By Elisabeth Strillacci

KANNAPOLIS — The city may have just celebrated its 40th birthday, but it has long been ahead of the curve with its outdoor and recreational plans, revisiting the issue every 10 years.

In March of 2024, the city council approved the 2024-2034 Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Master Plan. Parks and Recreation Director Gary Mills said the current master plan has been “under construction” since late 2022. As always, the city relied heavily on input from residents in determining the role parks and recreation facilities and events would be used, letting their feedback help the city select an ongoing theme.

“Our brand is ‘Discover a Healthy Life’,” said Mills. “When we receive input from residents, their top priorities are consistent with having healthy spaces and activities. Everything from greenways to parks to sidewalks for people to have access to public spaces.”

In the work to update the new 10-year plan, the city turned to the consulting firm Benesch, which aided the city in conducting surveys, focus group and community input meetings. Residents provided details such as what parks they visit most often, what aspects of parks and recreation are most important to them, and where they would prioritize funding. After collecting all the pertinent information, Benesch staff listed out the plan’s main recommendations for facilities and programming.

The city has five greenways: Bakers Creek, 8th Street, Rocky River, Safrit and Irish Buffalo Creek. One result of the studies for the new plan was the fact that people want the city to continue with the greenways, both in maintenance and in development.

Among other recommendations, residents hoped for the construction of Eastside and Westside parks.

“We do not have a park on this side of the city,” said Mills, “and input from the public indicated that this was an area where they would like the city to provide parks and recreation opportunities for our residents.”

But this did not happen overnight. The park has been many years in the making. In 2017, Kannapolis bought 33 acres off of Midlake  Avenue as the site for the park. the parcel begins just beyond Pond Ridge Road, and runs behind Forest Pond Road.

Once the decision was made to move forward with the location of this next park, the information gathered was used to determine what amenities would be offered. The Eastside Park master plan was approved in 2019 with plans for picnic shelters, lakefront walking trails and access to area lakes including Fisher Lake in Concord, a playground, a dog park, a splash pad, paddle boats and open space. Plans show one entrance and exit, and the dog parks, for small and large dogs, will be at the front of the park. Much of the property will remain green space for walking/biking trails, with a back portion cleared parking and the amenities. There are also plans for a possible pollinator garden and an osprey platform, nods to existing nature on the site.

Access to the park, trails, playground and dog park will be free, but Mills said there may be a nominal fee for things like the paddle boats.

Because the park abuts Fisher Lake, it was important that Kannapolis and Concord have a good working relationship, which Mills says is in place.

“We have a strong, healthy relationship with Concord that spans decades. We work positively with them on a number of initiatives,” he said.

The total cost of the park, $5.2 million, includes a $500,000 NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) grant. Construction is expected to begin this fall and be completed in 2026.

The city has a population close to 54,000 residents, with continued growth each year. In addition to the parks and amenities, the city supports its healthy lifestyle brand with events and activities, such as Loop the Loop. There are designated walking loops downtown and at the city schools, though participants aren’t required to use the loops. Participation involves logging distances of walks, runs or bike rides, and participants can even register their dogs. The goal is to complete 150 miles by the end of the year. At the end of each quarter, participants are eligible to earn prizes, including ones for canines.

When the city gathers input from residents, Mills said it is always interesting to see suggestions that show up for activities that are currently in vogue. Throughout the years, there have been suggestions for cricket, for a skate park, and most recently, splash pads have been popping up at nearly every public park.

The parks and recreation department has also expanded its horizons, with a Cultural Arts/Historic Preservation program that has been funded in the department. Which means in addition to outdoor activities, this additional program plans and promotes cultural events and historic preservation activities. The program also includes the Kannapolis African-American Museum and Cultural Center. 

Overall, however, open spaces and outdoor activities and amenities have been priorities desired by residents and recognized by city leadership for decades.

“Our residents have given us input that their health is a priority,” said Mills. “It is our brand, and residents contributed to the research and design of that brand. They continue to let us know that parks and recreation is a priority. Our parks and greenways are always busy with people who are running, walking, cycling or playing games with their children and dogs. Tennis courts, ballfields and pickleball courts are full. Every summer the splash pads are crowded. Our outdoor spaces are fully utilized and we love that people are using them.”