Rollins Ford Park, a 69-acre park nearly a decade in the making in Prince William County, opened in Nokesville over the weekend.
The park off Vint Hill Road between Rollins Ford and Glenkirk roads is just on the edge of Nokesville and close to the Fauquier County line.
With a farm-themed playground, two picnic pavilions, walking trails, three dog parks, a basketball court, grass fields for soccer and lacrosse, and bathrooms, Rollins Ford Park is seen as a regional destination park.
The trails in the park connect neighborhoods and will eventually connect to the Prince William County Broad Run trail system.
Prince William County first acquired the land for the park at 14500 Rollins Ford Rd. in 2006. Over the years, the plan for it shifted. At one point, a developer suggested it as the spot for Gainesville High School.
County officials cut the ribbon for the more than $9 million park on Saturday, with more than 100 people in attendance.
“This is not an ordinary park, and the process to get here certainly has been anything but ordinary, but here in Prince William County we strive for extraordinary, and I think we did a good job at delivering that for you today,” Seth Hendler-Voss, director of parks and recreation, said.
In a YouTube video with drone footage of the park, real estate agent Toni Farthing calls Rollins Ford Park the hot, new place “where you are going to meet up in Prince William County.”
“We wanted to make sure this was a park that was going to serve lots of needs,” said Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson.
Bike and Pedestrian Path Opens in Fairfax County
In Fairfax County, a new shared path for bicyclists and pedestrians recently opened in Merrifield. The Virginia Department of Transportation said the path along northbound Route 29 between Vaden Drive and Nutley Street is substantially complete.
VDOT said the path improves access to the nearby Vienna Metro station and connects to trails including in Towers Park.
Local funds and concession fees from part of the Transform 66 Outside the Beltway agreement financed the $3.8 million project.
Feature image of the playground at Rollins Ford Park courtesy Prince William County Parks & Recreation/Facebook
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