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Council reviews Meadowbrook Park interim‑use concept: disc golf, trails and low‑impact activation proposed
Summary
Staff proposed a low‑impact interim plan for the Meadowbrook Country Club site (a National Register property)—including a championship‑capable 18‑hole disc golf course, 5–7 miles of trails, preserved driving range and a Hebron Church Road access—and estimated an $800,000–$1.2M near‑term cost for infrastructure and activation.
Town staff presented a preliminary, low‑impact interim use concept for the Meadowbrook Country Club property during the July 29 work session and sought council input before refining costs, permitting and outreach.
Town Manager Miller said staff is exploring interim uses while completing remediation at the adjacent Ashland site and planning a long‑term master plan funded through a voter‑approved parks bond. Parks & Greenways Planning Manager Matt Beard said the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and that any improvements must be coordinated with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
Beard outlined the site constraints and near‑term opportunities: consultants previously identified structural deficiencies in the dam and the pond is still drying; staff hopes the site will be dry enough to enable work in September. He reiterated the 2021 master plan cost estimate of roughly $20 million and said inflation likely pushes a full buildout to $23–25 million; a previously scoped phase‑1 (2022) was estimated at about $7 million and is now likely $8–9 million.
For interim activation, staff recommended low‑cost, high‑return elements to get the public onto the property without precluding future buildout. The concept included an 18‑hole disc golf course meant to be both championship capable and beginner‑friendly, 5–7 miles of peripheral hike/bike trails with progressive mountain‑bike features, and preservation of the driving‑range area and clubhouse for future restoration. Beard showed a schematic Hebron Church Road driveway and a small parking area of roughly 25 spaces with additional temporary event parking on open lawn.
Beard identified potential partners—Capital Area Disc League (PDGA), the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association (SORBA/Torque) and the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA)—and said those groups could help design, build and activate features and potentially bring regional events. A back‑of‑napkin estimate to deliver the interim package (driveway, parking, disc golf and trails to regional quality) ranged roughly $800,000–$1.2 million, Beard said.
Council members broadly supported moving forward with more detailed cost estimates, community engagement with neighbors and Friends of Meadowbrook, coordination with NCDOT on driveway permitting and with SHPO on historic‑preservation mitigations. Council also asked staff to consider accessible walking loops for families, shelter needs, and early funding options, including ARPA dollars that staff said now have flexible timing.
Beard and staff said next steps are to refine costs, complete permitting conversations with DOT, perform public engagement with surrounding neighborhoods, and return to council with a more detailed timeline and budget for potential near‑term construction contracts.
