Above, a group of boys enjoy a game of pickup basketball in Grovemont Park. The new basketball goal was installed by volunteers earlier this summer. It’s part of a Grovemont Park enhancement project funded by the Swannanoa Community Council, Friends of the Swannanoa Library, and a grant from Buncombe County Recreation Services. The project also includes installation of new benches and picnic tables.
The Grovemont Park and playground that surrounds the Swannanoa Library is full of activity these days, with lots of new improvements for the community to enjoy. The multi-phased, $8,000+ project was completed by volunteers this summer and fall, in a series of community workdays coordinated by Swannanoa resident, Bill Bauman.
The new basketball goal, installed during the project’s first phase, was an instant hit, drawing crowds of kids to the playground. Later projects included installation of four new benches, and two ADA-compliant picnic tables. The final phase of work involved parking improvements (signage, timbers, gravel and grading) that added spaces for 15 – 18 cars in the wooded park area alongside the library. These improvements will alleviate the parking shortage at the library and playground, and will be especially helpful during larger community events, like the Groovin’ on Grovemont summer concert series.
The park improvement project was funded by a $6,000 grant from Buncombe County Recreation Services. Additionally, over $2,000 was contributed by the Swannanoa Community Council (which owns the park and library building) and the Friends of the Swannanoa Libary.
Many thanks to Bill Bauman and the many volunteers who brought this project to fruition. Be sure to stop by soon to check it out! The Swannanoa Library is located at 101 West Charleston Avenue, in Grovemont.
