Community offers opinions on neighborhood park

Orange County is in the planning stages of a new park in Horizon West, and officials held the first of two community meetings March 6 to gauge residents’ desires for amenities. The five-acre Silverleaf Park will be built at 16030 Silver Grove Blvd., just south of Hamlin Middle School.

Because this will be a county park and not associated with a homeowners association, it will be open to the public.

Officials with the county’s parks planning division presented details about the park as well as a timeline to residents in attendance.

A second public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. May 21 at Hamlin Middle School. County staff will present the survey results as well as a conceptual plan for the park.

If the county decides a third public meeting is necessary, the date will be scheduled at that time.

Master planning will take place through July, and then design engineering is expected to take about a year. The permitting and bidding phase should start in the summer of 2026 and last about six months. Construction likely will take place throughout 2027, and a grand opening could be scheduled in spring 2028.

The county has budgeted $300,000 for design engineering and $.5 for construction.

Residents asked many questions about the park at the meeting, and Regina Ramos, park planning and development manager for Orange County Government, provided the answers.

The neighborhood park will not have space for parking because it is considered a walk-to park used mainly by area residents. It also will be unmanned by staff.

A resident asked about installing a crosswalk since the park will be on Silver Grove Boulevard, directly across the street from Hamlin elementary and middle schools.

Ramos said a crosswalk was added to the Bentonshire Park off Overstreet Road in Horizon West and one could be considered at Silverleaf Park. She said she would talk to the county’s traffic department.

A resident survey will remain live until March 27. A majority of the park will be determined by the results of the survey. As of last week, 130 people already had taken the survey.

Residents asked about the cost of certain amenities, as this could influence which options they select. The most expensive item is the playground, because it includes the equipment, shade structures, a rubber safety surface and drainage underneath.

The county hopes to present playground renderings from the manufacturer by the second public meeting.

Typical five-acre parks have a playground, pavilion, picnic tables and open space, and then the amenities vary after that depending on residents’ wants.

Another factor is what amenities already are offered at nearby parks. The closest five-acre community parks to Silverleaf are Taborfield and Summerlake.