CITIZENS INVITED TO HEAR WIDE-RANGING RECOMMENDATIONS

Charlotte, NC--Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department and its nationally-known consultant will present during the last week in February their recommended Master Plan for parks and recreation in Mecklenburg County. This Master Plan will cover the next ten years. 

If approved by Mecklenburg County Commissioners, the Master Plan will guide decision making on development, land acquisition and management of parks, greenways, recreation centers, nature preserves, and recreation programs in the County.  The prime consultant on this project is Leon Younger, president of PROS Consulting, LLC Team. Younger was a parks and recreation director in Indianapolis and other cities.  He and his team of experts have consulted on recreation plans all over America.

This Master Plan will be presented in public sessions Countywide:

• Feb. 25, 2pm: Senior Center on 2225 Tyvola Road (special presentation for seniors)
• Feb. 25, 6:30pm: Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Beatties Ford Road
• Feb. 26, 6:30pm:  Cornelius Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Avenue, Cornelius
• Feb. 27, 6:30pm: Matthews Town Hall, 232 Matthews Station Street., Matthews
• Feb. 28, 6:30pm: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, Rm 267, 600 East 4th Street

Interested citizens are invited to attend any of these presentations. The recommended Master Plan was developed after an intense assessment of Mecklenburg's recreation facilities. Citizen comments and opinions were sought in public workshops, focus groups, and through a countywide, random survey.

The Master Plan includes recommendations on many questions, such as:

• What new recreation facilities does the public want, and want to pay for?
• How much land acquisition is needed for future open space and recreation needs?
• How much should we spend for expansion of greenways?
• How important are nature preserves in Mecklenburg County?
• What additional recreation programs are recommended for the future?
• What programs and facilities are needed for the county's growing senior population?
• What are Charlotte-Mecklenburg's needs for "sports tourism?"
• How should these needs be paid for?