NEWTON — Catawba County commissioners unanimously approved a 10-year roadmap for the county park system Monday night.
At the regular Board of Commissioners meeting in the Justice Center, Parks Director David Wagg presented the 2026–2036 Parks Master Plan — the first comprehensive update since 2015. Commissioner Barbara Beatty made the motion, and the board voted unanimously to adopt it. The plan covers the county’s four parks, roughly 1,494 acres, and 44.64 miles of trails, and it was built with consultant McAdams after the board funded the refresh in the FY2025 budget.
What the system looks like now
County parks started at Riverbend in 1999 along the Catawba River, added Bakers Mountain in 2002, took over renovated St. Stephens in 2008, and opened Mountain Creek on Lake Norman in 2022. Riverbend alone grew by another 209 acres in 2019. Parks became its own standalone department in 2024.
The plan leans hard into what the county already is: a conservation and passive-recreation system — hiking, paddling, nature education — not a recreation-center buildout. Trails already beat the national median benchmark the consultants used (44.64 miles vs. about 29). Parkland sits near the national median at about nine acres per 1,000 residents.
What residents said they want
Staff and consultants ran six community events, four focus groups, an interjurisdictional meeting, and a statistically valid survey with 416 responses. Eighty-five percent of respondents said they are satisfied with current parks. Eighty-three percent still want more.
Top priorities from that engagement, according to the plan:
- Trail expansion and greenway connectivity
- Nature-based recreation
- Outdoor and environmental education
- Accessibility and inclusive recreation
- Land conservation and stewardship
Five themes for the next 10 years
The document organizes recommendations under five banners: Protect What Matters, Connect to Nature, Support Wellness, Invest in Quality Experiences, and Inspire Stewardship. Each recommendation carries short-term (0–3 years), near-term (4–6), or long-term (7–10) timing, plus suggested partners and funding paths — county dollars, grants, donations, and partnerships rather than a single bond package in the staff memo.
Wagg’s cover letter frames the update as a response to growth — population projected to about 172,629 by 2035 — and to rising park use. The plan also notes tourism context, including $351.03 million in visitor spending in 2024.
Partners thanked in the document range from land trusts and trail groups (Foothills Conservancy, Catawba Lands Conservancy, Carolina Thread Trail, Tarheel Trailblazers) to city and town recreation departments and county GIS, Library, and Public Health.
Why it matters on a Monday agenda
Unanimous approval does not by itself build a trail or buy an acre. It locks in the scorecard staff will use when they ask for capital, chase PARTF or other grants, and decide what gets maintained first as the county grows.
Source: Catawba County Board of Commissioners agenda packet, Sept. 21, 2026 (item 10, Parks / 2026–2036 Parks Master Plan Update; David Wagg memo; McAdams plan text). Meeting: 7:00 p.m., Board of Commissioners Meeting Room, Catawba County Justice Center, 100 Government Drive, Newton.
