Background
In August 2020, the Kenton County Fiscal Court approved the conversion of 225 acres of property into a park. The property is located along Independence Station Road, neighboring Lincoln Ridge Park. The address 604 Independence Station Road, Independence, KY 41051.
The park is currently open to the public for passive recreation, including hiking, fishing, biking, wildlife observation and walking.
Developing the Master Plan
In 2021, using grant monies, Kenton County Fiscal Court hired Human Nature to help create a Master Plan for the park. A park master plan is a planning document which includes the framework for development, administration of resources, programs and facilities.
Phases
- Awareness Phase: Information gathering from multiple sources on what the site currently has (inventory) and what it offers (analysis) and developing a program for the site that will inform the design.
- Exploration Phase: Here we dug into design and looked at a variety of design options for the entire site, while soliciting the public's input on what parts of the different designs community members prefer.
- Vision Phase: For the final phase, we created one master plan for the site.
The finalized Master Plan can be viewed online here.
Implementing the Master Plan
In August 2024, the Fiscal Court contracted with design firm Human Nature to update the park’s master plan to refine the project’s scope and update its estimated costs.
In January 2025, the Fiscal Court selected J.S. Held to serve as its owner’s representative for the development of the new County park. J.S. Held will provide expert guidance and oversight throughout the planning, design and construction phases.
In October, Bayer and Becker joined the project team to provide design services.
Officials aim to break ground on the new park in 2026, with $20 million in funding committed to the project's first phase in the 2026 FY budget.