It was in 1969 when Ken Thompson, working for Ridge Development Corporation, began developing a residential planned community named Lake Ridge. On March 29, 1972, with its Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (DCCR) recorded in Prince William County, Virginia, the Lake Ridge Parks and Recreation Association (LRPRA) was established.

This past July in an interview at his office at 1990 Old Bridge Road, Mr. Thompson shared the following highlights of those beginning years that shaped our community, including his vision for Lake Ridge, his observations, and the goals he strived for in guiding the development of LRPRA. 

When the 1st Annual Meeting of the members of LRPRA took place on February 20, 1973, Ken Thompson was President of the LRPRA Board of Directors, as HUD had given Ridge Development Corp. voting control of LRPRA to last until 75% of the Association homes were built out. Mr. Thompson would remain President of the Board until 1985.

During those initial years, a Citizens Advisory Committee was formed to act as a conduit between the growing community and the Board. Reflecting back on this time, Mr. Thompson commented, "The cooperating work effort between the Citizens Advisory Committee and the developer demonstrated that their goals were the same."

This cooperative effort was particularly evident in the annexation of East Lake Ridge. When LRPRA was just starting up, it consisted of a planned development of about 7000 properties situated west of Hooes Run that were under LRPRA’s DCCR. Across the creek on the east side of Hooes Run, Ridge Development had already developed a large residential area before LRPRA came into being. According to Mr. Thompson, some homeowners east of Hooes Run wanted to join the newly formed Association, and were willing to encumber their properties with the Association’s DCCR, excluding those sections that pertain to Architectural review and control. In December 1973, two-thirds of the LRPRA membership voted to annex the area east of Hooes Run, providing the residents of this area the option to join the Association.

On August 31, 1985, LRPRA’s "transition to resident control" officially occurred. During the September 1985 Quarterly Board Meeting, Martin West Jr., one of the five Development Directors on LRPRA’s nine member Board, resigned, and Dick Lee became a voting member of the Board of Directors as the fifth Resident Director. Today, Mr. Lee is the Vice President of the LRPRA Board of Directors.

As this transition process was ending, Mr. Thompson made the decision to set up the Association’s own maintenance department. He remarked, "In hindsight, it was the best decision because it helped define Lake Ridge. Mark Brooks was given hands-on control of this department, along with an annual budget for equipment. Lake Ridge has been maintained very well…better than if it had been contracted out." Mr. Brooks continues to head up the maintenance operation as the Facilities Director.

When asked how he managed to retain so many trees during development, Mr. Thompson replied that his goal "was to respect the land topography by saving as many trees as possible." He admitted that this was difficult due to the rigid standards set by the Virginia Department of Transportation and PWC rules and regulations, but he was determined to "keep preaching" his goal, even when it came to "educating the guy on the bulldozer." Today, it is mandatory by ordinance for developers to save 30% of open space. In the 44 years that he has been involved in development, Mr. Thompson said he has maintained 30% plus more.

Mr. Thompson said he found himself always pushing the envelope when it came to development techniques. For instance, varying from the standard curb and gutter design, he would work with the topography of the land whenever possible to use Low Impact Development (LID). This can be seen in the Cascades subdivision. LID allows for water to drain at a low velocity, creating a sheet flow over large areas as it gradually diffuses water and lessens the impact of drainage. The curb & gutter method of collecting drain water in parking lots, funnels water into pipes, causing it to travel at great velocities to emerge into culverts where erosion can become a problem. Today, the Department of Environmental Quality has moved its focus towards the use of LID.

Mr. Thompson had a vision of mixed use development to integrate commercial properties, condos, apartments, townhomes, and single family homes, as he wanted to " create an architectural style and price range so that everyone could find somewhere to live." At one of the earlier Board meetings, he made the comment, "The aesthetic appearance of mixed styles of homes can be very acceptable." Today this is evident, as we see all types of housing midst natural surroundings, all blending into a harmonious landscape.

Thinking back to the time when Lake Ridge was still growing, Mr. Thompson recalled, "There existed an esprit de corps where everyone was not blindly interested in their own needs, but considered the community need was more important." He specifically referred to the purchase by LRPRA of an additional 400 acres of land that is now the Lynnwood subdivision. Since 75% of each class of members had to consent to this purchase, the residents and developer representatives distributed door hangers and flyers to the members of Lake Ridge to see if they were in support of this expansion. He remarked, "Apparently they were" as Lynnwood joined the Association in 1980.

Asked how he judges the impact he had on LRPRA, he said, "I have an underlying philosophy that if kids who grew up in Lake Ridge can look back and see that they enjoyed it so much, and then come to the realization that Lake Ridge is a great place to raise their families...that is my measure of success."

Sally Ann Vincent, Communications Director (August 2007)