News

PEP leery of park costs

Larry Rogers

By Miranda McFalls, Published: October 8, 2014

The overwhelming majority of residents who spoke about a possible state grant for Berkeley Mills Park favored investment in the park while business lobbyist Larry Rogers cautioned that the project could produce higher taxes.

The Hendersonville City Council last week hosted a public hearing on the city's grant application for park funding through the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. Local government bodies can apply for up to $500,000 but Hendersonville planners say they will likely shoot for about half that.
The PARTF grants require a local match, meaning that the city would have to appropriate $250,000 over three years to draw down the state money.
"When the business community first started seeing the advertisement a concern came up," Rogers, executive director of the pro-business Partnership for Economic Progress, told council members. "The referendum that the City put on the ballot about a year ago was for $6 million to build the park out and it was voted down... We're going through a 3-cent tax increase to pay off the debt service for Main Street and the new Fire Department and we're concerned about starting a park so soon after it was voted down."
After voters rejected the park bond issue 53.2 to 46.7 percent last November, council members said they wanted to move forward with park development in affordable phases.
Rogers warned that in addition to the capital expense, the city would be taking on yearly operating costs for maintenance and security.
Of about 20 people who spoke, though, most endorsed the park.
"We've talked a lot about costs – I for one, even if my taxes go up a few dollars a year, am happy to pay because I know that things like this park improve the quality of life for everybody in Hendersonville," said Suzanne Hale, a Hendersonville resident. "When you improve the quality of life it attracts new businesses, it improves property values, so I think there is a significant benefit."
City officials encouraged public comment for the park because part of the grant evaluation considers public support.
"I know we're speaking of phases but I think we should not forget what the larger meaning is to where we're going to go eventually," said Hendersonville resident Ken Fitch. "In the jargon and verbiage of civic inventory and responsibility, parks are often relegated to the position of obligatory budget items ... but the city commitment here is substantial."
Many members of the public, including a pediatrician and grandparents, spoke to the benefits of a destination playground for children, especially if the playground is also geared for older children.
"The importance of exercise, getting outdoors, particularity one of the issues is vitamin D because you don't get enough sunlight because you go to school all day and aren't getting out in the sun has health consequences," said Dr. Jim Volk, a pediatrician and the husband of Mayor Barbara Volk. "I would hope that in designing and considering what a destination playground is that you look at the underage groups and consider something out of the box rather than these cookie cutter things that we have scattered out throughout the county."

Economic benefits will also come from the park update according to citizens. Henderson County has a lack of bike paths and walking paths leading residents to turn to other counties and states for recreation, speakers said. Offering more of those amenities could keep people here, they added, and bring more visitors.
If it receives the PARTF grant, the city plans to move ahead on the first phase of development. According to the master plan, the park would eventually feature a destination playground, soccer field, walking trail, dog park, mountain bike course and an extension of the Oklawaha Greenway Trail into the park. The city's match would go toward parking, restrooms and realigning the roadway, Planning Director Sue Anderson said.
Staff will continue to work on the grant, which must be submitted by the end of January 2015, and should have news as to how much the grant is for by summer 2015. The grants are competitive, and Hendersonville has rivals for the pot of money within a few miles of City Hall. The Village of Flat Rock and the Town of Mills River are also applying for PARTF grants in the 2015 cycle.
Henderson County and its towns have had a successful record winning PARTF grants in recent years until a shutout last year.
In 2013 Henderson County received a $500,000 grant for the new Athletics and Activity Center. The Village of Flat Rock received a $475,000 grant in September 2013 for its new park, and Mills River received a $499,323 PARTF grant in 2010 for the first phase of the Town Park. The applicants struck out last year, when Henderson County failed to receive money for Tuxedo Community Park and Mills River missed a grant for park improvements.