Town of Boone Awarded the Accessible Parks Grant

The Town of Boone was recently awarded $250,000 from the Accessible Parks Grant Program
through the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation.. With this award, the Town will
renovate the detached garage of the Rivers House into publicly accessible ADA-compliant
restrooms. The Town has also committed $50,000 of local funds toward this project.

The Rivers House and the Rivers House Park, located at 150 Clay House Drive, were willed to
the Town of Boone by Ms. Rachel Rivers-Coffey, a prominent member of the Boone
Community. Upon passing, Ms. Rivers-Coffey maintained that the 13-acre property must be used
for recreational space, green space, and underground utility installation provided they have
minimal impact on the natural environment, flood mitigation, wildlife sanctuary, or historical
purposes. In partnership with Blue Ridge Conservancy, the Town of Boone is honoring her
request by installing the southern terminus of the Northern Peaks State Trail on this property
alongside the ADA-accessible restrooms.

“All deserve the right to experience nature, and as one of the only locations in Downtown Boone
where nature is preserved indefinitely, adding ADA-accessible features to a planned trail
terminus is critical to allowing all individuals the amenities needed to maximize the joy people
experience when participating in recreational activities. We’re excited to see this project come to
life!” – Tim Futrelle, Mayor of Boone.

The Rivers House was designated a local historic landmark by the Boone Town Council during
the June 26th, 2024, meeting.

“With this award, the Town of Boone will now begin the process of fully utilizing this historic
property as Ms. Rivers-Coffey wanted. Once the trail is installed and the restrooms are created,
we can seek additional grant funding to renovate the Rivers House into a usable property and
bring life back into this property.” – Amy Davis, Town Manager.

For more information regarding this grant award, please contact Laney Wise, Grants
Coordinator/Communications for the Town of Boone, at (828) 268-6206.