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Hoover Ridge ParkOutdoor Recreation Center

Hoover Ridge Park was purchased twenty years ago by the Madison CountyBoard of Supervisors. Over the past few years, the Madison County Parks andRecreation Authority staff and board members have evaluated the amenities atHoover Ridge Park and compared those to the original plans for Hoover Ridge.The Hoover Ridge Outdoor Recreation Center design plans represent our previous goals for the park and are aligned with our goals to provide accessible and equitable recreation areas for our community.The goal of this project is to provide accessible and equitablecommunity outdoor recreation facilities for all members of ourcommunity that benefit their physical, social, and emotional well-being.Purpose1

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Hoover Ridge Park is one of the largest outdoor recreation areas withinMadison County, Virginia. The 182-acre park is located off Fairground Roadnear Madison Primary School. While the park currently boasts numerousactivities such as a driving range, sports fields, playground, and farmer’smarket, there is room for expansion to incorporate even more uses into thesite.The site has greater potential to continue to support community andeconomic development activities on a local and regional level, throughexpansion of programs, events, facilities, and amenities.The proposed master plan activates underutilized portions of the propertywith destination quality facilities and amenities. These improvements willprovide residents and visitors with additional activities and programs,including inclusive playground, splash pad, hardcourts, dog park, picnicarea, event pavilion, and trails. The addition of infrastructure like a moderncomfort station, pavilions, water, and electricity will support larger eventsand longer park visits. The plan also emphasizes the integration ofsustainable environmental practices such as infiltration meadows, bioswales, and pollinator meadow gardens to enhance the natural beauty,environmental function, and habitat of the park. The design will includeuniversal access to all facilities, creating an inclusive and equitableenvironment for all ages and abilities.3

4Key FeaturesAccessibilityOne of the key features of the Outdoor Recreation Center plans is accessibility. Currently, there are no accessible walking paths at Hoover Ridge Park. Furthermore, there are no accessible playgrounds in the County that allow those with mobility challenges to enjoy these amenities. The plans for the Outdoor Recreation Center include accessible walking paths around the entire facility with adequate seasonal lighting, accessible and inclusive playground with pour-in-place rubber surfacing, and accessible splash pad.The surfacing for the playground is unique in that it maintains accessibility while also providing an interactive design to promote imaginative play. This allows all guests to play together, even without play structures.

EquitabilityWe believe that we should provide recreation opportunities for all ages and abilities. We also believe that many of these opportunities should be free and open to the public – that we should provide safe play spaces for all to enjoy.By providing a large recreation area for families with no admission costs, we are expanding the opportunities for families to play together, for children to exercise, and for more people to enjoy getting outside. Providing this area benefits the social, emotional, and physical well-being of our guests. 5

6Fun and Learning OpportunitiesWater features, like the ones above, allow people of all ages and abilities to enjoy. There are a combination of surprise elements and manipulative items, as well as ground sprays.Features like the one to theleft are designed to be usedand enjoyed at severaldifferent heights. These arealso accessible forwheelchairs to get close andfor small children to reachthe running water.

7In addition to surprise elements and manipulative items, several features helpguests explore cause and effect. The water table above allows children to movesections of the table to create new paths for the water to go. The variety of elements in the design gives guests several opportunities to find an activity or area they enjoy. Splash pads are also safer than traditional pools in that there is no standing water, and guests do not need to know how to swim to enjoy safely.

8NameChallengeWhile we strive to provide opportunities for all to enjoy, we also want to provide opportunities for children to grow. By selecting large play structures with several different methods of entry, children of all abilities can be physically challenged when entering the structure. Whether using a climbing wall, cargo net, or accessible access point, there are several ways for children to enjoy the entire play structure with few obstacles.The large structure, “The Summit”, includes a wheelchair transfer station. The interior of the structure contains a belted ramp - not stairs - so it can easily be scaled by crawling or scooting.

Name9Age-Appropriate PlayAreas of the playground will be divided into two main play areas – one for ages 2-5, and the other for ages 5-12. This will allow guests to have age-appropriate play spaces.

10NameInclusive equipmentThere are several playground pieces requested by our community for inclusivity. The zip line (pictured on the top right) includes a standard round seat in one bay and an assisted seat in the other bay. This allows guests of differentages or different abilities toenjoy the equipment together.The musical equipment, (second graphic), is fully accessible and also provides learning opportunities. The “We-Go-Round” (pictured on the bottom), is wheelchairaccessible and can spin by turning the wheel from the inside or pushing from the outside. The wheelchair transfer platform on the “Summit” (the large mountain structure) adds another area of accessibility for guests.

