Henrico Times

Henrico County officials gathered this morning at the wooded edge of Whiteside Road in Sandston to kick off construction of Taylor Farm Park. 

Henrico County officials gathered this morning at the wooded edge of Whiteside Road in Sandston to kick off construction of Taylor Farm Park. 

“After years of community conversations and planning, it is a great feeling to see the shovels across the way. It is time to start building!” said Varina District Supervisor Tyrone E. Nelson, vice chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “We’re building a park for the Sandston community but also for the entirety of the Varina District and Henrico County, in general.”

Scheduled to open in June 2024, the 99-acre park will include a skate park, pump track, trail system, water play area, lawn for festivals, concerts and other events, and a memorial to public safety workers and military service members. With a combined 29,000 square feet of space, the skate park and pump track could make Taylor Farm Park the largest public “all-wheel” recreational facility in the United States, officials said.

County Manager John A. Vithoulkas said the park will deliver “world-class amenities” while retaining the character and feel of the Sandston community. He said the property could have ended up being sold for development and thanked the Taylor family for working with the county after officials were unable to meet its initial asking price. 

“Mr. Nelson basically told [Ms. Taylor], ‘Look, we can’t pay this much for this land, but if you sell us this property, we will honor your family forever by putting your family’s name on this park,” Vithoulkas said.

Henrico bought the property for $1.4 million in 2016. Funded largely through the 2016 bond referendum, Taylor Farm Park will be Henrico County Recreation & Parks' first large community park built in the Varina District since Dorey Park opened in 1982.

https://henrico.us/.../board-of-supervisors-awards.../

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