Greetings!
The Chesterfield Parks and Recreation Department hopes you are doing well. This e-newsletter provides a quick update of the ongoing activities of the department. Check out the resources for virtual recreation programs. Stay informed by visiting our website, and following us on Facebook and Twitter. As always, reach out to us if you have questions or concerns. We look forward to seeing you back in the parks, recreation centers, classes, and events.
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Keeping You Safe.
Steps we are taking in programs and facilities.
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Chesterfield County is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all citizens as we respond to the constantly changing situation surrounding COVID-19. Considering the growing concerns about the potential spread of COVID-19, the County is taking appropriate actions to limit the spread in the community. Consistent with directives from the Virginia Governor’s Office and the Virginia Department of Health to limit public gatherings,
- Patrons are recommended to take preventative action when visiting the park system including self-monitoring and practicing social distancing.
- Only select recreation programs are operating to ensure you can safely participate while abiding by social distancing and CDC guidelines.
What you can expect when you visit our indoor facilities:
- Masks are required inside the buildings.
- There may be designated entry and exit doors, as well as one-way pedestrian traffic patterns.
- Plexiglass protection at customer service desks
- Hand sanitizer available
- Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting of high-traffic public areas
- Signage reminding patrons of social distancing guidelines
- Buildings will have limited capacities.
- Staff will always be wearing masks. Staff are also required to perform a pre-work health screening and temperature check each day before reporting to work.
Regarding athletic field use:
- Fields/courts are open for recreational sports and rental of fields for practices, games, and tournaments pending occupancy numbers, state guidance regarding contact sports, and Parks and Recreation Department approval.
- The total number of attendees (including both participants and spectators) of outdoor recreational sports cannot exceed the lesser of 50% of the occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy, if applicable, or 250 persons. For sports played on a field, attendees are limited to 250 persons per field.
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For details visit: Return to Play Protocol
We realize the inconvenience that this may cause and appreciate your patience as we all work through this situation together. The County is continually reevaluating their response in coordination with state and local agencies and is working diligently to protect the citizens.
Please consult the resources below for up-to-date information:
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Nov. 8, 1-5 p.m. – Fair Food Event at Mid-Lothian Mines Park - Enjoy funnel cakes, corn dogs, steak and cheese sandwiches from Strawberry Street Food Truck. NEW EVENT
Nov. 11 – 8 a.m. - Veterans Biker Rally, departs from Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, $20 per rider
Nov. 11, 2 p.m. – Veteran’s Day Ceremony,
1917 Courthouse. Free
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More Awards for Parks and Recreation |
From the Virginia Recreation and Park Society:
- Best New Facility (Parks, Playgrounds, Blueways, Greenways, or Trails) for the Pickleball Center at CTC@Hull
- Best New Program for the Rec-n-Roll mobile playground
- Best New Special Event for the First Responders and Multicultural CommUNITY Cup
Awards were presented at the VRPS annual awards ceremony held virtually on October 7. Awards were received in the greater than 200,000 population category.
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Improvements unveiled at River City Sportsplex |
The Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation Department celebrated recent improvements at River City Sportsplex in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 30. The project included a 3,800 square-foot state-of-the-art building to house restrooms, concession operations and storage. The building boasts energy-saving features such as motion-activated power and water and hand dryers, providing “no touch” features, no paper waste, and operational savings. Over 500 additional parking spaces, safety fencing for all playing services, concrete walking paths, and ADA access to fields and amenities were added. Landscaping, irrigation and internal wayfinding signage rounded out the project.
Completion of the renovations took 11 months and was delayed by the coronavirus. Total cost of the project was $4.5 million.
The sports complex serves as the hub for sports tourism in Chesterfield County, attracting teams from along the east coast. With over 20 tourism events and almost 200,000 participants and spectators annually, the economic impact of this facility to the county is immense.
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New Trails
Web Application
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The Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation Department has unveiled a new GIS website application layer that includes information on 28 sites in the county’s trail system. The GIS layer offers park maps, addresses and driving directions, trail information, photos and virtual tours.
The website application was developed in-house and can be accessed via computer, tablet, or phone at https://arcg.is/0qXXHm. Chrome is the recommended browser.
The department’s GIS Specialist spent close to a year updating park sites and associated data in the GIS database, collecting features of park trails through GPS collection, creating individual park maps, and compiling data/photos/media into a database. The website application was created using ArcGIS Online StoryMap.
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Updates to Return to Play Protocol for Sports
Sports organizations should consult the Return to Play Protocol before scheduling use of sports facilities. Protocol has been updated for Indoor Facilities, Outdoor Facilities, and Concession Operations.
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Cooperative Extension Launches
Virtual Help Desk
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The Chesterfield Extension Master Gardener Help Desk has always served as a valuable resource to residents seeking advice for their lawns, landscaping, and gardens. When COVID-19 abruptly shut down county government offices, Chesterfield Extension applied innovation and technology to create a Virtual Help Desk (VHD) that allowed continuation of these services. Using a tool called Trello to organize content and track output, staff built a VHD platform and trained Master Gardener volunteers via Zoom.
The VHD provides contactless service: residents submit their questions & photos digitally and volunteers provide the answers, all while remaining safely at home. Recommendations for appropriate treatment are made with sound horticultural practices and sustainable landscape management as a priority. Since late March through the end of October, over 500 customer questions have been resolved by a core group of twelve volunteers who have contributed 516 hours to the VHD.
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Fall Programs are happening now.
Guide is online only.
Registration for classes is available online with REGi. You may also register at any recreation center or the Parks and Recreation office in-person.
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12140 Harrowgate Road
Chester, VA 23831
www.chesterfield.gov/parks
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To enhance the quality of lives for citizens and visitors through First Choice recreation opportunities, experiences, and partnerships.
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