Clark County was founded in 1792 from Bourbon and Fayette Counties. The county is in the Bluegrass Area Development District (BGADD) and the Bluegrass Tourism Region. Clark County’s population was 36,972 people and that of Winchester (county seat) was 19,134 people as of the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau, QuickFacts, n.d.). The region is known for its rolling hills and agricultural landscape. The Kentucky River flows on the southern edge of the county boundary. The county seat, Winchester, is less than a 25-mile drive from Lexington-Fayette County and has been steadily experiencing growth. Clark County is represented by strong local leaders, volunteers, and residents who live and/or work in the county. Various stakeholder groups, including the Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation Department, the City of Winchester, Clark County Fiscal Court, and Greater Clark Foundation, among others, envision enhancing the quality of life for its community members. 

As communities settle and develop, varied needs and decisions result in different land use patterns. The Winchester Lake area site encompasses approximately 60 acres and is owned by the City of Winchester. It used to be a retention pond for the city’s wastewater treatment plant but is no longer part of the system. The lake area is adjacent to the public Kroger Soccer Complex and shares the western property boundary. Currently, a private entity has a permit to stock the lake for fishing. An extraordinary opportunity exists to enhance the area to become a comprehensive recreation, cultural, and environmental learning destination. The location of the water body and adjacent landscape has the potential to offer a broader community health experience, such as through bike and pedestrian connections from the south side of I-64 where the rest of the City of Winchester is established. The site also has diverse habitats suitable for environmental conservation and restoration. The area can become a newly enhanced public space where families and friends gather, share their stories, enjoy nature, and be physically active and healthy while strengthening their wellness.

In Fall 2023, the University of Kentucky, Department of Landscape Architecture (UKLA) students enrolled in LA 324 Landscape Architecture Design Studio IV: Community Engagement and Design partnered with the Winchester - Clark County Parks and Recreation Department and the City of Winchester to explore planning and design of the broader Winchester Lake area. UKLA collaboratively developed plans and detailed designs that further supported the vision with the Parks and Recreation Department and the broader community while integrating recreational and environmental education opportunities to the area, not just limited to the property boundary, which can enhance overall environmental quality while creatively layering user functions. Ultimately, the designs aimed to increase the community’s access to public water bodies that can also enhance their recreation and healthy lifestyle needs while effectively connecting the potentially public site with surrounding streetscapes, other public spaces, and recreation assets, among other shared spaces, as a strong network of corridors in and around Winchester and Clark County while considering future development plans surrounding the site. UKLA partnered with key partners and interested community members for further community engagement to decipher what voices to reflect in the interpretive educational landscape that will enhance the community’s environment and its quality of life. 

During a 14-week period, UKLA students researched, analyzed, planned, designed, and presented public open space design proposals focused on exploring the Winchester Lake area. UKLA students facilitated a design workshop with community stakeholders during the information gathering process and later conducted an online survey. Based on research and community voices, UKLA supported and complemented the community’s vision for interpreting and reflecting a public landscape reusing the aquatic feature. Three student teams developed and presented their proposals to community members and professionals. The ideas seeded through the service-learning opportunity received positive feedback. There was a sense of excitement from the Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation Department, city and county leaders, volunteers, and residents seeking public water access closer to where they live, work, and play in addition to the Kentucky River at the southern edge of the county border.