Buncombe County Parks & Recreation invites residents to share their vision for Charles D. Owen Park. This initial community meeting, co-sponsored by the Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, March 30, in the Owen Middle School gym.

Owen Park in Swannanoa was devastated by Tropical Storm Helene and has been closed since the storm due to damage – but that’s not the end of its story. Through conversations and hands-on activities with staff and project designers, this workshop will allow the community to share its history with the park, tell us its recreation needs in the present, and discuss opportunities for the next chapter.   

The evening will begin with a brief presentation by Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architecture, the design team for the project, but participants are welcome to drop in anytime from 6 to 8 p.m. Spanish-language interpretation will be available. 

Additional input opportunities for this stage of the project will be added to the project page. An online survey will also be shared for those who cannot attend in person. Be the first to know by subscribing for updates on the project page. 

Parks & Recreation will complete this large-scale project in two phases. Led by Hoerr Schaudt, the first phase has already begun, with land surveys and site inventories complete and plans for reengineering elements like stormwater management and riverbank restoration in development. This phase will also include multiple public input opportunities to help identify the community's vision for the park and its amenities.  

After these steps, we will share conceptual and schematic designs for Owen Park. Phase two will include production of detailed construction documents and plans, permits, a public bid process to select a contractor, and construction of a new Owen Park. 

Find out more and subscribe for updates here. 

Source: Buncombe County