In January, the county purchased 2.3 acres along Gay Road with the intent of building a park there, a response to requests they’d heard from community members to have some kind of public, outdoor space available in the area. The land cost $37,000, and since then the county has completed a conceptual plan to envision how it might be developed. 

The preliminary plan calls for a short nature trail, a playground, swings, a picnic shelter, restrooms, a walking loop and access points to Savannah Creek, which flows along the property’s edge. Developing the park is expected to cost somewhere between $50,000 and $75,000.

“The Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department is committed to improving the quality of life for the residents of Jackson County,” said Rusty Ellis, director of Jackson County Parks and Recreation. 

County commissioners have repeatedly stated a goal of providing recreational amenities at all of Jackson County’s communities. After the Savannah property was purchased, commissioners began discussing the possibility of a similar project in the Qualla area, though no concrete plans are currently being considered. 

Ellis can be reached at 828.293.3053.

— Holly Kays, staff writer