Staunton | Gypsy Hill Park stream restoration project

Staunton Environmental Programs Administrator Willow Hughes, left, and previous EPA Peter Kesecker hold the ribbon as Vice Mayor Brad Arrowood officially cuts it to open the stream restoration at Gypsy Hill Park on Thursday, September 25, 2025. Photos by Rebecca J. Barnabi.

Anyone who has driven by Gypsy Hill Park on Churchville Avenue or walked in the park in the past year or so has noticed more than a few construction vehicles and piles of soil and grass in several places.

However, with the eyesore of construction a memory, a restoration project has made way for a beautiful new flow of a stream through Gypsy Hill Park.

The stream restoration project, which was 90 percent funded with federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), will provide Staunton the longevity for the stream to flow for future generations and the conservation to meet state and federal mandates.

“We’ve ended up with a great product here. This is just a huge part of our park, which has been a part of growing up and living in Staunton for over a century,” said Staunton Vice Mayor Brad Arrowood Thursday morning at Gypsy Hill Park.

The project was necessary, because the banks of the stream had begun to erode, which put sediment into the stream and affected water quality further down stream.

“We think that environmental stewardship and community recreation don’t have to compete with each other either. Here in the city we have so many great green spaces but sometimes they need help, sometimes they get too much flow,” Arrowood said.

The stream restoration project demonstrates an example of when local government can lead an environmental issue while also create “tangible benefits.”

“And, it’s not just about meeting state mandates for water quality but it’s certainly doing that, as well. But, we’re doing it in a way that makes our community beautiful and resilient and gives it a more sustainable footprint,” Arrowood said.

The project allows the approximately 1,500 feet of stream running through Gypsy Hill Park to be “cleaner, more stable and more vibrant for generations to come.”

ICYMI: Gypsy Hill Park news

The project, which began March 2024, represents the city’s commitment to investing in the national environment and families who call Staunton home.

“This park has been such a huge part of everyone’s lives and we want to be sure that generations to come get to enjoy it,” Arrowood said.

According to Staunton Environmental Programs Administrator Willow Hughes, the restoration project will enhance the aesthetics in Gypsy Hill Park and address challenges with which the park stream and the city’s watershed were struggling.

“The biggest thing here is that we had a lot of erosion here prior to construction and, now that that erosion has been addressed, we’re going to have a lot less sediment going into the stream which is going to help improve water quality as well as the aquatic habitat here in the stream,” Hughes said.

By stopping erosion of the stream with the planting of native plants, trees, grasses and shrubs, the restoration project also enables the stream to aid the city with stormwater management.

“And that will sort of lessen the impact of flooding downstream,” Hughes said.

As the new vegetation continues to grow along the stream, the area will become more vibrant with plant and animal life.

Daylighting of the stream near the construction of Gypsy Hill Park‘s new pool facilities where the ribbon cutting was held Thursday morning was necessary because a portion of the stream was previously flowing through a pipe underground.

“That helps because it’s now flowing in its natural state. It’s better for the water quality and, again, creates habitat,” Hughes said.

The final and largest benefit of the project for the city is meeting state and federal stormwater pollution reduction mandates, “which is a really important part of what we, as a city, have to do.”

Hughes acknowledged previous Environmental Programs Administrator Pete Kesecker, who retired in early 2025 and allowed Hughes to join city staff.

“He really helped get this project started with planning and funding, and saw it through with a lot of our original phases of construction,” Hughes said.

The project’s contractor was DQR, and Hughes also thanked Staunton Parks & Recreation for their cooperation.

Timmons Group Project Engineer Mike Claud said the company appreciated the opportunity to work with the city, DEQ and DQR on the restoration project. Several spring boxes were found that were not expected in the course of construction.

“It was a very challenging project, as most of these can be, because of the nature of what we do, but we have to be very creative with these projects when we do it, because we run into obstacles during construction a lot of times. This was no different than a lot of projects,” Claud said.

Heavy storms in the spring and summer of 2025 created unexpected issues for a construction site of the stream.

“It turned out really nice. As you can see, the vegetation is coming in really well,” Claud said. “And we’re hoping it provides a nice amenity for the city, for the people and for the park moving forward.”