WMPO takes public input on potential location of Gullah Geechee Heritage Trail

BELVILLE, NC (WWAY)– The Town of Belville hosted its annual Fall Festival at the Belville Riverwalk Park on Saturday.  

The annual event is always a big success, bringing activities for people of all ages, with many families coming out to the park. 

At this year’s festival, The Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the NC Department of Transportation’s Integrated Mobility Division were there hosting a public outreach event, providing information about their Gullah Geechee Heritage Trail Feasibility Study. 

This study will bridge the gap between conceptual planning and construction of a trail that will celebrate local cultural heritage, promote sustainable transportation and recreation, and encourage economic development. 

Input gathered at the meeting will help the project move forward.  

“We’re hoping to take that information, assimilate it to come up with some preferred alternatives for a trail,” said Emma Stogner, WMPO Associate Transportation Planner. “At that point, around February, we’ll come back out to the public again with the preferred alternatives and give some options about potential locations for the trail.” 

This is one of three opportunities the organizations have hosted to gather community input to identify the best route for the Gullah Geechee Heritage Trail to connect from Phoenix Park in Navassa to the Brunswick County Nature Park on NC-133. 

The next public meeting will be on Wednesday, October 11th from 5 p.m. to 7  p.m. at Leland Town Hall, where WMPO staff and study partners will be present to discuss the project, answer questions, and gather citizen input that will be utilized to identify the community’s trail preferences and priorities.  

If you are unable to attend an in-person event, the public is encouraged to participate online by responding to a brief survey and providing comments on an input map.  

Click here to access these materials.

The survey and input map will be available throughout the month of October 2023.

For additional information, WMPO asks that you visit the project website or contact Vanessa Lacer, Senior Transportation Planner, at Vanessa.Lacer@wilmingtonnc.gov or 910-341-3234.