Winter weather pushes park’s completion to June

John David Parsons / Online Editor

An 18-hole disc golf course, natural-surface running trail and playground are planned for the Town of Elon’s $700,000 park to be completed this June.

Located on Cook Road, the 25-acre park will also include a garden pond, picnic areas with grills and a community building with restrooms.

“Ultimately, what the community wanted was a passive park,” which means no recreational fields, said Town Clerk Sabrina Oliver. She explained that the park was not big enough for recreational fields, and the parking, lighting and noise associated with the fields was inappropriate for its residential location.

“[The location] was attractive to the town because it was near downtown and within walking distance of several hundred homes,” Oliver said. After the park’s completion, a bike path from Haggard Avenue to the interstate will intersect the park. Parking will hold about 50 cars, said Mike Dula, town manager.

The Town of Elon owns 76 acres near Western Alamance High School to be used for recreational fields, but no immediate plans for development have been made.

The North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Committee provided a $250,000 grant for the park. The Town of Elon matched that grant with money set aside in its budget. Twin Lakes Center, a retirement community, donated $150,000, while Elon University and Glen Raven Inc. each donated $25,000.

The park’s projected completion date in April was pushed back to June due to the icy weather of the past month, said Dula.

One interesting feature of the park is its fenced “bark park” for bigger dogs and a “pup park” for smaller dogs, Oliver said.

Another feature of the park is its $220,000 playground. The playground committee, comprised of Elon citizens with children, raised additional money to make the playground universally accessible. For example, the playground includes swings designed for children with disabilities.

The park includes porch swings separate from the playground, one feature which caters to grandparents who take their grandchildren to the park.

Restrooms and walkways will also have ramps,” Folger said.

“We really wanted this playground to be unique as compared to anything else in the area.”

Folger said the committee is assessing the bids that have come in from playground vendors.

“Since we are just citizens, all we can do is go to the Board of Aldermen and make a recommendation, but the town has been very open to all our suggestions,” said Folger who indicated the playground’s contracting decision will be made next month