The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is hosting January public meetings to solicit input from area residents about the future Joyner Park Community Center.
The second meeting is Thursday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. It will also take place in town hall’s ground floor meeting room. This room is most easily accessed by the Taylor Street entrance.
Representatives from Clark Nexsen, the facility designer, and the PRCR Department will be on hand at each session to answer questions and gather public input. The interactive meetings will include a brief presentation, followed by an open forum discussion where attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share suggestions.
Discussions will focus on potential programming at the center and how to best achieve the appropriate balance between maintaining E. Carroll Joyner Park’s natural charm while adding needed amenities. Information gathered during the sessions will help identify, develop, and evaluate the design of the community center.
Town officials are urging area residents to attend one of the public meetings and offer their input. “Joyner Park is the crown jewel of our parks system,” said PRCR Director Ruben Wall, “so we want our residents to have a strong voice concerning the park’s future. That’s the purpose of these public meetings. We want everyone who cares about Joyner Park to come out and share their thoughts and opinions.”
Situated one mile east of Capital Boulevard at 701 Harris Road, E. Carroll Joyner Park is Wake Forest’s largest park. Offering an abundance of gorgeous scenery, including picturesque rolling hills, a majestic pecan grove, and a 2,000-linear-foot stone ribbon wall, the park consists of 117 acres, 84 of which are currently being used.
Preliminary plans call for the new community center to be constructed on a portion of the park’s 33 remaining acres. Town officials insist the facility will be constructed in a manner consistent with the park’s natural beauty and rustic feel.
In November 2014 town voters approved $25.1 million in general obligation bonds to finance unmet capital needs in the areas of parks and recreation facilities, streets and sidewalks, and greenways. The Joyner Park Community Center will account for just over $11 million of the $14.2 million worth of parks and recreation facility projects. The remainder will go towards a new senior center.
For more information, contact Ruben Wall at 919-435-9561 or rwall@wakeforestnc.gov.
