Work begins on trails at Stoney Creek Park
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on November 17, 2009 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/BOBBY WILLIAMS
Backhoe operator Raymond Williamson begins clearing land for a new parking lot at Stoney Creek Park on Monday. Workers will be building a 50-space parking lot and revamped walking trails along the park's Ash Street boundaries. The trails are expected to be finished this week.
Several months after a once-proposed disc golf course became a reality at Stoney Creek Park, construction began Monday on the two latest additions at the destination city officials say is becoming more and more popular for both local residents and visitors from neighboring counties.
Crews are currently working to install a 50-space parking lot and revamped walking trails along the park's Ash Street boundaries, amenities that became possible after approval of grant funding came down from the state.
Goldsboro Parks and Recreation director David Carter said the 5-foot-wide trails -- which are being constructed using a combination of excavated soil and granite screenings -- should be ready for use by the end of the week.
"That is the No. 1 recreational activity people are asking for: walking trails," he said. "And this will give the community a great place to walk."
The original plans for a revamped Stoney Creek Park that included, among other things, a large pond or similar water feature, prompted officials to conduct a citywide survey in 2007 to find out just what people wanted to see at the site.
The survey concluded that what residents really wanted were trails, not a pond, and so members of the Stoney Creek Park Alliance adjusted their planning accordingly.
Carter expects the number of park visitors to continue to increase now that new features are being added seemingly every few weeks -- work on a boulder play area also began recently -- so a bigger parking lot makes sense, he said.
"We really are seeing more and more use of the park," he said.
The parking lot will be constructed using "crush and run," a rock mix that will consist, likely, of granite and granite screenings, Carter added, as it, like the trails, must meet strict FEMA guidelines that prohibit the use of asphalt and concrete.