Saluda Community Land Trust to create park at old dump
Published 5:58 pm Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Saluda Community Land Trust has plans to turn the city&squo;s old dump into a nature park.
With the help of a $4,200 grant from the Polk County Community Foundation, the land trust is going to first eradicate kudzu from the property with goats.
The Saluda Board of Commissioners met Monday and gave Betsy Burdett, founder of the Saluda Community Land Trust permission to have a road constructed around the dump in order to place fencing for the goats.
The city owns approximately 18 acres where the former dump used to be on Chestnut Street, which straddles the Henderson County line. Goats will be used to eradicate the kudzu on approximately 1&rac12; acres of the actual dump site.
The city&squo;s property has streams on it and the Saluda Community Land Trust plans to put a nature park on the property surrounding the former dump. The land trust has plans in several areas to place nature trails along the Pacolet River for public use.
The road to be constructed around the property is estimated to cost about $1,700. Commissioners agreed to find out if the city can get electricity to the property. Fencing for the goats will be determined as soon as possible as Burdett says the goats, from her farm, are ready to begin.