LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The brown, dry grass does not rob the beauty of the Parklands of Floyds Fork, even in winter.
There are native grasses and wildflowers here and the brilliant sun highlights the wilderness. The eastern Jefferson County lands have more than 200 bird species identified.
It also has 4,000 acres, a true buffer zone to the mayhem of development in the fastest growing parts of Metro Louisville.
Dan Jones is the founder of the Parklands of Floyds Fork. You could hear the applause across Louisville when he announced they are adding an additional 664 acres to the popular park that will now stretch into Bullitt County.
The land that connects to the Broad Run section of the Parklands was headed to a different fate.
Jones said it has a development plan on it.
It’s no surprise the Parklands has made adjacent land across its 20-mile stretch more valuable. In essence, they are in a race with themselves.
“If we hadn’t bought it, it would have been sold to a wealthy homeowner who would have built a big house right in the middle of the park or maybe a developer who would have done ten, twenty [or] thirty lots,” Jones said.
Jones came up with the idea of the Parklands and his father, the late David Jones Sr., raised the money. Jones Sr. was the co-founder of Humana.
Lost in their announcement of the expansion is the real story behind the 500 acres out of the 664. That’s where this takes a new twist.
“One day, the light bulb moment was sort of ‘Dan, you dumbo, you own it,’” Jones said.
When David Jones Sr. was alive, he worried about the future costs of maintaining the Parklands since it is not taxpayer supported – all donor support and it was a guarantee to the former Mayor Jerry Abramson.
“Our promise to Jerry Abramson is that this park would never be a burden on the city. We all know the current dilemma the city has in funding their parks and the many challenges,” Jones explained.
The Joneses announced that the 500 acres they already owned would be developed as a way to raise big money for the future maintenance of the Parklands.
After David died in 2022, Dan had a change of heart. Was it time to preserve the acreage instead?
“I asked myself that question because my dad was my partner in this,” Jones said.
He met with his siblings and family, who all control the Parklands endowment.
“I said I think we should not develop it. That we can raise the money we need to raise for the future of the park in other ways,” Jones explained.
They all agreed, but what about his late father?
“The question you just asked about my dad, I’ve asked myself many times. My dad was a very flexible person and I think he would agree with me, but if he hadn’t, I think I could have convinced him that it was the right thing to do,” Jones said.
Jones revealed the land would be called The Parklands Preserve in which he describes it’s like a mini Bernheim Forest in the middle of the Parklands. He said when it opens, it will be the “quiet heart” of the Parklands.
Doug: So now for the future, instead of development, this is what this is going to look like from here on out?
Jones: 100 percent. You can see this is what I call the trees of the future right now. These are ten year old trees. In 100 years, these are going to be big trees.
A place where the business model is taking care of your soul with nature and not just humans.
“That also includes bees and birds and bugs that they have a nice place a nice experience,” Jones said.
Jones said the endowment allows them to protect that land and possibly even expand again for the long-term.
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