New Restrooms11New restroom facilities will be built near the entrance to the Outdoor RecreationCenter. These will include four fully accessible family restrooms, which wecurrently do not have in the park. These are important features as they provideadequate facilities and changing spaces near the spray park and playground. There will also be a rinsing area planned outside the building with shower nozzles at the head and feet so that guests can rinse before leaving the park.The restroom facility is accessible to several other existing areas of the park including the Carpenter Pavilion, Special Events area and Performing Arts Stage, and soccer, football, and multi-use fields near the entrance to Hoover Ridge Park.

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Multi-use courtsWe offer so many different programs and activities throughout the year at Hoover Ridge Park. Our project design includes several multi-use courts. This allows us to offer more activities to accommodate our needs, and our needs may change over time. Courts may be lined for basketball, pickleball, tennis, volleyball, and roller hockey play.The plan includes a fenced basketball court, fenced tennis (1)and pickleball (4) court, and multi-purpose roller hockey rink.The roller hockey rink will include plans for a roof to be added at a later date, as funding allows.13

14Roller HockeyCurrently, our roller hockey rink is located off Thrift Road near the Town of Madison.The property is now owned by the American Legion. We intend to relocate thehockey rink to Hoover Ridge.Multi-season, multi-use

15The design at Hoover Ridge willinclude a larger hockey rink withnew surfacing and LED lighting.There is also a walking path that will extend around the rink, basketball, tennis/pickleball courts, and theentire recreation area to allow forall-season accessible walking.The roller hockey rink, surfacing, lighting,and containment features make it anexcellent area for activities other thanhockey – including volleyball, futsal, rollerskating, tennis, and pickleball. This will bea multi-use, multi-season facility.

MADISON ROLLER HOCKEY16Our current roller hockey rink located on Thrift Road housesour youth league, youth travel league, and adult league.The program is in its 28th year, with the first rink located in aparking lot behind Madison County High School. The program has grown drastically over the years. For theWinter 2023-24 season, there were 166 participants enrolledin all three programs, the most in program history. Theleagues have participants who live in Madison, Greene,Orange, Culpeper, Charlottesville, Albemarle, Augusta,Rockingham, and Caroline Counties.

Hockey Rink Amenities:Design Overview updated 02/01/2024••••••••••Rink size: 80’ x 170’Player dressing areaTeam benchesStorage buildingSmall concession standFull coverage lightingDesignated fan area with bleachersExtended 10 ft. netting around dasher boardsScore boardMulti-use surfacing for activities including futsol, rollerskating, volleyball, kickball, dodgeball, etc.17

18Retaining natural beautyWith the development of theOutdoor Recreation Center,it was important for us to alsoadd in a few areas to retainsome of the natural beautyof the area. Wildflowermeadows, a walking pathalong the creek, and a wetpond are also planned.

Key FeaturesPlanned development area19•••••••••••••Accessible and inclusive playgroundSplash padRoller Hockey RinkTennis/Pickleball CourtsBasketball CourtPicnic PavilionAccessible walking path (under lights)Restroom facilities with family restroomsConcession standWet pondShade structuresDog ParkGaga PitSite Concept

••••••••Promotes healthy lifestylePromotes family-friendly environmentProvides equitable opportunities for exercise and playIncorporates inclusive play pieces and signagePromotes imaginative playBenefits all ages and abilitiesProvides a variety of spaces for activitiesEconomic impactCommunity Impact20

Naming OpportunitiesWe are offering the opportunity for several areas of ournew recreation center to be named. Each area willhold naming rights for a period of 10 years. All gifts willbe publicly acknowledged unless the donor wishes toremain anonymous.Smaller donations are welcomed.10-Year Naming:21••••••••Splash Pad Playground •Structures •Surfacing Roller Hockey Rink •Rink (minus flooring) •Rink flooring Basketball Court Tennis Court or Pickleball Court (4) Concession Stand Pavilion Pergola $500,000 $450,000 $200,000 $250,000 $400,000 $250,000 $150,000 $100,000 $100,000 $25,000 (4) $150,000 $50,000 $25,000

www.hooverridge.comProject Information: Recreation Coordinatorlindsay.mcparksrec@gmail.com(540) 308-1247 Managermcparksrec@gmail.com(540) 705-632623Lindsay Von Herbulis Jerry Carpenter