By Josh Bergeron 

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Starting Thursday, Rowan County will hold a series of public meetings to gather input for an ongoing parks master plan.

County officials last year hired Charlotte-based firm McAdams to develop a parks master plan. The public hearings are part of the process. Rowan Parks and Facilities Director Don Bringle said the county is looking for suggestions about expansions or updates to the county’s parks, including new facilities. The public input will then be incorporated into the plan, he said.

Thursday’s public meetings will be 11:30 a.m. at the Rowan Public Library’s East Branch in Rockwell and 4:30 p.m. at the Rowan Public Library Headquarters in Salisbury. The Rockwell public meeting is scheduled to run until 1:30 p.m. The public meeting in Salisbury is scheduled to run until 6:30 p.m.

Public meetings are also scheduled on April 28 in China Grove and Cleveland. The China Grove meeting will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Rowan Public Library South Branch. In Cleveland, the public meeting will be at town hall from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Bringle said McAdams is also scheduled to gather public comments through a community input survey that will be distributed later in 2016.

Rowan County’s last master plan expired in 2010. It showed basketball, football and youth ballfields were areas where facilities exceeded the study’s recommendations. Camping sites and public pools were areas where Rowan fell short of the recommended number. The next master plan will make similar recommendations about facilities needed in Rowan’s future.

County officials have also hired a firm to conduct a sports complex study, which is separate from the parks master plan.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.