Van Horne Park

Van Horne Park is comprised of approximately 95 acres of land, 90 of which is in Rocky Hill Borough and 5 of which is in Montgomery Township.  The design was the result of long hours of collaboration between Rocky Hill and Montgomery Township.

The park is basically divided into two halves:  the western portion being more active and the eastern portion being more passive.

Eastern Side of Park

            The eastern side of the park shows a twenty four (24') foot wide driveway composed of bituminous surface entering the site from Princeton Avenue.  The driveway winds northward behind a grove of trees located in the wetlands.  Ten (10) parking spaces are nestled behind the grove with two adjacent bocce ball courts and three horseshoe pits, flanking a twenty five (25') foot diameter open-air gazebo.  A six (6') foot wide gravel/stone dust pathway parallels the eastern entrance drive and follows it northward behind the office park which fronts on Crescent Avenue.  Here the gravel pathway joins the passive walking trail that comprises the entire central portion of the Park.  The entrance drive culminates in a double-loaded 30 space parking area nestled among the trees and vegetation, just to the west of the wetlands.  It is located on the downhill side of the slope and intermingled with existing vegetation to blend with the natural environment.  Screen plantings of evergreen trees and shrubs will be located to the west and north of the parking area to screen it from the views of the western active recreation and the passive walkways.

Central Portion of Park

            The six (6') foot gravel/stone dust pathway from the eastern entrance ties into the pathway surrounding the entire central portion of the park.  It continues along the northern portion of the park and northward to the pond on Crescent Avenue as a six (6') foot wide gravel/stone dust pathway.  The east side of the pond is intended to be cleaned up with seating benches and new plant material for beautification of a somewhat unkempt present-day pond.  The six (6') foot wide walkway culminates at the 30 space parking area, where it connects to an eight (8') foot wide bituminous pathway running along the southern portion of the site to connect into the eight (8') foot wide bituminous (blacktop) pathway that completely surrounds the active elements of the western portion of the park.  The eight (8') foot wide connector path runs just to the north of the fifty (50') foot buffer surrounding the wetlands that separate the park elements from the rear of the dwellings that front on Princeton Avenue.  Finally, a natural-surfaced nature trail is engulfed by the wetlands, connecting all the elements of the eastern half of the park to the western half (active portion) of the park.  As mentioned, this nature trail winds through the wetland areas among the indigenous vegetation and down along Horn Brook for a varied hiking experience.  It is intended that the farm field traversed by the nature trail will be sectioned off and allowed varying stages of successional regrowth of the vegetation for educational purposes, as well as a more interesting experience of the trail. 

Western Side of Park

            Finally, the western half of the park is the location where the active recreation will take place.  A twenty four (24') foot wide bituminous driveway enters from the west at a new traffic light proposed at Route 206 near the Grand Union Shopping Center.  This entrance drive travels southward, paralleling the property line and the boundary between Montgomery Township and Rocky Hill Borough.  The entrance drive is flanked by parking on both sides to accommodate 100 cars, with an additional 30 spaces of overflow parking, which will be grasscrete or gravel.  Grasscrete is concrete webbing with voids to allow grass to grow through.  As mentioned, an eight (8') foot wide bituminous walkway parallels the parking area and surrounds the active elements of the park.  The walkway also branches off and connects to the "paper" portion of the Young Drive extension.  The walkway will continue off the property to connect into Young Drive and will be flanked by evergreen plantings to screen it from view.

            Centrally located in the active portion of the park is the picnic shelter pavilion with comfort station (rest rooms) to be utilized by park users.  Just to the northwest is an area slated for future basketball courts and immediately to the south is a play area/tot lot, which is intended to have a play structure. 

            Two large multi-purpose playing fields are located on the south side of the active area to be used for informal open play, football, soccer, kickball, Frisbee tossing, etc.  Two softball fields complete the north side of the active recreation area.  A connecting trail links the active area down to Princeton Avenue through the south woods. 

            Stormwater management facilities are located adjacent to both the eastern and western parking areas to accommodate stormwater runoff generated by the proposed impervious surfaces of the entrance drives, parking areas and some of the walking trails.  The detention basins will be designed later, as construction documents for the park are completed.  These basins are intended to be asymmetrically shaped to blend with the natural environment of the tract.

            The park is designed for the use of both the Montgomery Township and Rocky Hill Borough residents.  It will be a great spot to gather and greet friends and neighbors of both communities.  This park should prove to be a successful venture for all concerned.