Huntersville seeks resident input on Green Network plan Sept. 30

Huntersville residents can weigh in on how the town protects its natural spaces at a Green Network Community Meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 30.

The drop-in session runs from 5 to 7 p.m. at Huntersville Town Hall, according to the town's announcement. The town is seeking input on tree canopy, parks, stream buffers, backyards and farmland.

The town framed the effort around how wildlife moves through Huntersville. Birds, deer and squirrels rely on connected green spaces rather than roads to travel across the area, the town said.

The announcement did not specify whether the session is the first public meeting on the Green Network or part of an ongoing planning process. No fee or registration has been announced.

Greenway work already underway nearby

The meeting comes as Mecklenburg County advances a separate but related project on Huntersville's east side. The South Prong Clarke Creek Greenway will stretch about 1.25 miles from Huntersville-Concord Highway to Ferrelltown Parkway, with construction expected to take about two years, Lake Norman Publications reported.

Nick Walker, director of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, said a trailhead parking lot at Ferrelltown Parkway will likely have about 40 spaces. The county is also exploring two routes to extend the trail roughly three-quarters of a mile further to Monocacy Boulevard.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services plans to restore a stretch of South Prong Clarke Creek alongside the greenway construction. That 18-month project aims to stabilize the creek and reduce sediment pollution, described as the top pollutant in Mecklenburg County waterways according to the Lake Norman Publications report.

Residents showed strong interest at a Sept. 9 information session at the Waymer Center.

The small room was crowded. Some attendees expressed excitement about the greenway, while others raised concerns about parking lot size and the trail's proximity to their homes.

The Green Network meeting is a town-led effort, separate from the county's greenway project.