News

Mills River wins $250,000 grant to help disabled people use town park

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 12, 2023

MILLS RIVER — The Town of Mills River has been awarded a $251,288 grant from the Parks and Recreation Authority to improve access to its town park, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Friday.

The 2021 state budget included $10 million for the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund to provide matching grants to local governments for parks facilities for children and veterans living with disabilities.
The Parks and Recreation Trust fund is administered through the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, which is a part of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Mills River Park is currently the only publicly developed park resource within the Town. A recently completed townwide comprehensive parks and recreation master plan, and park site master plan revealed the desire and need by park users to improve access to all users to the park and features within it. A core mission of the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department is accessibility and inclusion and ensuring that everyone has access to high- quality parks and recreational opportunities.
The Town’s grant application requested funds to create an accessible path and play space from the parking lot to the playground at Mills River Park. The path will include play features and is intended for intergenerational activities that are universally accessible. For additional details about the project, email recreation@millsriver.org, or call 828-890-2901.