A town drone will map a future 25-acre park near Carolina Springs during the week of Nov. 16. The greenway through the site closes while it flies.

Holly Springs will fly a drone over a future 25-acre park near the Carolina Springs neighborhood next week. It is the first visible step toward a park on the land off Woods Creek Road.

The flight is planned for business hours during the week of Nov. 16. The town will pick the exact day based on the weather. The greenway that runs through the site will close while the drone is in the air.

The details are on the town’s Future Park Near Carolina Springs project page.

What the drone is doing

The drone carries a LiDAR scanner, which measures the ground with laser pulses. The town said it will use the data points to build detailed 3D models of the site’s terrain.

The town said the survey will:

  • give park designers accurate ground levels to work from
  • save thousands of dollars in fees to outside surveyors
  • focus only on the 25-acre park site

The drone may briefly cross over neighboring properties to finish its flight path. The town said it is not collecting data from private property. Town staff will be on the park land to fly and watch the drone.

Where the park is

The town’s map puts the site between Leland Crest Drive and Carova Bend, with Colvin Park Lane to the north and Woods Creek Road to the south. A greenway already crosses the land.

Earlier this fall the town asked design firms for qualifications to draw up a master plan for the park, listed on its bids page as the Carolina Springs Park at 7300 Woods Creek Road. Responses were due Nov. 4, and the listing has since come off the page. The town has not published a design, a budget or a timeline for building the park.

What it means for you

  • If you use the greenway there, expect it to close while the drone flies, on a weekday during the week of Nov. 16. The town said it will post the date and time on the project page once it is set.
  • If you live nearby, you may see and hear the drone over the site and briefly over neighboring yards.
  • Questions go to Thomas Gull, the town’s park and greenway planner, at 919-567-4018.

For other places to walk and play, see our guides to parks and trails and walking and biking trails in Holly Springs. For the town’s other park plans, see the Camp Branch Greenway survey.