GRANITE QUARRY — Granite Quarry is the next in line in a partnership between Healthy Rowan and local municipalities to provide or mark safe walking spaces for citizens that also highlight the culture of the municipalities.

Courtney Meece, executive director of Healthy Rowan, gave a presentation and answered questions at the town’s most recent board of aldermen meeting. Meece said that the health department receives grant funding annually and one of the projects that is resulting from that funding is finding safe spaces in the county for residents to be physically active.

“We wanted to work with our townships in the county and for them to tell us where the great places for people to be active are and really highlight the flavor of the town,” Meece said.

Meece pointed out the municipalities that have already worked or were currently working to create their maps, which included Cleveland, Salisbury, Spencer and China Grove. Cleveland marked out the Barn Quilt Trail in town, Salisbury wanted to highlight two different areas with both a historic Salisbury trail and a trail through the West End community and Spencer’s trail includes the Stanback Forest as well as historic landmarks.

Acting Town Manager Jason Hord, who also serves as the public works director, worked with Meece to identify areas of the town that would work for the trail. That brainstorming process landed on the Granite Lake Park, which has multiple trails throughout the park.

Alderman John Linker asked whether the signs could be updated after the sidewalk connector project, which would connect Granite Lake Park with Granite Civic Park. Meece said that the funding comes every year, so the town could come back and ask for new signage if the town completes that project and feels as if the park could be included as safe walking spaces. 

Mayor Brittany Barnhardt noted that the town may also want two signs in the future, as the park features two starting points for the walking trails.

“For right now it’s just one sign and we can see how it goes. If we get good feedback from it or we can also with our physical activity tracker, people can track where they’re walking with a map called Strava. If we see that a lot of people are using this location and tracking it on Strava we can definitely create a second sign,” said Meece.

Meece also took the time to speak about the growing emphasis on green space and outdoor activity areas that is being seen in the county and many of the municipalities. Granite Quarry has plans to connect the Granite Lake Park trails with greenway paths that pass through downtown, including the F&M Bank property, Barnhardt said.

“We are seeing a lot of municipalities in the area creating a lot more green space and more access to walkability, making their communities more walkable. So that’s really wonderful and as a resident of this town, I’m excited to hear that as well,” said Meece.

Hord and Meece took the opportunity on Monday to announce another project that the two organizations have collaborated on. Granite Quarry will be partnering with Rowan County Public Health to promote the 988 crisis line, which is aimed at helping people suffering mental health crises, on police and fire vehicles. Meece said that promotion should be coming to Rowan County emergency vehicles in the near future as well.