Yadkinville board selects Concept A for downtown park plans, asks legal review on replacing park custodian

The Yadkinville Board of Commissioners on Monday reviewed two design concepts for improvements to the Yadkinville Community Park and an adjacent parcel beside the Yadkin County Chamber of Commerce and selected Concept A as the draft plan.

Designers from Landworks Design Group, represented by Charles Gelsanliter and Katie Thayer, presented two options for the Tennessee Street park: Concept A preserves the current Farmers Market structure and adds a playground, spray ground, a pickleball court, a basketball court, a disc golf course and additional parking; Concept B proposed a dog park on the market site, a pump track and a skate park with a different parking configuration. The board decided to use Concept A as the draft outline and told Manager Mike Koser to relay desired changes to the designers and schedule a follow-up meeting.

Separately, the board discussed park maintenance staffing. Manager Koser said the town has a contract with Benny Hutchens to clean the park restrooms and empty trash seven days a week for $750 a month, but that concerns have arisen about his performance. Koser suggested replacing Hutchens with employee Tony Roten. Commissioners raised questions about whether an employee could also work as a contractor, insurance coverage, and the overtime that would be required; Public Works Director Jacob Swaim said the hours would likely require frequent overtime and noted employees might rotate through the tasks. The board directed Koser to meet with Town Attorney Ben Harding to clarify contract type and insurance implications and return with recommendations.

The meeting recessed at 12:43 p.m. and reconvened at 1:01 p.m. The park presentation and decisions were recorded after the break. No final construction contract or funding appropriation was approved at the meeting; designers noted elements of either concept can be phased based on budget and priorities.