Tag Archive for: #epsompark

The Local Skinny! Groundbreaking at Epsom Park

/by

Franklin County Parks and Recreation Director K.P. Kilpatrick has been in his role just since April of this year, but he’s already been able to check one big item off the to-do list: witness the groundbreaking of Epsom Park.

The park will be located on the site of the former Epsom School, and plans have been in place for a while – almost 20 years, in fact – to construct a park for residents to enjoy, whether they live in Franklin County or Vance County.

County officials and community leaders joined Kilpatrick at the recent groundbreaking  for Phase 1 of the project, which is scheduled to be completed in fall of 2025.

It includes a walking loop, sand volleyball court, playground, multipurpose field and a picnic shelter, as well as a spot for cornhole.

“We’re happy to get it started,” Kilpatrick told WIZS’s Scout Hughes on Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

The 7.62 acre property practically straddles the Franklin/Vance County line, and will be the fourth park that Franklin County is responsible for.

It’ll be a place where the community can come for recreation as well as athletic events and other organized programs, Kilpatrick said. There could be a movie night at the park, for example, volleyball and cornhole tournaments in addition to the more traditional types of sports played on the multipurpose field.

Kilpatrick envisions Epsom Park as a place for “great leisure opportunities” and a “great place to create memories.”

 

CLICK PLAY!

Officials Brave Chilly Temps For Epsom Park Groundbreaking Dec. 6

/by

The long-awaited Epsom Park is one step closer to completion following a recent ground-breaking ceremony to turn over those first shovels full of dirt on the property of the former Epsom School.

Franklin County purchased the 7.62 acres at the corner of Eaves Road and N.C. 39 way back in 2006. A sign marked the site as the “Future Home of Epsom Park” for years, and that dream is becoming a reality some 18 years later.

Thanks to a $434,625 grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Authority’s Trust Fund – which was matched by Franklin County – the park is embarking on Phase 1, which Franklin County Parks and Rec Director K.P. Kilpatrick said should be complete by fall 2025.

Phase 1 will feature paved walking loops, a multi-purpose field, sand volleyball, cornhole and playground, as well as a picnic shelter and restrooms.

Kilpatrick spoke to the group gathered at the groundbreaking ceremony that chilly, breezy Dec. 6 morning and said the park will stand as a symbol of what can be accomplished when people and entities work together.

“Creating a space for one another,” he said, “brings the promise for a brighter future.”

District 2 Commissioner Roxanne Bragg said the park has been a dream for the Epsom community for a long time, and she looks forward to having the community in her district be able to enjoy its amenities.

Visit https://www.franklincountync.gov/county_services/parks___recreation/index.php 

and click the Epsom Park link on the left side of the page to view site plans, maps and a video of the groundbreaking.

TownTalk: The Future Of Epsom Park Coming To Fruition

/by

It’s been a long time coming, but the sign announcing the “future home of Epsom Park” will soon be replaced – by Epsom Park.

Franklin County has received $434,625 in state grant funding to begin the process that ultimately will lead to Phase 1 completion of the park, located on Hwy. 39 at the Vance-Franklin county line.

Will Doerfer, Franklin County’s assistant manager, gave WIZS’s Bill Harris a little background on the process of finally getting matching grant funds from PARTF, the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.

“It has been a long time,” Doerfer said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. The old Epsom school was torn down back in the mid 2000’s and the sign planted, but after that, “for a variety of reasons, the park never developed.”

Now, with the grant funding, the park can move from planning and design to construction and installation. Phase 1 includes a multipurpose field, playground, volleyball court, paved walking trail, restrooms and picnic shelter. They have three years to use the money, but Doerfer said he hopes it won’t take that long to complete.

“The community is certainly excited about a park being developed,” he added. Given the location, residents from both counties will be able to enjoy the park’s amenities.

Franklin County’s grant is part of more than $17 million awarded to counties across the state in 2022 in the form of matching grants to local governments to attain their goals of increasing park and public access in their communities.

Doerfer said the county is planning a groundbreaking ceremony to officially kick off the construction of the park.

Get updates on progress at https://www.franklincountync.gov/

 

 

CLICK PLAY!