Weddington Town Hall Park has two dollar figures attached to it, and the town hasn't adopted either one as the price. The town says it could potentially put together about $3.2 million for park and infrastructure work. The Enquirer-Journal has described the concept as "an estimated $10 million town development project." The first number is a list of money the town may have available. The second has been described as a LaBella Engineering cost estimate. Resident Clayton Jones characterized it that way during public comment at the September 14 Council meeting and said informal contacts had suggested a revised figure closer to $4.5 million. The town hasn't published either figure as an estimate of its own.
That gap matters because of the order the town has set. Mayor Jim Bell has said an engineer's cost estimate will come after a final concept is developed, and that estimate will let Council decide whether to go ahead, cut the scope, or build in two or more phases. Under that schedule, residents shape the design before the town has a formal price for it. The second public meeting this month may be the last good chance to influence what gets priced.
The plan, as drawn so far
The design work belongs to LaBella & Associates, the firm the town hired to develop the park if the project goes forward. Its concept plan includes these pieces:
- A plaza and an event lawn
- One or more pavilions and a restroom building
- An amphitheater or band shell
- Park and nature trails
- A playground, open lawn, and a pollinator garden
- Parking, plus a proposed walking connection to the shopping center's parking lot
The Enquirer-Journal reports the site as a 3.3-acre lot next to Town Hall. The paper also lists a fenced perimeter, lighting, and security cameras, and says the plans mark sites for two other future town buildings. The town's own notice describes the project as improvements to "the community open space adjacent to Town Hall." It calls the goal a "living room" for Weddington, a gathering place to use throughout the year.
Those two future building sites have gotten little attention so far. A park drawn with room for more civic buildings is a long-term plan for the town center as well as a park. Its cost and how it's built in phases could reflect that.
Where the $3.2 million comes from
The Mayor and Council's September clarification broke the funding into five pieces:
| Source | Approximate amount | Status and restriction |
|---|---|---|
| ARPA/SLFRF reimbursement proceeds | $1,663,187.50 | Already spent under federal rules; now available for any lawful town purpose |
| NC State Capital and Infrastructure Fund, or SCIF | About $665,000 remaining | Must go to infrastructure |
| NC Office of State Budget and Management park grant | About $270,000 remaining | Must go to park purposes |
| Additional park grant | $100,000 | Town has been notified but hasn't received it |
| Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, or PARTF | Up to $500,000 | Only if the town applies and wins; it's a matching grant |
Two details change how the table reads. The ARPA money is the only flexible piece. The clarification says that except for those funds, "nearly all of these funding sources are restricted" to infrastructure or park projects. The PARTF money also requires a local match, and the town has said part of the ARPA funds could cover it. So the one flexible pot could end up partly committed to unlocking a restricted one.
The clarification also addressed a rumor that the COVID relief money had to be spent by December 2026 or be lost. The Council said the town reimbursed itself for eligible law enforcement, administration, and development costs from July 2021 through December 2024. That satisfied the federal deadline, and the roughly $1.6 million left in the town's accounts doesn't expire. There is no expiring-grant deadline forcing a decision this year.
What the opposition is weighing
More than 500 people signed a petition against the proposal, according to the Enquirer-Journal. Resident Garrett Maust, one of the signers, framed his concern around the size of the town's budget:
"The proposed park is three times our annual budget. We have a $3 million annual budget and $10 million is three times that."
Maust also pointed to the many parks within 20 minutes of anywhere in Weddington. He argued that the grant money wouldn't come close to covering construction or long-term upkeep. His comparison uses the reported $10 million figure. Whether it holds up depends on an engineer's estimate the town hasn't produced yet. Even so, maintenance costs come up repeatedly, and an engineer's construction estimate alone won't answer that question.
What the town says it has outgrown
Mayor Bell describes the problem in terms of space:
"Weddington is the only town of its size in the state that doesn't have a place for residents to come together and have events. We have been using the 12 to 15 parking spaces beside town hall for Food Truck Fridays, our annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, etc for years and, now, we simply have outgrown the small parking lot."
He also said some residents want a "small place to gather and to connect with other residents." Weddington already hosts those events. This spring's Food Truck Friday season ended May 15. The Park and Events Board is planning the 2026 Tree Lighting for November 20, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and its agenda included a walk of the event site. In January, Council said event planning would continue whether or not a park is built. The events will happen either way. The open question is how much space and how many facilities they need.
A "small place to gather" and a plan with an amphitheater, trails, and two future building sites are very different projects. The design phase is where the town decides how big this gets.
How the process got to this point
The 2026 record shows each step that led here:
- January 12. Council adopted rules for the Park and Events Advisory Board.
- March 9. Council approved a resolution supporting a PARTF grant application.
- May 11. Council heard that LaBella had proposed a public survey and engagement component, and that the state had given the town an extra year on its park grant.
- June 8. Council tabled LaBella's engagement scope after Councilmember Ellen McLaughlin questioned its research aims, methods, outreach, and timeline.
- July 13. Council voted 2–1 to skip LaBella's proposed Phase 1 survey and go ahead with a Council-directed redesign. McLaughlin voted no. The Enquirer-Journal reports the vote came with a $20,000 contract with LaBella for next steps.
- September 19. The town held a four-hour open-house visioning session at Weddington Middle School on Deal Road, with idea boards and round-table discussions.
The July decision to skip the survey explains much of what happened in September. Resident Elizabeth Holty told the Enquirer-Journal the session was "contentious from the start." She said many attendees asked why the town was relying on a 2018 survey, and that many left frustrated, leaving mostly park supporters in the room. Residents also asked for rough construction and maintenance estimates at an earlier presentation, and none were given. Bell said that after hearing those concerns, the town spent the session collecting input on what residents would want in a park and meeting space.
The next three steps, and which one is still open
The town has described this schedule:
- October. LaBella presents what it heard at the first meeting and collects more input at Town Hall. The meeting will be streamed and recorded on the town's YouTube channel.
- November. LaBella presents an updated concept to Council, and Council gives direction.
- December. A final plan goes to Council if things stay on schedule. Then the engineer's cost estimate is ordered.
Before the cost estimate arrives, the October meeting is the last scheduled session where residents can speak directly to the design team. By November, Council is directing the concept. By December, the plan is final, and the estimate will price whatever is in it.
The October date isn't settled yet. The town's October 1 notice lists Monday, October 19, 6 to 8 p.m., at Town Hall, 1924 Weddington Road. The town's event calendar lists Saturday, October 17, 1 to 3 p.m. Check with Town Hall before you go. If you can't attend, the town takes written comments at [email protected], and you can also email in its "My Park Story" sheet. All comments sent in person or online will be reviewed as part of the planning process.
The October 1 notice says the agenda will cover updates since the first meeting, community priorities, design concepts, and possible next steps. Several questions from the record haven't been answered yet. Are the two future building sites part of this project's scope? What would ongoing maintenance cost? Is a phased design on the table now, or only after the estimate comes in? The meeting covers design concepts and next steps, so those questions fit the agenda.
Whichever date it ends up being, the meeting falls during The Hunter Farm's fall season, which runs September 25 through November 1 at 13624 Providence Road. The Tree Lighting follows on November 20, the same month LaBella's updated concept goes to Council.
When a town decides what to build at its center, it affects how Weddington feels day to day and how it's seen by people looking at the area. Tiffany Johannes follows Weddington's council agendas as closely as its home sales. If you'd like to talk about how civic projects like Town Hall Park factor into plans for your property, let's connect.
