Pine Fork Park conceptual plans earn praise from New Kent commissioners

When New Kent County announced the acquisition of land on Pine Fork Road in July 2013 to build a new park, parks and recreation director Kim Turner worked diligently to come up with ideas based on community input. If it makes Turner happy, at least one group of people voiced high praise for her work.

New Kent Planning Commission members expressed delight over Monday evening’s meeting during Turner’s presentation on visual concepts for the proposed Pine Fork Park.

Approximately 55 acres have been designated for the new park. Of that number, 16 acres were the result of a proffer, with 39 acres being acquired by the county. Turner explained that as part of the agreement for the proffers, passive recreation activities, such as nature walks and bike rides, are to be implemented. Maintaining natural buffers are also part of the conditions for the land use.

Turned told commissioners that through talks, interaction with youth organizations, and surveys, she said that suggestions ranging from football fields to pavilions for picnics were presented. But there was one item that topped the list more than anything else.

“Bathrooms,” said Turner. “Looking at each survey and hearing what the community wanted, they want bathrooms. They don’t want porta-potties, they want bathrooms.”

Turner presented commissioners three conceptual designs for the proposed park. Concept one, which the director of parks and recreation said was favored by most people surveyed, consists of five baseball and softball fields (varying by sizes to support kids of all ages), two soccer/football field combinations, multiple playgrounds, a field house, restrooms, a center entrance, and a walking trail. Most differences in the other concepts focus specifically on the number of athletic fields. Concept two offered three soccer/football fields and three baseball/softball fields, while concept three consists of four baseball/softball fields and two softball/football fields.

Commissioners were excited about the concepts and the array of park ideas.

“I like how it’s dispersed,” said commissioner Patti Townsend. “I like how the gate is centralized. I just hope parking will be able to hold all of this.”

“I am hoping that the fields get lights,” chimed in Edward Pollard. “I know our recreation teams travel to other parks and play sports with the lights on at night, and I think that is the way we should be going.”

Commissioner Richard Kontny also said he is looking forward to the park, but expressed concerns and forewarned of precautions that he wants to see addressed in the master plan.

“I want to see where the runoff of the drain field will go,” he said. “I know the proposed land is near Toe Ink Swamp and it would affect Woodhaven Shores Lake.

“That area is a wildlife sanctuary,” he added. “There are streams that run into the Chickahominy River, but I expect all those issues to be taken care of.”

Turner assured commissioners that the plan is still in the early phases, but she reemphasized the one factor that Pine Fork Park must have present.

“This park had to have community input,” she said. “We are taking concepts along with other parks we have visited and want to implement them into our plans.”