Potential Future Parks in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
McGill Completes Feasibility Studies
Mecklenburg County values parks and is taking steps to further invest in its parks system. The County owns two parcels of land along the Catawba River that it would ideally like to convert into parks for the community. To assess the practicality of this goal, Mecklenburg County hired McGill to complete feasibility studies on these parcels. As part of the studies, we were tasked with evaluating the existing conditions, analyzing any pros and cons of the sites and the surrounding areas, looking at parcel acquisition possibilities to expand the County’s assets, and generating base-level planning opportunities for what could happen with these parcels to preserve and improve recreational opportunities.
Parcel 1: West Cove Park
The first parcel is a smaller piece of property, at four acres, which we will call the proposed West Cove Park. The County would like to give residents and visitors quick access to the Catawba River for kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, and other activities. The McGill team saw the potential for a canoe / kayak launch, trails, and a parking area. The West Cove Park parcel is unique in that there is a larger nature preserve across the street; the County is looking at connections to the preserve, but it would involve coordination with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) because NCDOT is currently working on major road improvements on that four-lane highway between the West Cove Park parcel and the nature preserve.
Parcel 2: Riverside Drive Park
The second parcel – the proposed Riverside Drive Park – is much larger, at 143 acres. Some of this land is directly adjacent to the water, some is open pasture (16 contiguous parcels); and other parts have a neighborhood located between parcels. With the size of the land, there is more variety in the typography than the West Cove Park parcel. The County is considering water access, walking trails, playgrounds, shelters, open space, disc golf, and day-use activities for Riverside Drive Park. Mecklenburg County acquired some of the land through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) via its buyout program (purchased due to flooding). The County has placed an emphasis on environmental stewardship and preserving open space through this land.
Current and Future Utilization
Although nothing is programmed (no gates, fences, or signage), the Riverside Drive Park parcel is still public land, and people in the community are using it. Our team anticipates that whenever Riverside Drive Park comes to fruition, it will be a popular spot since it is beautiful and offers a variety of ecosystems and settings – the river, a pond, open pasture, and wooded land. The fact that the West Cove Park parcel also has water access and will potentially connect to the nearby nature preserve will be appealing as well. Residents and visitors are already using both sites informally, but a planned space would further enhance the community.
Water Frontage Benefits
The Catawba River is a big draw in the area, and having access to the water is unique. Being in nature and specifically around bodies of water has also been shown to have a multitude of positive health benefits; so, it is not surprising that people want to be around water. Mecklenburg County could take advantage of these natural assets to create something that would benefit – on many levels – those living in and visiting the County.
Project Takeaways
Aside from the specific proposed uses for these parcels of land listed above, these studies will provide the County with the information needed to pursue support and funding options to aid in the implementation of these projects. These studies provide the County with information that it can use to plan for these parks to become a reality five to ten years out (after funding is secured).
Working with Mecklenburg County
This was the first time McGill’s land planning and recreation team has worked with Mecklenburg County. We were on schedule, and the County was pleased with our findings and excited about the possibilities of these parks becoming reality down the road. Our team enjoyed figuring out opportunities that could potentially be offered at these parcels and seeing the impact that they may have in the future. With water access and the location of these parcels being in western Mecklenburg County, it is a great opportunity all around.
Kurtis Durrant, PLA, a McGill planner who worked on this project, shared: “The forethought that the County had (particularly with the Riverside Drive Park property) to continue to build the land up for recreation, environmental stewardship, and land preservation – rather than selling it off to a contractor to develop – is admirable.” We enjoyed working with the County on this endeavor and are excited to see what happens with these potential park properties in the future.
How We Can Help
Learn more about the land planning and recreation services we offer here. If you would like to work with our land planning and recreation team, reach out to Mike Norris, PLA, Land Planning and Recreation Practice Area Leader, at mike.norris@mcgillassociates.com.
