Cary Purchases 200+ Acres for Recreation, Preservation

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Cary, NC – After a year’s effort, the Town of Cary has purchased of 217 acres of former farmland along Earnest Jones Rd in Chatham County. Cary plans to eventually use the land for recreational activities and open space preservation.

Largest Land Purchase for Recreation Since Bond Park

“At 200 acres, this is the most significant single land purchase for recreation in Cary since Fred G. Bond Metro Park, and we will likely never see anything like it again in our lifetimes,” said Cary District A Council Representative Jennifer Robinson.

The site consists of woodlands, agricultural fields, a portion of Indian and the Turtle creeks. It is located along Earnest Jones Rd, between Yates Store Road and Mount Pisgah Church Road in Chatham County. The site also abuts a Town-owned site on New Hope Church Road and is close to the American Tobacco Trail.

The property was owned by Donna Kay Roach, James Ray Robertson, and Joe Ervin Robertson. David Ferrell of Chatham East, LLC represented the sellers and brought the opportunity to the Town of Cary.

The Power of Municipal Bonds

The land sale and assignment fee for the land acquisition totaled $13,619,000. The purchase was made with funds from the voter-approved 2019 Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Bond Referendum.

“On behalf of my Council colleagues, I want to say that this would not have been possible without the support of those Cary citizens who voted for the 2019 Shaping Cary’s Tomorrow Bonds, Cary resident, David Ferrell, who brought this tremendous opportunity to us, Cary’s excellent staff, and our fellow elected officials and staff in Chatham County. We’re grateful to everyone involved.”

Story from staff reports. Map from Town of Cary.

5 replies
  2. Mary Abrams
    Mary Abrams says:

    I hope this is good news. Please don’t over develop this land. The value of woodlands, fields, and creeks is the woodland, fields, and creeks.

    • Mark Neill
      Mark Neill says:

      The head of Indian Creek on site makes the northern end of the property all-but undevelopable. Which is probably fine, since it immediately extends the already-owned town land that fronts the ATT just to the east.

      And the piece of Turtle Creek that cuts in on the southwest makes that section tough to wholesale rip up and do with.

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