| 53
H O R I Z O N W E S T H A P P E N I N G S . C O M
horizon west regional park BIG PLANS ARE ON THE HORIZON
I t's not very common for residents to have the extraordinary
opportunity to guide design of a 215-acre regional park, but
many Horizon West residents have done just that! In 2019,
Orange County District 1 Commissioner Betsy VanderLey
joined Parks and Recreation staff to host two public meetings
and an online survey to collect public opinion on amenities
and development plans for the Horizon West Regional Park.
The public park, which will be about 1/3 of the size of
New York's Central Park, creates an unparalleled regional
amenity for West Orange County. The HWRP property is
approximately 11 times the size of most other regional
parks and can be conveniently accessed from nearby State
Road 429 while also being highly accessible to surrounding
neighborhood community members by foot, bike and car.
Located north of New Independence Parkway and adjacent
to Bridgewater Middle School, the park will consist of four
distinct areas that have been prioritized for development based
on survey responses: Active Zone (69% of responses), Lake Zone
(13%), Natural Zone (11%) and Passive Recreation Zone (7%).
A conceptual design* shows integration of amenities that
were requested by the public for each zone.
KEY STEPS IN 2020
• Funding from community partners reviewed in early 2020
• Third public meeting where evolved future development
plans are presented
• Plans go before the Board of County Commissioners
for approval prior to moving forward with construction
*Design shown is one of two options presented in Fall 2019. Plans are
conceptual and subject to change.
*Get the latest on the HWRP at:
HorizonWestMagazine.com/HWRP
/HWRP