Public Gets First Glimpse Of New Guilford Park Plan

A Guilford County Park will soon have a lot more for visitors to explore. The master plan for Bryan Park North was unveiled to the public for the first time Tuesday night.

Bryan Park North is located just above Lake Townsend in Guilford County. It's about 600 acres. Right now, the park has a few trails, a model airplane field, and lots of agriculture. Local farmers lease some of the land from the county to grow tobacco, soybeans and hay.

County officials are planning to add several new amenities throughout the park in the coming years. Thomas Marshburn, Park Division Director, says it will become a recreational hotspot.

“We are looking at adding five soccer fields, two lacrosse fields, camping spray grounds playgrounds, and picnic shelters,” says Marshburn.

More trails are also part of the project. County commissioners have budgeted $1.5 million for improvements, but it's expected to cost around $14 million to complete it. Marshburn says the county hopes to partner with the city to eventually create a trail system that goes all the way around Guilford County.

“The horse trails and back trails will connect to the watershed trails that go around Lake Townsend and Lake Brandt in Greensboro, which will connect to a larger trail network,” he says. “It will allow for 40 to 60 miles of biking or hiking.”

Marshburn says the county will use public input from Tuesday's meeting to create a second master plan and they will hold another meeting in next couple of months.

The Guilford County Board of Commissioners will have to approve the Bryan Park North master plan. Construction could begin next spring.

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