admin posted on January 07, 2011 09:46
Renovations to Squirrel Lake Park have begun. The park facelift includes the addition of a restroom facility, new playground equipment and swing structures for children aged 2-12, improvements and additional spaces to the parking lot. Also included in the project is an asphalt connector trail that will run from Pleasant Plains Road through the park to Four Mile Creek Greenway, a handicap accessible fishing pier, a new shelter near the pond and improvements to existing trails in the park.
The project will cost approximately $784,180 and the Town received a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) grant which will pay for one half of the costs. The PARTF grant is funded through the state of North Carolina and its collection of real estate deed transfer taxes. This is the first PARTF grant the Town has received. PARTF grants were established to specifically assist state parks, local municipalities and beach accesses.
The work at the park is expected to be finished by July 2011. The park will be closed during this project except for the disc golf course which will remain open. However, there will be times during the renovation project when the entire park including the disc golf course will be closed to the public.
“Our Parks and Recreation Master Plan identified Squirrel Lake Park as an area that needed to be enhanced because of its popularity. We have worked with the public to design a park that will meet the needs of our citizens while protecting the beauty and natural setting of the park,” said Lee Tillery, Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources for the Town of Matthews. “We are fortunate to have received funding for this project and look forward to its completion in July.”
Map