PASQUOTANK COUNTY, N.C. — Farmland separates several neighbors in the northern part of Pasquotank County and for several years, they have longed for a place to gather.
“We don’t have a space for people to do simple things like walking,” said Montrose Hinton, a lifelong resident.
Hinton said she and many others advocated for a center in her community.
“I’ve talked to many seniors in the area,” she said. “They’ve always said to me ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if we had somewhere we could all get together and sit outside and talk? Read books?’”
That vision will soon come true. On Thursday, county leaders and residents celebrated the groundbreaking of the almost $2 million Newland Park. The park will be built off Highway 158, on more than 50 acres of land.
“We have them in various parts of the county but we don’t have one on the north end,” said Pasquotank County Board of Commissioners Chairman, Charles Jordan.
The park will include a basketball court and playground.
“We’ll have walking trails, we’ll have bathroom facilities, picnic table areas,” said Pasquotank County Commissioner Sean Lavin. “It's going to be another world-class recreational facility in the county's portfolio.”
Lavin said along with the new community park, space will be made for the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office. They’re also looking to add a public safety substation with hopes of decreasing response times in the northern section of the county.
“Right now, they would have to come out of the Elizabeth City area and this would put them much closer to the residents,” said Jordan.
Hinton and many other neighbors said this marks a new future for them.
“It’s a way for the youth to see us come together as a community,” she said.
County officials said they received grant funding to cover half of the cost of purchasing the land and construction on the former tractor pull site will start immediately. They plan to open the park in May 2025. They are still working on a timeline for the sheriff's office and substation.