Official wonders if parents will pay for Pender parks

David Williams has a vision of a more family-friendly Pender County.

The county commissioner said he can imagine a place where the sounds of children hitting baseballs can be heard throughout the county, couples can be seen jogging through nature trails and friends can gather for cookouts at local parks.

Williams said he will need the support of his fellow commissioners to make his dream a reality because a parks and recreation bond referendum might be needed in the future to help raise funds for the county Parks and Recreation Department's services.

"We really need to entertain the thought because recreation is definitely an area we're lacking in," Williams said. "Recreation is something industries and families look at when deciding to relocate to an area because it determines an area's quality of life."

Currie resident Jenni Alridge often travels about 25 miles to Wilmington with her 6-year-old daughter to visit some of the city's parks. She would like to see the county build larger parks and upgrade some of its current facilities.

Two outdoor facilities in Pender County are funded by the Parks and Recreation Department: Hampstead Kiwanis Park and Pender Memorial Park in Burgaw. Elsewhere in the county, municipalities such as Burgaw, Topsail Beach and Surf City, have built and operate additional community parks and playgrounds for residents, and in April 2006 Surf City opened its community center.

Surf City's 17,000-square-foot facility has six classrooms, a gym, exercise room, game room, tennis court, playground and walking trail. The center cost about $2 million to build.

"Surf City has made a wise investment in recreation, and the rest of the county needs to follow suit," Williams said.

If passed, the bond money could not only be used to bring more parks, playgrounds and community centers into the county, but it also could be used to build more public boat ramps, Williams said.

Although the region is blessed with bodies of water, public access has dwindled as marinas have gone private, sometimes accompanied by pricey housing.

"It's getting more challenging month by month for the common man to put his boat in the water," Williams said. "We have one saltwater access and a handful of freshwater accesses. We really need to change this by providing residents with more ramps."

Parks and recreation Director Dee Turner agrees that more athletic and outdoor facilities are needed. She said tourism and recreation are at the heart of Pender County's economy.

"I get calls all the time from people who move from larger cities to Pender, who want to know where the parks are," Turner said. "The need will only get greater as the county's population grows larger."

According to the U.S. Census, by 2015 it is estimated that Pender County, which has a population of 48,000 people, will grow by at least 16.7 percent to more than 56,000 residents.

While many companies look into an area's quality of life when deciding whether to start up or relocate, Allan Libby, president of the Greater Hampstead Chamber of Commerce said he's not sure if more parks will attract more businesses to Pender.

"Companies tend to look at schools first when coming to an area, and everything else like transportation, parks and air pollution are secondary," Libby said.

The Wilmington Family YMCA is looking to set up shop in Pender County to cash in on the need for more local recreation facilities.

Representatives from the organization will be meeting with Hampstead residents Tuesday to see about offering certain programs in the community.

"We have a number of members and program participants in the area," said Dick Jones, CEO of Wilmington Family YMCA. "With the growth and development going on in Hampstead and Wilmington, it's getting harder for people to get here so we decided to see about bringing our services to them."

To date, discussions on having a bond referendum have been minimal. Williams brought up the subject during the comment portion of the commissioners' meetings in the last few months, but no action has been taken. The possible amount of the bond has also not been determined.

Commissioners' Chairman F.D. Rivenbark said he recognizes the need and would be willing to listen to any plans the commissioners have to increase the county's recreation facilities.

Williams said he plans to push the issue more in coming months because he would like have the bond on the ballot by the November 2008 election.

He said Pender County is no longer as appealing to retirees. According to the U.S. Census, in 2005 10,229 residents under the age of 18 made up 22 percent of the county's population, while 6,678 residents age 65 and older represent only 14 percent.

"The pendulum has swung and the growth trend in the county is families and kids," Williams said. "Families want parks and playgrounds so we can't put this off and say we'll do it two years from now."

Tyra M. Vaughn: 343-2070

tyra.vaughn@starnewsonline.com