Suggested Park Ideas for Buckroe's Lots B
Many of you have hidden talents which you may not be aware of in the grand scheme of things, and for this reason, perhaps you need only to hear what others are suggesting for a world-class Chesapeake Bay Front city park in Hampton to awaken your hidden talents.
Your yard may be an indication that you are a wonderful landscape artist, by working with children you know what they enjoy, what activities children and adults enjoy together (thus, you are an aspiring park planner), or your travels have shown you attractions in other places that you would like to see in our area....the list for gathering your own ideas goes on and on. Read below to see great ideas gathered from people so far:
1. Hampton Resident: "...in our motor home travels we noticed a significant trend for cities here and in Canada to develop small 1-2 acre nine hole par three golf courses in the middle of town to keep the green in a portion of a larger green area and increase esthetics, recreation and some revenue, to boot. An excellent example is the 1 1/2 acre Sea Breeze Golf Course in Torrance, California."
2. Hampton Resident: "I plan to be there, but if you have time look at some of Fredrick Law Olmsted's works for guidance and inspiration. He designed Central Park and Prospect Park in New York City, all the parks of Buffalo, much of DC's green space and all the beautiful parks in Boston which were only a chain of swamps. Hundreds of great parks and college campus's in nearly every state bear his mark. He was called "America's Landscape Architect" because he believed late 19th Century inner city factory workers/dwellers could not get to the country, so the country needed to be brought to them through parks."
(As an aside, by developing Lots B into a world-class city park, we, not unlike Mr. Olmstead's works, will be bringing the Chesapeake Bay to the people through our park!)
3. Hampton Resident: "Please bring back a Ferris Wheel so we can sit and look out over the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. I remember once getting on the Ferris Wheel at the amusement park with cotton candy in one hand. When our chair stopped for unloading, the cotton candy had melted. I had forgotten all about it on the ride because I was mesmerized by the beauty out over the water."
4. Her Friend followed with: "Yes, a Ferris Wheel would let all of us enjoy the Bay from on high. That view should not be limited to only a few people who can afford expensive condos on the waterfront."
5. Hampton Resident: "Bring the carousel back to Buckroe. That's where the children are."
6. Hampton Resident: "I would rather not see the last green and open space at Buckroe Beach become a set of condo units."
7. Hampton Resident: "...what about something like Yorktown has done to their beach? If you haven't seen it, you should; it's great. It is very busy, it brings more money to the area, and it has no condos. There is a large green area, a bandstand, a pier, a beach, and shops."
8. Suggestions from citizens thoughout the Peninsula:
- Save the grand old trees in the bark park. They were there during the amusement park days, and hurricanes since have not destroyed them. Add more trees and turn the area under and around the trees into a relaxing shaded place with permanent tables for cards, board games (perhaps etch permanent checkerboards on one or two tables) and add benches.
- Close off the recently extended part of North First Street between Pembroke Avenue and Point Comfort Avenue -- the extension has made the area ugly and is a multitude of accidents waiting to happen. There was never a street there until this year. Cars now allowed to park along both sides of the street block the open vistas and views of the Chesapeake Bay and people driving through the parked cars cannot see the bay. If there is ever a need for a street to connect Fort Monroe to Hampton (and that was the reason given for the extension), the street can be reopened. In the meantime, use the street for shuffle board, horseshows, let it be a place for children to learn to ride bikes, place a couple of basketball nets at one end, place a couple of small ramps on it for beginning skateboarders, paint a couple of hopscotch markings on it, etc.
- Bring the carousel back from Downtown Hampton. Buckroe is where the children are, particularly in nice weather. Generations of peninsula residents remember it as part of Buckroe, and thousands want it returned to Buckroe.
- Make views of the Chesapeake Bay available to everyone, handicapped alike. Put in a ferris wheel that allows everyone to view the vast expanse of the magnificent bay from up high.
- Central Park has a series boulders that are easily climbable and allow people to look out over the meadow. Something similar could be constructed for people to climb and sit or stand to look out over the bay.
- Move one of the last remaining historic fishing shacks, now standing near the old Buckroe Fishing Pier, to Lots B and create a Buckroe/Bayshore History Museum inside the building. A City Council member mentioned this idea during a meeting on February 21, 2006.
- Replace or remodel the one existing disgusting public restroom and build one or two more conveniently located restrooms in the park.
- The Buckroe bus stop needs to have a nice shelter, one in keeping with a lovely park (actually all Hampton bus stops need shelters.
- More and attractive gazebos are needed throughout the park for semi-large gatherings.
- Put in several large open areas and one large open area for pick-up games, volleyball court, horseshoes, perhaps tennis, and other lawn games.
- Keep a Bark Park somewhere within the park, or better yet make two smaller ones. Dogs are a major part of many family activities. Even today at the park one parent will sit with the family dog in the bark park while other members of the family watch a movie or visit the beach. Many tourists and visitors on vacation either bring their own dogs and register them with the park or stand outside the fence and watch and talk to dog owners inside the bark park. They all, without exception, comment on how nice it is for Hampton to have the bark park. Hampton is building a large bark park for the locals but it is not in a location that attracts visitors and tourists nor will it be seen by anyone but locals.
- Fix up the current large Lot B parking lot and take parking off the surrounding residential streets.
- The park needs a miniature golf or par 3 golf course.
- Nice concession stands and little out-door or glassed in eateries are needed.
