Tryon is a major step closer to its goal of providing a greenway connecting three town parks.

Tryon Town Council announced last week that it received word recently the town will be awarded $25,000 from the Polk County Community Foundation. The money will be used as a required match for a $101,000 grant from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The combined funding will enable the town to purchase approximately 19 acres needed for the greenway along Vaughn Creek that the town plans to provide access for bicycle, pedestrian and equestrian travel.

The Tryon Parks Committee has been working on creating a greenway that will eventually connect three town parks. The town hopes to acquire approximately 19 acres of wooded property that has been left undisturbed by the Smith family in Tryon.

Tryon Parks Committee member John Vining says the $101,000 from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund, which was announced in late October was contingent on the parks committee/town providing a $25,000 match.

Now that the Polk County Community Foundation (Bradley Fund) has informed the town that it will be awarded the $25,000, the town can proceed with acquiring the 19-acre parcel, Vining said.

This is a significant development for the town, Vining says. I am hopeful that it can transferred by the end of 2010.

Also part of the project is another $95,000 grant the town received from the NC Division of Water Resources. That funding can strictly be used for stream and trail improvements for the project.

The sale price for the property is $110,500, but the project, including surveying and closing costs, is estimated at $126,000. An open house was recently held that offered tours of Vaughn Creek where the greenway is planned.

The ultimate goal of the parks committee is to connect three town-owned properties with a pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian trail. The trail would expand from Ziglar Field, to Lanier Park to Woodland Park. The trail would include easy access to the railroad, and there is an existing trail bed. The total system would be about two miles of greenway.