Parks & Recreation on the Route to the Future Citizen Input Needed for Future Parks & Programming

By Nancy Davis

STATESVILLE, NC - The Statesville Recreation and Parks Department is on the route to big things! A new comprehensive recreation and parks master plan is underway to develop programs, parks and facilities that will serve the residents of Statesville today and for years to come.

The project is named “Route 2 Recreation” or “R2” and will utilize the input of residents and the vision of community leaders and recreation enthusiasts to assess the current and future levels of service needed in our community.

Coming up soon are three drop in community conversations where the public can hear more about the master plan and give specific feedback to assist with the planning process: Tuesday, March 3, at the Statesville Civic Center, 5-8 p.m.; Tuesday, March 24, at Bentley Community Center, 5-8 p.m.; and Thursday, April 16, at Statesville Fitness & Activity Center, 5-8 p.m.

The public is also encouraged to complete the R2 Online Survey at www.statesvillenc.net/R2. Recreation and Parks Department Director Richard Griggs said he and his staff are excited about the information and insight they will gain from the surveys and public meetings. Griggs stressed the importance of creating a “community supported plan that combines our goals with our residents’ opinions. We want to hear from the community about what they like that is currently offered in Statesville, what they feel is lacking, and what they’d like to see in the future.”

“We will continually receive input, review it, and determine exactly what our residents are saying they want and need,” explained Griggs. “All along the way, we will take our findings back to the public and get their support for the next steps.”

It’s an all-encompassing plan, he stressed. “Parks, recreation facilities, open space, trails, programs, events, communication, and more …. We want to cover it all for years to come.”

Withers Ravenel, a full-service civil and environmental engineering firm, will oversee the comprehensive master plan project.