The Wake County Board of Commissioners today approved the purchase of the land from Raftery Ventures for $2,030,000, with Wake County paying 50% and the Town of Cary paying 50%.

In November 2000, Wake County voters approved a $15 million open space bond referendum, allowing the County to issue general obligation bonds for open space acquisition. Wake County will use proceeds from this bond referendum to pay for the Cary property. The Town of Cary will pay for its portion using its Open Space fund, which was established in 2001 with $12.5 million and includes an annual $1 million commitment each year from Town utility rates.

Commissioners’ Chair Linda Coleman and Cary Mayor Glen Lang hailed the purchase as a major step for protection of water quality in western Wake County as well as downstream neighbors in the Cape Fear Basin. The town had previously identified the parcel as a priority open space acquisition.

"The preservation of this land as open space will have far-reaching implications for this County for many years," Coleman said. "The land will be available for others to enjoy and use, and will protect our water quality at the same time. This is exactly why we developed the Open Space Preservation Program, and we are pleased to be able to assist in purchasing this property for that purpose. I am especially proud that we are partners with the Town of Cary in this venture, as it illustrates how much more we can do by working together than by working alone."

"This project is one more example of Cary’s strong and continuing commitment to lead the state in taking care of our finite natural resources," Lang said. "We are very fortunate to have such good friends and effective leaders working with us on efforts like this in Wake County."

Adopted in 2001, the Town of Cary’s sweeping Open Space and Historic Resources Plan seeks to preserve and protect thousand of acres of forests, farms, and other "green" areas throughout all parts of Cary. The Town looks for projects that conserve contiguous networks of open, natural areas, create trail corridors and greenways between open space areas, and those that provide recreational and educational benefits to citizens. Preservation parcels are large and small and will extend from downtown to the limits of town.

Phase I of the Wake County Open Space Plan adopted by the Board of Commissioners in August 2001 identified the Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, Little River and Swift Creek watersheds as priority areas within the County for potential open space acquisitions. During the planning process for the American Tobacco Trail, staff identified certain parcels of land that might accommodate public access facilities for this project, including the parcel approved for purchase today. As a part of the County's on-going effort to promote partnerships for preserving open space, discussions were initiated with the Town of Cary regarding this property and the town’s park needs in this area.

The property will be used to jointly meet the needs for passive recreation and water quality protection in this area as a part of Wake County's Open Space Preservation Program and the Town of Cary Parks and Recreation Program. A small part of the site may also serve as a future public access point for the American Tobacco Trail Project. The potential exists for greenway connections to the Town of Cary's White Oak Creek Greenway Corridor. Wake County and Town of Cary staff will work together to jointly develop an interlocal agreement and master plan for use of the property for recreational and open space purposes.

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