In 2016, the Town of Boone purchased the 53.83 acres worth of land known as the Bolick Property (ParID: 2921103970000), across the stream from Brookshire Park and the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex. It has since been unused by the town, while the citizens of Boone have been completely unaware that it is even a piece of public property. In 2021, 30.286 acres of the property were granted the status of a conservation easement, enabling the restoration and conservation of 4,500 linear feet of stream bank and river buffer.

In November of 2024, the Town of Boone Town Council voted 3-2 to sell the land for approximately 8 million dollars, under the citizens’ noses. With this high of a selling price, and an even higher cost to grade the field, it is with great concern that only a big box corporation would be able afford the price tag on the property.

As this is one of Boone’s last true green spaces, and is already owned by the town, we propose to preserve it for future generations. Not only will this enable posterity of the land for succeeding generations to come, but it will also enable habitat protection along the South Fork of the New River.

With this in mind, we aim to create a green facility that would enable accessibility to additional sporting fields and venues, public events and activities, as well as preserving the natural habitat. A recreational coalition and nature preserve would be the end goal for this property.

In starting Boone’s first rugby club, we have encountered many issues in finding a field to use. With overwhelming turnout (over one hundred individuals involved with this project now) and interest, we are at a roadblock without a field, an issue many other community based groups have encountered as well. We are hopeful to create a home for our community-based rugby project, in conjunction with Appalachian State’s Aho Rugby Teams (who lost their field due to Helene), by way of a public field that we would be responsible for. We hope to create a rugby field on the property.

As we have faced many road-blocks in finding a facility for community, we are striving to make the process easier for those in the future. We hope to be mutually beneficial to the community in any way, in enabling this piece of land to be used by the community for things such as farmers markets, fairs, sporting fields, and whatever else may come. We invite any and all to contribute any hopes and dreams of any sporting and community motivations that they may have for the property.