Greenway park idea for Sparta discussed

Stephen Whitlow is of the opinion that a greenway park would only benefit Sparta and Alleghany County if it came to its fruition. Whitlow, a Sparta Revitalization Committee member, floated the idea at a meeting of that group on Jan. 12. He has been researching the possibility of a greenway park about a mile long along Bledsoe Creek, with proposed terminal points at the soon-to-open Alleghany Wellness Center, Inc. (AWCI) and at the bridge at Little River, where Bledsoe Creek flows into the larger body of water.

"Hopefully, this is something whose construction could be implemented in stages, like maybe from the Wellness Center to N.C. 18, and then from N.C. 18 to Grandview Drive, and then further expansion when the state increases the parkway east, and they can incorporate (that portion of the greenway park) as part of the roadway," he said on the topic of the greenway park at the SRC meeting. He stressed that the whole greenway park project is at present little more than an idea. If this project ever does come to its fruition, it is very likely that the name will be the Bledsoe Creek Greenway Park.

"I'm a trout fisherman, and Bledsoe Creek is a stocked trout stream," Whitlow explained. "I think that it would be a great thing to clean the area up, so that both local residents and out-of-towners will have a place to stop and fish for trout."

Whitlow said he will be contacting the Department of Wildlife about having Bledsoe Creek designated as a trout-fishing stream for youth. Alleghany does not have a stream that is currently designated as such. Although there is no plan in place for proceeding and officials haven't as of now been contacted, Whitlow said that costs should be lower than many other projects of a similar nature because buying land is not a necessity. The Town of Sparta currently owns a 15-foot sewer line easement along the creek, which would allow ample space for a greenway trail in areas where the creek passes through private property.

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