Abingdon Elementary School says its grounds are getting too many unauthorized daytime visits from people looking to exercise or walk their dogs.
Some neighbors have been using the playground and field at 3035 S. Abingdon Street during the school day, which is against school rules, according to Arlington Public Schools and a nearby Fairlington condo association.
Signage throughout the property reminds residents that school hours start at 7 a.m. and end at 6 p.m., APS says.
The Fairlington Villages condo association took to Twitter last week to remind its residents of school rules after receiving complaints from the Abingdon community. The condos at 3001 S. Abingdon Street are a stone’s throw from the elementary school.
Please remember that children play in this area daily. The track and other facilities adjacent to Abingdon Elementary School are reserved for the exclusive use of students and faculty throughout the entirety of the school day.
— Fairlington Villages (@NFairlington) March 23, 2022
The association reminded residents that these facilities are to be used exclusively by students and faculty during the posted hours. Pet owners should not bring their dogs to the field after-hours, either, it added.
“This will eliminate the health risks to children who might otherwise encounter pet waste,” it said.
APS spokesman Frank Bellavia said Abingdon staff have also had to enforce school rules.
“Abingdon staff have spoken to community members to let them know that access to the track and playground is not allowed during the school day,” he said. “Contact with the condo association was made through a PTA parent who connected them with an Abingdon staff member.”
He took the opportunity to reiterate school rules about using public playgrounds and fields.
“While school is in session, the playgrounds are reserved for the use of APS students for the school day,” Bellavia said. “We ask that community members refrain from using school grounds for other activities, such as practicing sports, dog training, using the school as a cut-through or other activities during school hours.”
Abingdon is bordered by a 0.8-acre, county-owned public green space called Fort Reynolds Park (4585 31st Street S.), and connected to the park by a trail.
While pets are not allowed at the park, pet owners can exercise their dogs at the Shirlington Dog Park (2710 S. Oakland Street) and the Utah Dog Park (3191 S. Utah Street), both of which are a little more than a mile away.
Work is getting underway on the upper fields of the Thomas Jefferson Community Center, to address a problem with the light poles.
The fields will be closed from sunrise to 3:00 p.m. for at least three weeks due to the light pole problem, which we first reported on March 9.
Work is already underway at Utah Park, in Fairlington. The park has also been closed due to light pole issues, but is expected to reopen by April 15, the start of the county’s sports season.
Meanwhile, the Powhatan Springs Skatepark will be closed from April 11 to May 27 for repairs to the concrete. The light pole and concrete issues were all found during routine inspections, according to Parks Department spokesperson Susan Kalish.
Utah Park, in Fairlington, and the upper fields at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center, in Arlington Heights, will be closed for at least a three weeks due to problems found with the light poles at each.
“During a regular inspection, it was found that the light poles… need to be replaced to maintain a safe environment for our community,” said Arlington County Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish. “Our goal is to start as soon as weather provides a couple weeks of no rain and 50-degree weather.”
The work will take two to four weeks depending on the weather, Kalish said.
“The goal is to have the fields available in time for the sports season beginning April 15,” she said.
