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Commissioners approve $850,000 additional funding for phase 1 of Johnston County Regional Park
Summary
The board approved an $850,000 county appropriation to complete phase 1 of the Johnston County Regional Park after staff said grant reimbursements and open‑space dollars left a funding gap; the county will seek reimbursement from fees‑in‑lieu over time.
County staff said phase 1 of the Johnston County Regional Park has a total cost estimate of $4,352,918 and that the county had assembled approximately $3,000,196 in grants, reimbursements and open‑space funding to date. Project leaders asked the board on Oct. 6 to approve an additional $850,000 so construction may proceed on pickleball courts, an outdoor basketball court, picnic shelter, a fishing pond, entry work and associated underground utilities.
Adrian O’Neil told the board the project must be completed by November of next year per grant timing and that the county would reimburse the general‑fund fronting from a developer fee‑in‑lieu (Cleveland open space fund) over several years; staff estimated a 5–6 year reimbursement period and commissioners discussed extending that to 10 years to preserve a cushion in the open‑space fund.
Commissioners noted the appropriation enables the county to secure roughly $1.5 million of external grant funding that would otherwise be lost if the project did not move forward. The motion — to provide the additional $850,000 and approve the capital project ordinance — passed by voice vote.
Provenance: Park phase‑1 presentation and funding request began at about 73:28, with the funding motion recorded near 77:38 in the transcript.
