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Stokes County manager authorized to start weekend closures at Moortog Park ahead of bridge demolition
Summary
After commissioners discussed safety, alcohol incidents and parking congestion at Moortog Park during an ongoing bridge project, the county manager was authorized to impose weekend and holiday closures starting June 13 and to implement a full closure when demolition of the old bridge begins; deputies and message boards will be used for notification and enforcement.
Stokes County commissioners directed county staff to prepare a plan to close Moortog Park on weekends and holidays starting June 13 and to implement a full closure when demolition of the old bridge begins, citing safety concerns tied to construction, parking congestion and alcohol-related incidents.
The county manager described the proposed approach and recommended authorizing staff to post notice and deploy message boards and periodic law-enforcement patrols to reduce risks. “I’d suggest is you authorize me to implement park closure on weekends and holidays starting June 13th until such time that demolition begins, work begins on the old bridge, and at that time, implement a full time closure of the park,” the manager said.
Commissioners discussed limiting closures to weekends and holidays to preserve weekday recreational use by local residents, ensuring shelters already booked for summer events could be managed case by case, and coordinating with the sheriff’s office on periodic enforcement. Board members asked staff to get a clearer demolition schedule and to return with an actionable plan; a motion to authorize the manager to proceed was made and seconded in the meeting transcript, though the transcript does not show a roll-call tally.
The action was recorded on the agenda and moved to the action portion of the meeting. The transcript shows consensus to proceed with weekend closures and prepare for full closure once demolition begins; the specific enforcement details and any ordinance changes (e.g., trespass procedures under state statute) were left to staff and legal review.
