City, county recommended for two N.C. greenway grants
By Matt Caulder
Published in News on April 26, 2013 1:46 PM
The city of Goldsboro and Wayne County have each received recommendations from the North Carolina Trails Committee for two federal Recreational Trails Grants in the amount of $200,000 for the construction of greenways.
The city and county applied for the grants in conjunction with the intent of the projects being spearheaded by Goldsboro Parks and Recreation.
The grant value is up from $75,000 last year and it comes with a 25 percent match commitment to the grantee meaning the city and county will put $50,000 in to the project as well, according to Scott Barnard, director of Goldsboro Parks and Recreation.
The matched funds do not only have to come from money but can come from land donations, volunteer work and labor from county and city employees as well.
"We don't have the checks yet but I wouldn't say I would be jumping the gun to say we will be getting these grants." said Barnard.
The committee is under North Carolina Parks and the next step is for the recommendation to go to John E. Skvarla, III, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources for approval.
The proposed projects will take place at Stoney Creek Park North and the proposed Reedy Branch Greenway near Wayne Memorial Hospital.
The Stoney Creek Park North grant funds will go to paving one mile of the greenway heading north toward Royall Avenue, the purchase of a 41-acre tract of land between Fariview Park and Stoney Creek Park North and improvements to the mountain bike trails already in place at the park.
The Wayne County grant would go to the construction of a 2.75 mile greenway, adjacent to a branch of Reedy Creek, connecting Wayne Memorial Hospital, Wayne Community College, residential developments and a medical park.
The greenway would meet up with the New Hope Road Greenway.
The grants are expected to be awarded in May or June.