County Seeks Public Input On Mid County Park

By Amber Lester Kennedy Tuesday, February 15, 2011

James City County is planning changes to Mid County Park, which features Kidsburg, shown above.

James City County is updating its Master Plan for the park, which includes the Kidsburg playground and is the second most visited park in the county, with about 300,000 visitors a year. The county hopes to address the park’s aging equipment, safety and parking with help from the community.

Two community meetings have been scheduled to solicit feedback from citizens. The meetings will be at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 and at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 at the James City/Williamsburg Community Center at 5301 Longhill Road. At the meeting, citizens can learn more about the Master Plan process, why it’s needed and the proposed additions and improvements to the park.

Citizens who cannot attend the public meetings are encouraged to share their feedback by e-mail, by calling the Master Plan Hotline at 259-4939 or by writing letters addressed to Mid County Park Master Plan, JCC Parks and Recreation, 5300 Palmer Lane, Suite 1A, Williamsburg, VA 23188.

Parks Superintendent Nancy Ellis explained the new master plan to the Board of Supervisors during a January work session. At that meeting, staff shared a tentative new design for the park. The new design would include $1.7 million worth of upgrades and changes, including the replacement of the nearly 20-year-old playground equipment, the removal of the baseball fields, the construction of a new playground, additional shelter facilities and more. Read more about the proposed changes here.