Haw Creek to self-fund park improvements

Press release from the Haw Creek Community Association:

A new parking lot and kiosk are planned for the proceeds of a $25,000 community funding campaign begun today by the Haw Creek Community Association (HCCA). Recognizing Parks and Recreation Dept. capital funding demands face a wait time exceeding four years, Haw Creek residents have elected to self-fund improvements needed at Masters Park off Maple Drive.
At present, the only parking for the park is alongside narrow Maple Drive, resulting in muddy rutting and occasionally blocked through traffic. With an estimated 15,000 visitors a year, this well-loved park, linking Haw Creek and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, will benefit from a parking lot enabled by this fundraising campaign. “Our board of directors believes that with roadside erosion worsening, the Haw Creek community will step up to support these needed improvements,” says HCCA board member Renate Rikkers. “And while we still need City support in many other ways, we’re confident we can meet this challenge.”
In addition to soliciting support from within the Haw Creek community, organizers also plan to seek grant funding. The plan is to meet the fundraising goal this spring, with park improvements completed by Thursday, Sept. 30. 
In 2009, the community association partnered with Buncombe County and the City of Asheville, with each providing a third of the $720,000 purchase price for the nine-acre site which became Masters Park. “We stepped up before, so we feel like we can again,” says neighbor and park supporter Bernie Arghiere. 
Founded in the 1980’s, the Haw Creek Community Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to affect positive change while welcoming all who choose to call Haw Creek home. www.ilovehawcreek.com
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