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Town eyes county park money
by Johnny Whitfield, Wake Weekly Associate Editor
Wake Forest residents could soon enjoy a new park -- if they can convince county commissioners to help pay for it.
Wake Forest commissioners have asked Wake County to approve a request for $1.16 million to pay half the cost of an 80-acre site which is across Smith Creek from Heritage Middle School. The owners of the property, Andy and Jan Ammons and James and Dubba Lucas, have agreed to sell the land for $2.23 million, or $27,750 per acre. Wake Forest commissioners met in closed session Aug. 16 to consider the offer. They have not yet formally accepted the deal. The property appraised for just over $2.9 million according to town officials. The land is adjacent to the existing 40-acre Heritage High School site and park. Together, Wake Forest Parks and Recreation Director Susan Simpson says, the added property will create a huge open space in the midst of an urban area. The town may be asking for the money at the right time, too. "I think we are the first serious project to come to the county with a request for some of the open space bond money," Simpson said. The bond money Simpson refers to is part of the $26 million approved by Wake County voters last year to buy and preserve green space throughout the county. The town's request has already won the unanimous approval of the county's Open Space and Park Advisory Committee. "We met with them last Monday and they said our project appeared to fit all the requirements for funding," Simpson said. From there, the request goes to the Land Aquisition Review Committee, a bureaucratic group that double-checks the appropriateness of the project. If that committee approves the request at its Sept. 6 meeting, then Wake County commissioners will be asked to OK the request at their Sept. 16 meeting. "We feel like it will go pretty well. This project helps preserve water quality along Smith Creek, it will preserve open space and once we get the trails down on it, there will be an opportunity for people to start using it right away," Simpson said. And while town officials are willing to tout the recreational benefits of the property, they also point out that buying the land will help preserve water quality along a sensitive area. In her presentation to the Open Space Advisory Committee, Simpson pointed out that Smith Creek, which borders the property, feeds directly into the Neuse River. "The Smith Creek corridor is the longest feature within the Open Space/Greenway Plan study boundaries and under considerable development pressures," Simpson said. On Saturday Simpson and Town Manager Mark Williams gave commissioners copies of the presentation made to the county advisory committee, and Williams urged commissioners to begin lobbying their counterparts on the county commission for support. "This still has to go through another part of the process, but I think it's OK to start talking to (county) commissioners about this now," Williams said. Simpson compares the additional purchase of the land to the plans for Joyner Park in northern Wake Forest. "I see this as sort of a metro park that offers a rural setting in an urban area," Simpson said. The 80-acre site would include mostly passive recreational uses, such as greenway trails, picnic tables and open space. The adjacent Heritage High School Park site, which the town bought with the Wake County Board of Education, will house more active recreation areas, including ball fields and tennis courts. If county commissioners approve the deal, the town would pay for its half of the cost with funds from the town's savings, or capital reserve. It would not use any of the money voters approved when they passed parks and recreation bonds in May. More good news While commissioners begin their lobbying effort with county leaders, they can begin with some happy news about another town park. Mayor Vivian Jones received word Monday that the town has been awarded a $250,000 grant by the Land and Water Conservation Fund for development of the first phase of Joyner Park. The money will be used to build an amphitheater and walking trails and install underground electrical lines on the 117-acre site. The grant is the latest addition to $4.5 million allocated for purchase and development of the park.
Last Updated On: September 1, 2005
Copyright 2005 The Wake Weekly