10/14/09 - County Awarded $500,000 Grant
Rutherfordton, NC – Rutherford County was recently awarded one of just three western North Carolina grants from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund’s annual distribution. The grant from the trust fund, often called PARTF, is the first of its kind to the county government in over 30 years. The $500,000 grant helps cover the cost of land acquisition for the future recreational areas of the Daniel Road Complex. The recreation area funded represents about 40 acres of the property to the east of Daniel Road and will house soccer/athletic fields, walking trails and playgrounds. Six fields are planned with soccer being a featured use. Other potential uses include youth football. Because of the multiple fields and the central location, the complex will be ideal for tournaments which will bring visitors and dollars, county officials say.
“I think we will look back 20 years from now and see the Daniel Road Complex as one of the best things the county ever did,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman Brent Washburn. “It is gratifying to see the support for the project the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund has shown with this generous grant.”
County Manager John Condrey echoed Washburn’s comments. “The athletic complex represents a future dream of the county,” said Condrey. “Hundreds of children currently participate in local soccer programs and this would allow for a permanent home. In addition, it will provide an opportunity for regional tournaments to be held in the county which should be an economic boost. At the point in time in the future when the economy improves, hopefully this can become a reality. We hope this $500,000 grant is the first of many that we might receive as this property develops.”
The county acquired a total of 112 acres on either side of Daniel Road including property with U.S. 74‐A frontage in May of 2008. A master plan for the complex is complete and shows a four‐phase development plan. No timeframe is given on those phases, but it will take many years to completely build out the complex. The vision for the larger Daniel Road Complex includes the Community Pet Center, a Farmers’ Market, agricultural arena, areas for commercial development and expansion areas for neighboring Isothermal Community College. There is also an additional building site on the property that could, if needed, serve as a future library or other county function. The county bought the property because of its location and pursued a multiple uses because of the synergy created by having them all together. The western edge of the property adjoins the campus of Isothermal. Two college administrators were involved in the master planning process for the property.
"We are looking forward to having the county as a neighbor," said Mike Gavin, director of Marketing and Community Relations at Isothermal. "We are particularly pleased that the planning committee reserved some of the adjacent property for potential future use by the college."
The county last received a parks grant from the state in 1977 when it was awarded $57,000 for what is now Frank West Park in Caroleen. The county’s long term building program includes upgrades to Frank West, Ray Henson Park in Cliffside and Shiloh Park. The plan also shows investment in the rail trail, river access and a park near Chase Middle School which would be home to the Chase Little League.
Some planning has been done for all of these park projects, though no money is being allocated for construction at this time given the economic situation. Additional planning will take place this fiscal year to get some of those parks ‘shovel ready’ for construction once funds are available. In the past five years the county has upgraded it recreation efforts. A master plan was completed and plans for individual parks are being updated.
“The county, in the past, invested very little in public parks,” says Recreational, Cultural & Heritage Planner Jerry Stensland. “We have taken steps in recent years to begin investing again in public parks and trails that will benefit everyone. The recent PARTF grant for the Daniel Road Complex is affirmation that our efforts are needed.”
PARTF is administered by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. The trust fund was established in 1994 and is the primary source for local governments seeking funding for parks and recreation projects. Contact Jerry Stensland at 287‐6074 or jerry.stensland@rutherfordcountync.gov for more information.
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