New 450 Acre Tract Preserved for Guilford County

The largest single piece of property recommended for preservation by the Guilford County Open Space Committee was approved by the Guilford County Commissioners at their meeting on Thursday July 23rd.

The 450 acre tract, with deeds going back to the 1850's, will be purchased for $2,292,000 with open space bond funds approved by voters in 2004. The bargain price of $5,093 per acre reflected the ongoing real estate recession and the generosity of the owners -- Hines family members and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.

This huge new tract will provide important protection for 2 miles of Reedy Fork Creek and help the water quality in the Haw River as the water flows east. Eventually water quality in Lake Jordan should benefit from this project. This tract may become a secondary route for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and help connect trails from the natural section of Bryan Park to Northeast Park.

The site contains an old cemetery with simple stone markers and some open fields may prove to be ideal for some significant local sustainable farming. The large forest on this property will now be preserved to continue to clean our air.

I will post some pictures soon (I am in the midst of a major move) of this wonderful 450 acre tract that flows in all directions from the intersection of Hines Chapel Rd. and McLeansville Rd.