The last I saw the tree replacement standards, I was disappointed. In effect it says that trees will replace what was taken out in 20-25 years. That's not a fair trade when Arlington Tree Canopy is declining in % terms every year. So, I'd like Nelly Custis to become a native plant demonstration garden to be cared for in part by Master Naturalists who live in the area. It will become a hub for people interested in native plants and encourage them to plant them in their yards.