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White Lake reviews NC State CORE plan proposing looped multi-use path; ROW constraints and wetlands noted
Summary
Advisory board members reviewed an NC State CORE plan that proposes a looped multi-use path around White Lake, including typologies for boardwalks through wetlands and 10-foot paths where right-of-way allows; the town will explore grants to support next steps.
At its July 24 meeting, the White Lake Outdoor Recreation Advisory Board reviewed a planning package from North Carolina State University that proposes a multi-use path (MUP) encircling the town and several design typologies for constrained sections.
Commissioner Terri Hawley summarized the NC State 'White Lake — A Connected Community' CORE Plan, which includes precedent case studies, a site inventory, crash and safety mapping, and conceptual cross-sections for the proposed loop. The packet cites prior work by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, WithersRavenel and Wooten Civil Engineering noting existing sidewalks, existing MUP segments, and areas where pedestrian incidents are concentrated — particularly along White Lake Drive.
The CORE Plan materials presented in the packet propose a combination of 10-foot multi-use paths where right-of-way permits, widened sidewalks in constrained residential corridors, boardwalk sections through wetlands, planted buffers and bioswales to separate path users from the roadway, and interpretive signage. The document flags sections of NC-53 and other stretches where the right-of-way narrows (to roughly 26–30 feet in places), which would require constrained designs or property negotiations to achieve a continuous loop.
Commissioner Hawley and Committee members discussed programming priorities to accompany a MUP (events, lessons, rentals and recreation amenities) and possible partnerships with Bladen County Parks and Recreation and regional trail organizations named in the packet, including the East Coast Greenway Alliance and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Town Administrator Sean Martin said he will move forward with exploring potential state and federal grant opportunities to support the plan’s next phases. No formal project funding or construction approvals were taken at the meeting; board members agreed to circulate the CORE plan materials and refine priorities at future meetings.
The board’s next steps include staff-level grant identification and preparing materials for a delegation to the Bladen County Board of Commissioners to introduce the board and secure county support for further planning work.
