Brickyard Landing Park Master Plan Update needs Your Input

What would you like to see at this park? A playground, hiking/biking trails…what would work for your family? James City County Parks & Recreation would like your opinion as they work on the master planning of Brickyard Landing Park. There is a simple survey to fill out and you can attend a meeting, email or call them. Keep reading to learn more about this park, the proposed amenities and how to have your voice heard!

This waterfront park, located at 990 Brickyard Road off Forge Road in the upper end of the County, has a public boat ramp that provides access to the Chickahominy River. It also has picnic shelters, a fishing/tending pier and wildlife viewing. They need to know what James City County residents would like to have done – so they need you to share your vision on the development of Brickyard Landing Park! Keep reading to learn the history of the park and the proposed new amenities (like a playground and hiking/mountain bike trails).

Park History 

Brickyard Landing has a unique history. The area was formerly known as Hog Neck and from 1646 to the 1760s it was used as a tobacco inspection site, warehouses, wharfs and for shipping. In the late 1800s the property was used to make and store cordwood and railroad ties, shipping products via the Chickahominy and James rivers. From the early 1900s, the land’s clay rich soil was used by several brick making companies until 1953. From 1955 until 1997, Newport News Shipbuilding owned the property and used it as an employee recreation area with restrooms, fireplaces, athletic equipment and picnic shelters. During the period the shipyard owned the property it was named the Shipyard Recreation and Picnic Area on the Chickahominy River, but became commonly referred to as Brickyard Landing due to the properties’ most recent history. In 2020 James City County purchased the 119-acre property through a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant for use as a public park. JCC Parks & Recreation

Existing and Proposed Amenities

The picnic shelter and pier that was built by Newport News Shipbuilding are still present on the site, and have been repaired. Unfortunately, the restrooms could not be restored and are being removed. There is a lack of proper parking for boat trailers and the site needs additional parking for other amenities.

The 2017 Parks & Recreation Master Plan and the 2018 Virginia Outdoors Plan were used to guide the County staff as they came up with the following proposed amenities and Master Plan which classifies Brickyard Landing Park as a special use park, primarily serving residents at the upper end of the County, specifically boaters using the boat ramp. There is a lack of several park amenities in this area of the County, notably hard and soft surface trails. The Virginia Outdoors Plan additionally identified trails and water access as a high priority for citizens in this region.

Based on these guidelines and community input, the following amenities have been incorporated into the Brickyard Landing Park master plan draft plan.

What they need is for you to take a moment and review the background information and proposed amenities. “Unlike site plans that are exact engineered drawings to show building footprints, utilities, drainage and water layouts before construction, Master Plans are long-term planning documents. The map provides a conceptual layout to guide the future growth of each park and are adaptable to changes. While consideration was given to incorporate building codes, environmental and zoning requirements, it should be noted that the elements in the map are not drawn to scale nor located in their exact future position.”

A.    Tending Pier – Existing tending pier along boat ramp, turning 90 degrees and running parallel to shoreline. Pier is used for tying off boats that are using the ramp, fishing and wildlife viewing.
B.    Boat Ramp – Existing concrete boat ramp used for launching trailered boats in the Chickahominy River.
C.    Picnic Shelters – Two repaired and existing picnic shelters with picnic tables can accommodate 20-25 users each.
D.    Utility Shed – Utility shed to be constructed over a portion of an old bathhouse site. The shed will be used to protect electrical panels and well pump that were located in the back room of the bathhouse.
E.    Boat trailer parking – Approximately 25-30 parking spaces for boat trailers using the boat ramp.
F.    Car parking lot – Approximately 25-30 parking spaces for cars, with two ADA Accessible parking spaces
G.    Restroom Facility – Restroom facilities to support recreation amenities.
H.    Multiuse Trail – 0.25 Mile ADA accessible asphalt multiuse trail with connections to park amenities. Opportunities for interpretation of park site history and environmental education
I.    Playground – Standard park playground with mulch surfacing, separate playground features for different age groups.
J.    Meadow  – Natural area/meadow with demonstration riparian buffer plantings closer to shoreline to educate visitors on shoreline plantings and to improve stormwater runoff. 
K.    Hiking/Mountain Biking Trails – Approximately 2-4 miles of hiking and/or mountain biking trails, Opportunities for interpretation of park site history and environmental education

Here is how to be part of the process:

The County needs your input on Brickyard Landing Park master planning process. This is a great way to affect change in your County and who doesn’t like a park? To help the County know what you want, you can attend the community meeting, take the survey by June 30, email, write or call. 

• Attend the Community Meeting:
  • Wednesday, June 28, 6 p.m.
    James City County Library
    Kitzinger Room
    7770 Croaker Road, Williamsburg, VA 23188
• Take the online survey by June 30. 
• Email them your responses to the survey questions below at parks.rec@jamescitycountyva.gov. Please respond by June 30.
  • Are you a James City County or Williamsburg resident? If not, in which other locality do you live? 
  • Have you visited Brickyard Landing Park? If yes, how often?
  • What are your favorite features of the park?
  • What changes would you like to see in the park?
  • Do you feel the proposed additions/improvements address your needs?
  • Will the proposed changes impact your use of the park?
• Visit the “Listening Boards” stationed at the James City County Recreation Center, 5301 Longhill Road and the James City County Library, 7770 Croaker Road during operating hours. Hard copies of the survey are available at these sites. However, please complete the survey only one time (online, email or hard copy).   
• Write 
  • James City County Parks & Recreation
    5320 Palmer Lane, Suite 2A
    Williamsburg, VA 23188
    Attn: Park Master Plans
• Call Alister Perkinson, James City County Parks Administrator, 757-259-5370.

If you would like to stay informed of our progress on this project, please send your contact information (email or mailing address) to us at parks.rec@jamescitycountyva.gov so we can stay in touch!

Here are the next steps in the process of planning the park

Share your vision for the Brickyard Landing Park Master Plan process. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime! The Master Plan will provide staff, elected officials and citizens with a valuable planning tool to guide the development of the park over the next 10 years and beyond. Following this public input period, the plan will be submitted for approval to the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission, the James City County Planning Commission, and the James City County Board of Supervisors. Improvements will be completed based on community and citizen needs as well as available funding. Help them determine how to provide the services important to you and your family over the next ten years and beyond.

Planning Resources

• Our County, Our Shared Future – James City County 2045 Comprehensive Plan
• 2017 Parks & Recreation Master Plan

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