36 CFR 1.5 (a)(1) - General Closures: Two parking areas in the Maryland Heights area along Harpers Ferry Road within the boundaries of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will be permanently closed to public use to ensure public and staff safety.
Justification: These two parking areas along Harpers Ferry Road are small (16 spaces total) and not adequately designed to accommodate larger vehicles or increased visitation to the Maryland Heights area. Overuse, lack of space, and poor parking created a public safety hazard: illegally-parked vehicles often extended into the roadway, blocking one lane of travel and impeding the flow of traffic on a narrow, busy road. This congestion impeded local emergency responders and law enforcement this area, increasing their emergency response time to incidents on Maryland Heights or in the local area. Local law enforcement agencies received numerous calls related to parking and safety issues in this location and wrote hundreds of citations for illegally-parked vehicles.
In May of 2022, after public meetings and a detailed analysis of impacts, the park made the determination to permanently close these two small parking areas to ensure public and staff safety. Notice of this public use limitation will be made through media advisories, adjustments to park maps, and posting at conspicuous locations in the affected park areas required by 36 CFR 1.7. This determination is available to the public upon request.
/s/ H. Tyrone Brandyburg
Superintendent, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
May 10, 2022
