Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 05, 2010
Contact:
Public meeting on Middle Peninsula State Park master plan to be held May 17
(GLOUCESTER, VA) – A public meeting to solicit comments on the draft master plan for Middle Peninsula State Park will be held Monday, May 17, 2010, 7 p.m. at Page Middle School in Gloucester, Va.
Acquired in the spring of 2006, Middle Peninsula State Park encompasses 431 acres in Gloucester County. The property has 2,260 linear feet of shoreline on the York River at a point where the river is approximately 2 miles wide. The park land was formerly known as Salt Air Farm. Currently, a portion of the park property is leased for agricultural purposes.
Planners from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will conduct the meeting. DCR’s staff is requesting citizen input on proposed development of the 431-acre state park. An advisory committee of local residents and representatives of different park user groups is assisting in developing the master plan. Approximately 75 citizens attended a public meeting held April 19 to solicit ideas for the park’s development. Additional input will be sought on the master plan’s proposed programs and facilities, and the suggested order of development.
As proposed, the Middle Peninsula State Park will include a connection to historic Rosewell, trails and access to the York River. The possibility of connecting park trails with those planned outside the park is being explored. Other activities addressed in the proposed plan include camping, fishing, picnicking, boating, beach use, canoeing, rental cabins and environmental education.
A master plan is written for each Virginia State Park and serves as a guide for approximately 20 years. Master planning is a very public process with at least two public meetings held. Funding to develop a new state park can not be sought until a master plan has been completed and approved.
The public meeting will be held at Page Middle School located at 5628 George Washington Memorial Hwy., Gloucester, Va. 23061.
For more information, call DCR Environmental Program Planner Bob Munson at (804) 786-6140 or Janit Llewellyn at (804) 786-0887.
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