New Henrico park to be ‘one-of-a-kind’

Plans for a "one-of-a-kind" park in Eastern Henrico got a little closer to reality Feb. 14, when the Henrico Board of Supervisors voted to award a $20-million contract for its construction.

The board awarded the contract to Loughridge & Company LLC for the construction of Taylor Farm Park on a 99-acre site in Sandston. Work will commence by the end of this month and is expected to last through June 2024.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for the county," County Manager John Vithoulkas during the meeting. "We don’t have any parks like this. It’s a one-of-a-kind."

The park will include:

• a functioning farm to be used for educational purposes;

• a skate park that will be able to serve more than 100 residents at a time and likely will be the largest public all-wheel facility in the U.S.;

• a 12,000 square-foot pump track that can accommodate 65 at a time;

• an event lawn holding 1,800 people and a concert arena with a capacity of more than 500;

• a splash park and mist mount with room for at least 100 children;

• a man-made play stream;

• multiple forest-themed play areas integrated into the existing tree canopy serving children aged 2-12;

• a memorial park for Sandston and Henrico County public service staff; and

• multiple trails, walking paths, and wooded areas.

The park originally was funded as part of the 2016 Henrico County bond referendum. The original plan was reduced by $4 million as part of a two-year planning process. The features that were dropped (a play area and several interpretive trails) could be added after the first phase of construction is completed, Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson noted Tuesday. In response to another question, Nelson was told by a county staffer that there would be five vehicle and pedestrian entrances and approximately 270 parking spaces.

“It’s going to be a pretty cool park. I can’t wait to see it,” Nelson said.

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In other matters, the board approved a request to rezone 10.5 acres on either side of John Rolfe Parkway at its intersection with Pump Road in Short Pump for a residential development with 10 homes on the west side of the parkway and 11 on the east side. County Planning Director Joe Emerson noted that the proposal had been reduced by 11 homes to make it more consistent with the area. Three Chopt Supervisor Tommy Branin asked the developer to agree to dedicate land for a short road connecting the development directly to Pump Road to reduce traffic, and the applicant agreed. Branin then moved for approval of the request.

"It’s been a long road," he said. "Ten months and this case looks nothing like we started with."

Additionally, the Board approved the creation of a six-acre trailhead for the Fall Line Trail at the southeast corner of Cleveland Street and Athens Ave. The overall trail will be 43 miles, spanning the Richmond area from Petersburg to Ashland. Over seven miles will pass through Henrico County and construction will take place in eight sections, with the first seven starting construction between March 2023 and November 2024. The trail will connect with the East Coast Greenway, which runs from Florida to Maine.