Horizon West residents got their first glimpse of a conceptual rendering of the area’s new regional park at a meeting on November 13, 2019, at Windermere High School. A third meeting is planned for this winter or spring.
The park—located north of New Independence Parkway and behind Bridgewater Middle School—consists of four distinct zones:
- Passive Recreation Area;
- Natural Area;
- Active Zone;
- Area on the lake.
Initial Project Details
The natural area on the northeast side will remain virtually untouched and will give residents the chance to enjoy the area’s natural beauty, while the passive recreation area to the northwest—which has more hills—will include similar natural features, as well as amenities such as dog parks.
An active zone located in the center of the park would feature sports fields and a community center. A section of the lake would give residents the opportunity to enjoy Lake Hartley through amenities such as a fishing pier and a kayak launch area.
In an alternative concept (image below), the active zone is slightly adjusted, with the community center located further west and the sports fields consolidated to the east, behind Bridgewater Middle School.
The concept presented at the meeting with the local community was developed based on information gathered so far through an online survey, along with the results of a community meeting held on May 1, 2019, during which residents placed stickers representing specific amenities on a map of the property.
Orange County District 1 Commissioner Betsy VanderLey said that residents' input is essential to shaping the park.
“This is a park that we want to ensure is used extensively; therefore, when people give us their feedback on what they need, that’s how we’re deciding what will be included in this park,” said VanderLey.
This feedback came in quickly after the first community meeting. The online survey drew 1,920 participants, more than 40,000 votes, and over 1,700 comments. The findings presented at the November 13, 2019, meeting revealed the most requested amenities for the future park to date. The online survey results listed nearly 50 different types of amenities that residents would like to see.
Check out what's at the top of the list below, along with the percentage requested by participants:
- Biking/running trails (67%)
- Picnic shelters (58%)
- Hiking trails (56%)
- Farmers Market (54%)
- Splash pad (51%)
As the concept takes shape, even though it is still in its early stages, further input is needed on which amenities will be located in each zone, VanderLey said.
“We’ve made progress and received more information from residents; we’ve started putting more details on paper, and that refines things, so it will really help us decide exactly what goes where and how it will all come together,” she said. “There’s much more to come.”