Aerial photo provided by the City of New Bern shows Martin Marietta Park in the foreground.

The City of New Bern will receive $475,000 to begin Phase I of Martin Marietta Park located on S. Glenburnie Road.  This funding will help kick off creation of the city’s largest ever park.

The Governor’s Office released a list of 27 parks and recreation projects across the state that will receive funding through the NC Parks & Recreation Trust Fund, including Martin Marietta Park.   

New Bern Parks & Recreation staff applied for the NC PARTF grant in May and learned last week that the City would be awarded funding.  The money will be used to install a children’s playground, boat launch, fishing pier, picnic shelter, park benches, multi-purpose trails, nature trail, and nature observation deck. 

The funds will also be used to create gravel parking lots, improve road conditions throughout the park, and purchase appropriate park signage.  General site preparation and supportive utility work are included in the grant funding. 

“This is a big step toward the development of Martin Marietta Park,” Foster Hughes, director of Parks & Recreation for the City of New Bern, said in a prepared statement.  “This park is a valuable asset to the City and this grant will help us enhance residents and visitors ability to enjoy recreational amenities across nearly 900 acres of land and lakes.”  The City anticipates construction will begin in January 2019.

Last September, Martin Marietta donated approximately 55 acres along South Glenburnie Road to the City of New Bern with the recommendation that the land be used to create a regional park.  The additional acreage completed a contiguous stretch of land totaling 888 acres owned by the City of New Bern.   

In the spring of 2018, the City invited public comment on proposed amenities residents would like to see inside the park.  Those surveys and comments were collected and analyzed by independent consultant McGill & Associates, which assisted the City in creating a master plan for the park. 

In April, the Board of Aldermen approved moving forward with the master plan which includes walking, running and cycling paths and trails, an outdoor performance area, open space for recreation and environmental stewardship, water activities and adventure activities.

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  1. I love new developments as long as the community doesn’t suffer but benefit from it. This sounds like an awesome place for family or just to relax ! I will follow this development. Blessup to the entire process!

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