The town of Spencer and The Land Trust for Central North Carolina are co-hosting a community forum for the Spencer Woods property on Thursday, Nov. 10, from 7-9 p.m. at the Spencer Town Hall at 600 S. Salisbury Ave. in Spencer. The event is free and open to all members of the public. The event will be a facilitated forum with attendees asked to provide their ideas and visions for a passive recreation park at the property.
The 42-acre property was acquired by The LandTrust earlier this year. The organization is working with the town of Spencer to make the property open and accessible to the public. In September, Spencer received a $200,000 grant from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to facilitate the acquisition of this land.
Comments and ideas from the public will be instrumental in crafting a plan for the park, says Spencer Mayor Jody Everhart. ěWe want to make sure all residents have an opportunity to provide feedback about their vision for the property,î he said. ěWe want to try to make the process as inclusive as possible.î
LandTrust Executive Director Jason Walser notes that the North Carolina chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (NCASLA) has agreed to conduct a free design charrette, scheduled for January. ěThe feedback collected at the forum on Nov. 10 will be used by the NCASLA design team to develop a preliminary plan for a future park,î says Walser. Walser thanked LandTrust Board Member Lynn Raker, an NCASLA member, for organizing the charrette. ěThe community support for this project has been overwhelming, but we are particularly grateful to NCASLA. The service they will provide for free is invaluable. Itís just another sign of the grassroots community support that is making this project a reality.î
RSVPs for the November 10th event will be accepted but are not required. To RSVP, or for more information, contact the LandTrust at 704-647-0302 or via e-mail at landtrust@landtrustcnc.org.