10 replies to this topic

[orulz]

Saw this on the City Council agenda for last week. A private parcel on the mountainside behind Memorial Stadium and McCormick Field is up for sale. The owner gave TPL (and by extension, the city) the option to buy the property for its appraised value before it goes on the market. That option expires on March 31st.

The Trust for Public Land, or TPL, has proposed that the city, the county, the TPL, and private donors pitch in $575,000, while the state of NC pitches in $500,000 towards the $2.6million purchase price.

The idea to preserve this land apparently dates back to the city's first official plan, from 1920. The park would be the city's largest, and would be near to some other city-owned property (McCormick Field, Memorial Stadium, the reservoir, etc.). The final park would include a sizeable chunk of the Beaucatcher Mountain ridgetop overlooking downtown.




This is extremely important for the city. I don't think there's much question that it will go through, but I still hope nothing unexpected comes up.

There's still more undeveloped or lightly developed ridgetop property up there, including the property with Helen's Bridge on it. I hope all of that eventually becomes a park. That, I think, would be a reasonable goal to strive for.

Now if only TPL would help the city buy out the damn 1980s condos and other development up there to make a park out of the entire ridgeline between Kenilworth and the I-240 cut. That land ain't cheap. This would cost tens of millions. There would be a great deal of finger-prying. I'm not holding my breath

[zen]

Yes, i'd love to see this become a park, and i'm with you - all the way to Helen's Bridge would be excellent!

[Lootles]

orulz, on Mar 19 2007, 07:47 PM, said:

Now if only TPL would help the city buy out the damn 1980s condos and other development up there to make a park out of the entire ridgeline between Kenilworth and the I-240 cut. That land ain't cheap. This would cost tens of millions. There would be a great deal of finger-prying. I'm not holding my breath

This is a great idea.  The McCormick Heights property that the city will be buying soon is just below this parcel between it and Memorial Stadium.

[hauntedheadnc]

According to the news today, the city and county are going to pony up most of the cost of land acquisition for this park.   Even Mumsprawler was in favor it, acknowledging the good deal the city was getting.

[archiham04]

Is this the first time that Papa Carl has voted with the majority?

[zen]

Here's a shot of the view from the circular area of the map inside the park (above the hospital, where the radio towers are)

[zen]

Here's another shot of the view from the park that gives a rare view up the Biltmore Avenue stretch and North Asheville in the background.

[orulz]

Awesome pictures - thanks zen!!

I love the way that lots of zoom changes perspective - it makes Reynolds Mountain, which is actually about 5 miles away, look more like it's about a quick half mile stroll past Downtown.

[zen]

any word on how/where this park is going??

[archiham04]

I found this WILD rendering today of the Beaucatcher Cut.  It turned up in a random google image search. Ridgeline Reclaimation is the associated website.  It was posted March 2009 on an architect's website, so it may be old news to some, but I don't remember seeing or hearing anything about it.  "The Cut" is probably a half mile or so north of Beaucatcher Park, but I didn't feel like making a new thread for this one.

[Alias]

Wow. this must be built.