Cary, NC —  The future community park at 9725 Penny Road now has an official name – Jack Smith Park – thanks to a unanimous vote by the Cary Town Council at their regular meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2014.

The Town Council’s action marks their colleague’s 25th year of service to the Cary community, a term that makes him the longest serving Council member on record as well as having been in office longer than any mayor in Cary’s history (even though Smith has never served as Mayor).

Other Cary elected officials with parks named for them include Fred G. Bond, Marla Dorrel, Robert V. Godbold, Harold D Ritter, and Thomas E. Brooks

Amenities in the Park

Located in southern Cary, the 50-acre Jack Smith Park was once home to the Bartley family farm. The new park will include the Town’s first spray ground, a major children’s play area, the Town’s second dog park, a climbing rock, picnic shelters, paved and unpaved trails, and an open lawn area. Upon completion, public art pieces by North Carolina artists will be installed near the play area, and will include whirligigs by folk artist Vollis Simpson and a grouping of sheep sculptures by William Moore.  Funding for this project was approved by Cary voters in 2012 as part of the Community Investment Bonds referendum.

Groundbreaking

The community is invited to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Jack Smith Park on Saturday, September 27 at 2 p.m. Guests are asked to park at Oak Grove Elementary at 10401 Penny Road and take the complimentary C-Tran shuttles to and from the park site.

The Town of Cary currently has 30 parks, with several areas “landbanked” for future use including an area off Roberts Road in Western Cary and adjacent to the Cameron Pond neighborhood West of NC 55.

Link to view Park Site Plan.