by Leah Justice

Saluda has its sights set high to one day make McCreery park a prime recreational destination for all ages.

The Saluda Board of Commissioners recently approved a master plan for McCreery Park, which over time and in phases includes almost $400,000 in improvements. Planned improvements include the installation of ADA compliant ramps, the installation of safety surfacing, the creation of trails, new landscaping, a Saluda train climber, a tree house and new play equipment for all ages.

Saluda City Clerk Monica Pace gave commissioners a presentation on the master plan at the city’s May meeting with commissioners adopting the plan in June.

The city has ben working on the plan for years, with community meetings held to gather input. City officials said they tried to incorporate as many of the community’s ideas as possible into the master plan and new design of McCreery Park.

During the May presentation, Pace said kids love to climb and although the corner of the current park is a favorite place for kids to climb the bank, the bank is eroding and needs to be filled in. Climbing is a focus of the playground equipment for the new park as well as handicap and stroller access with ramps to access all areas of the park, according to the master plan.

The master plan shows the detail in varying topography and landscape at the park with unusable wooded areas filled with walking trails. The current Top of the Grade amphitheater is situated in the corner of the park with city officials hopeful the amphitheater can be used for outdoor events by all ages.

The master plan includes a lot of low maintenance landscaping and benches for people to sit.

The trails and paths through the woods are planned to look natural.

“We hope to keep the park looking natural,” Pace said in her presentation, “so paths like these can be made in the wooded areas to mark the way without installing concrete and ruining the serene feel of our park. Due to limited space allotted for a play area, we have tried to maximize the play value of each element in the plan while including room for plantings and access ramping throughout the park.”

With the Saluda Grade railroad being a large part of the city’s history, part of the plan is to have Asheville Playgrounds design a “Carolina Special” train climber for the park’s play space.

“The train will be the focal point of the park entrance and provide an educational historic prospective to visitors,” Pace told commissioners.

Other interesting features of the master plan are to use the land’s topography to build hill slides into the slope with rock boulders to climb as well as a tree house built around one of the city’s old Poplar trees.

Other play areas planned include a sand area lined with logs and boulders for toddlers as well as a crawling tunnel, digger, a kid force spinner and fitness playgrounds.

The master plan includes construction done in phases with fundraising and grants needed to accomplish the city’s goals. The master plans says the city will offer donor plaques of recognition at the park entrances with the city also welcoming any volunteers for the fundraising efforts.

With the master plan adopted, the city can begin applying for grants and raising money as well as drafting construction plans.

“Since the total cost of the master plan will probably be close to $400,000 to complete, it will be important to remember that the project will take time,” Pace said in her presentation. “The community will see progress and investment on the part of the city leaders and city staff, and we all look forward to working with volunteers from the community.”

Saluda was recently awarded a Playful City USA designation for its third consecutive year, which makes Saluda one of only 212 Playful cities in the nation eligible for additional funding opportunities as well as other local and state grants available. The city also plans to contribute funding to leverage future funding.

“Through hard work and perserverance we can make this plan a reality and create a downtown gathering space that meets the needs of all our residents,” said Pace. “We appreciate your support and volunteer efforts and look forward to the task at hand.”