Chesterfield lays out traffic, ADA and emergency plans for large July 4 fairground celebration

Parks and Recreation and public‑safety partners told the board that the county has developed a new traffic and pedestrian plan to address previous long waits and safety concerns at large fairground events. Marley Smith said the plan was developed in direct response to public concerns and that staff prepared a public‑safety video to explain changes.

A police representative, speaking on behalf of the Chesterfield County Police, said parking will be extended to nearby county lots and that attendees should expect walking distances commonly between a half‑mile and a mile from their vehicles; officers will direct traffic and the closest lots will fill first. The police representative added that guests with ADA permits will be directed to L.C. Bird High School across from the fairgrounds and asked attendees to note lot signage indicating how far each lot is from the event.

Smith said the county will provide a separate pedestrian lane along Courthouse Road at the conclusion of the event and that staff will not delay the release of parking lots after the fireworks, addressing a frequently raised concern. She credited Lieutenant Joel Nielsen and Captain Tim Kho with leading the traffic and pedestrian overhaul and noted that detailed plans are included with board packets.

Emergency Services has prepared a family reception center intended to be activated within two hours of an incident or event; Smith named incident action team members Nigel McCollen (Fire & EMS), Todd Long (Fire & EMS), Charity Deleno and Matthew Smith (police) as part of the response planning.

Board members thanked staff and asked for public communications; staff said additional details would be published through Parks and Recreation communications ahead of the July 4 celebration.

(Transcript note: the packet reference to "LCird High School" was corrected in this report to L.C. Bird High School to match the commonly used local school name.)