Community Vision Becomes Reality As Johnston County Begins Park Construction
SMITHFIELD – Johnston County will break ground on its first park on Friday, Dec. 5. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at 444 Matthews Road, Clayton, in the Cleveland community. The event is free and open to the public.
The groundbreaking launches the construction of Johnston Regional Park, an 82-acre, amenity-filled recreation complex and the first park that Johnston County will own and operate.
“With this groundbreaking, we celebrate not only the start of Johnston Regional Park construction, but also the passion of the Cleveland community and the responsiveness and vision of its leaders and County Commissioners,” said R.S. “Butch” Lawter Jr., chairman of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners.
Construction of Johnston Regional Park will be in phases, with four pickleball courts, two basketball courts, a fishing pond and parking up first. Later phases will bring multi-use fields, walking trails, a playground, dog park, disc golf course, skate park and amphitheater.
“This park is a promise that when community and leadership work hand in hand, we create spaces for recreation, wellness, and gathering that empower, unite, and inspire Johnston County and the entire region for generations,” Lawter said.
The County bought the land in 2020 from a group of Cleveland residents who wanted to ensure that their fast-growing community would have parkland for its residents. Denton Lee was among the five residents who bought the land initially.
“The first phase of the park will help address the need for open space, recreational space, and off-road walking trails for the more than 45,000 citizens who live within 5 miles of the park,” he said. “We will have a park where children and adults can safely be outdoors and enjoy recreational opportunities on public land.”
“For me personally, the ground-breaking is a satisfying benchmark in a long effort to see this beautiful 82-acre property become a park,” Lee added.
A mix of grant and county dollars will fund the $4 million cost of phase one construction, said Adrian O’Neal, head of the County’s Parks and Open Space Department.
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I’m so glad that it’s starting. Why not have a Cat Area along with the Dog Area?
Just let the cats run in the dog park! I’m sure they will be fine. 🤦♂️.
What about my pet pig?let’s include everyone
Haha! I love this ☝🏼
How long before it’s overran with trouble makers?
So I wonder where the money for this is coming from. This and a ballpark in Johnston County? My Dad’s money from our inheritance was stolen from someone here in Johnston County we do believe and now parks are popping up all along Johnston County. Someone ran into some big money somewhere!?!?!?!?! Must be nice to steal and murder and not be caught before things get built. We are investigating this situation now, so we will all see very soon unless Johnston County gets me locked up first, but I will still be there to press charges accordingly. Go Johnston County!!!!
We are spending big in Johnston County now huh?
Multiple ponds & landscaping like Flowers would be beautiful!
How about tennis courts?
How many people will be displaced
Will police have a permanent presence at the park? We have a whole lot of rotten eggs around here in JoCo who would thoroughly enjoy causing mayhem and chaos at this park. I pray that everyone stays safe.
I’m pretty sure, none. It’s a vacant lot of feilds..
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this development. I sure hope there will be a space for people to ride their bikes or that walking trail will become a double duty path just like the roads and highways. A splash pad like they have in Clayton would have been nice too! Too much space going to pickleball in my opinion..
Agree with the pickleball comment.
They’re turning Johnston County into Wake County while inviting the outside upper class to push out poor and middle class families through inhumane taxation. Greed will destroy the world and while it does we will all be debt slaves while politicians continue to take more for greedy corporations and themselves.
I would love to see police have permanent presence at the park. All of this is great until you are a woman alone bike riding or walking. Clayton has police on ATVs monitor their bike trails.
Some of you folks live sad, fearful lives.
And want a big utopia built right inside of our growing dystopia that they ignore while living false realities.
No one needs this. The majority of sub-divisions have pools, walking tails, and tennis courts. After the first phase, they will not have the money so they will jack our taxes even more then the 100% increase they just did. If you wanted a park, you should have bought a house in the city.
Cleveland area has already gone so far down hill with speeding vehicles, trash all over the roads, crime, drugs everywhere, smaller stores being robbed, I’m sure the park will be a safe place to be though. Just remember to carry some type of self defense like mace etc, watch your surroundings at all times, stay in the sight of others, leave while the sun is still shining. Don’t be surprised if while returning to your vehicle you find your car sitting on blocks instead of tires.