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NEWS-TIMES - County nets $500,000 grant for Newport park
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By Mark Hibbs
NEWPORT — A half-million dollar state grant has been awarded to the county to help pay for a new recreation facility on 11 acres next to the middle school in the western part of town.
County Commissioner Wade Nelms, a longtime advocate for additional recreational facilities in the Newport area, said he was “elated” to learn Monday of the grant award and hopes to see construction begin shortly.
“I’m ready to move forward because the longer the delay, the more costly the work is going to be,” Commissioner Nelms said Tuesday.
The school board-owned property was once considered for the location of a county emergency operations center, but town residents and officials objected, saying the property should be reserved for school use. Demand for additional recreational facilities here led to an agreement with the school board to use the land for a park.
“I think this is a much better use of that property,” Commissioner Nelms said.
County Parks and Recreation officials submitted an application on Jan. 31 to the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF), requesting $500,000 for park construction.
PARTF grants provide dollar-for-dollar matching funds to local governments for public parks and recreational projects. The fund was created in 1994 to pay for improvements in the state’s park system, provide grants for local governments and to increase public access to beaches.
The Parks and Recreation Authority, a 15-member appointed board, was also created to allocate funds from PARTF to the state parks and to the grants program for local governments.
Deborah Pasteur, County Parks and Recreation director, said she learned about the award Friday. Getting the grant was never a given because the requests for funds from communities and organizations across the state far exceeded the amount to be allocated, she said.
“I can’t say I was confident because it’s a very competitive grant,” she said. “We were very lucky and blessed that we were chosen.”
Although the grant requires a 50-50 match in recipient spending, Ms. Pasteur said the county has planned to exceed the match requirement in order to provide the facilities area residents have asked for during a series of public meetings held in 2006 and 2007.
The 11-acre site is on the south-southeast side of Newport Middle School’s athletic facilities. A ditch separates the two parcels, which will be connected via pedestrian bridges.
The conceptual plan for the park facility includes upgrading existing recreational facilities at the middle school, building additional ball fields, three pairs of tennis courts, a restroom and concessions structure and a 5,000-square-foot community center, which would include a multi-purpose room. The county will also install lights on three fields, the baseball, softball and football fields. A network of walking trails is also planned.
Details of how the school and park facilities will be shared for public and school events have yet to be determined. Currently, permission of the school’s athletic director is required for use of the existing school fields.
“I hope the parks and recreation advisory board for the county and Newport’s recreation advisory board and the board of education can all sit down together and determine the best way possible to proceed,” Ms. Pasteur said.
Construction could begin sometime in the next couple of months. The plans for the elements that will be included in the park have been finalized, but a construction plan remains undone.
Also, the required contract with contract with the N.C. Parks and Recreation Authority has yet to be signed.
“Until that happens, you can’t do anything with the project,” Ms. Pasteur said.
Most existing recreation facilities in the Newport area are maintained by the town and operated mostly by volunteers. Residents from all over the western part of the county use the facilities to participate in various sports.
Those at the well-attended planning meetings were passionate in their support for a new park in this part of the county. Commissioner Nelms said their dedication will soon pay off.
“I know that for a few years so many people have participated in this process in order to have additional park facilities in this area,” he said. “To know this grant has been awarded and we can proceed with plans for the facility is great for not only Newport citizens but those in the area in general and it provides added benefits to school system.”
Newport Mayor Pro Tem Ken Davis called the announcement good news for the town.
“I think it’s terrific. It’s got a lot of future opportunity for recreation in this area,” he said. “I certainly want to complement the county and the parks and rec department for addressing the needs of this area.”
Ms. Pasteur said the planned park alone will not resolve the potential needs for the Newport area with the growth that is currently projected, but considering the market for undeveloped property, it is a positive step.
“I think that everyone understands that we need to think outside the box, and while it would have been good to have a 30- to 40-acre park, I think those days of purchasing large blocks of land are gone without someone coming forward to donate large parcels of property,” she said.
County Commissioner Wade Nelms, a longtime advocate for additional recreational facilities in the Newport area, said he was “elated” to learn Monday of the grant award and hopes to see construction begin shortly.
“I’m ready to move forward because the longer the delay, the more costly the work is going to be,” Commissioner Nelms said Tuesday.
The school board-owned property was once considered for the location of a county emergency operations center, but town residents and officials objected, saying the property should be reserved for school use. Demand for additional recreational facilities here led to an agreement with the school board to use the land for a park.
“I think this is a much better use of that property,” Commissioner Nelms said.
County Parks and Recreation officials submitted an application on Jan. 31 to the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF), requesting $500,000 for park construction.
PARTF grants provide dollar-for-dollar matching funds to local governments for public parks and recreational projects. The fund was created in 1994 to pay for improvements in the state’s park system, provide grants for local governments and to increase public access to beaches.
The Parks and Recreation Authority, a 15-member appointed board, was also created to allocate funds from PARTF to the state parks and to the grants program for local governments.
Deborah Pasteur, County Parks and Recreation director, said she learned about the award Friday. Getting the grant was never a given because the requests for funds from communities and organizations across the state far exceeded the amount to be allocated, she said.
“I can’t say I was confident because it’s a very competitive grant,” she said. “We were very lucky and blessed that we were chosen.”
Although the grant requires a 50-50 match in recipient spending, Ms. Pasteur said the county has planned to exceed the match requirement in order to provide the facilities area residents have asked for during a series of public meetings held in 2006 and 2007.
The 11-acre site is on the south-southeast side of Newport Middle School’s athletic facilities. A ditch separates the two parcels, which will be connected via pedestrian bridges.
The conceptual plan for the park facility includes upgrading existing recreational facilities at the middle school, building additional ball fields, three pairs of tennis courts, a restroom and concessions structure and a 5,000-square-foot community center, which would include a multi-purpose room. The county will also install lights on three fields, the baseball, softball and football fields. A network of walking trails is also planned.
Details of how the school and park facilities will be shared for public and school events have yet to be determined. Currently, permission of the school’s athletic director is required for use of the existing school fields.
“I hope the parks and recreation advisory board for the county and Newport’s recreation advisory board and the board of education can all sit down together and determine the best way possible to proceed,” Ms. Pasteur said.
Construction could begin sometime in the next couple of months. The plans for the elements that will be included in the park have been finalized, but a construction plan remains undone.
Also, the required contract with contract with the N.C. Parks and Recreation Authority has yet to be signed.
“Until that happens, you can’t do anything with the project,” Ms. Pasteur said.
Most existing recreation facilities in the Newport area are maintained by the town and operated mostly by volunteers. Residents from all over the western part of the county use the facilities to participate in various sports.
Those at the well-attended planning meetings were passionate in their support for a new park in this part of the county. Commissioner Nelms said their dedication will soon pay off.
“I know that for a few years so many people have participated in this process in order to have additional park facilities in this area,” he said. “To know this grant has been awarded and we can proceed with plans for the facility is great for not only Newport citizens but those in the area in general and it provides added benefits to school system.”
Newport Mayor Pro Tem Ken Davis called the announcement good news for the town.
“I think it’s terrific. It’s got a lot of future opportunity for recreation in this area,” he said. “I certainly want to complement the county and the parks and rec department for addressing the needs of this area.”
Ms. Pasteur said the planned park alone will not resolve the potential needs for the Newport area with the growth that is currently projected, but considering the market for undeveloped property, it is a positive step.
“I think that everyone understands that we need to think outside the box, and while it would have been good to have a 30- to 40-acre park, I think those days of purchasing large blocks of land are gone without someone coming forward to donate large parcels of property,” she said.
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