Griffing Rose Garden/E.W. Grove Park/Sunset Park

This project is complete. View the City of Asheville’s active projects. For information about Asheville’s parks and recreation facilities, visit the Asheville Parks & Recreation page.

Background

Beginning in 2013, the City and the neighborhood association entered into an agreement to make park improvements, including these now-completed projects:

  • New furnishings and landscape beds at Grove Park
  • Rose garden improvements at Griffing Rose Garden Park
  • Park clean up and landscape improvements at Sunset Park

In 2016, the City and the neighborhood association renewed its partnership. The work plan priorities include:

  • Restore the trolley houses and rock wall, and install irrigation in Grove Park.
  • Develop a site plan for the Griffing Rose Garden Park and complete improvements.
  • Conduct a watershed study in the Sunset Park area and control invasive plant materials in the park. Once the watershed study and improvements are complete, the City will develop a site plan for the park.

Griffing Rose Garden Park

The goal is to improve the Griffing Rose Garden Park as a landscaped garden park that runs along Griffing Boulevard. The rose garden dates back to the first half of the 1900s when it was a vista of roses. Roses are still part of the landscape, combined with a variety of trees and shrubs.

A master site plan led by a citizen steering committee is complete.  Construction documents are underway and expected to be completed in 2019.

E.W. Grove Park

The intent was to restore Grove Park as closely as possible to its original 1906 landscape design developed by Edwin Wiley Grove. In recent years, the City and the Grove Park Sunset Mountain Neighborhood Association created landscaped plant beds with irrigation, improved park lighting, maintained trees and replaced park furnishings, such as benches and trash receptacles.

Trolley Houses and Rock Wall

The priority in the work plan at Grove Park was the preservation of two historic trolley houses and a rock wall and to install irrigation in the plant beds.  The trolley houses and rock wall are at the main entrance of the park on Charlotte Street. The structures were built at the same time the park and surrounding neighborhood were developed.  A recent historic preservation assessment of the structures identified needed repairs and guidelines for completion.

Sunset Park

Sunset Park is located along Sunset Parkway. It is a naturalized ravine-like park with a stream at its center. This stream is part of a stormwater improvement project within Edwin Place, Celia Place, Sunset Parkway and Canterbury Road. The City is conducting a watershed study in this area to reduce stormwater flooding.  During this watershed project, the Grove Park Sunset Mountain Neighborhood Association will continue to keep the naturalized area of the park in good order and minimize invasive plants.  Learn more about the Edwin/Celia/Sunset/Canterbury Stormwater Improvements here.

Timeline

2013 – City and the Grove Park Sunset Mountain Neighborhood Association entered into a partnership agreement to:

  • Install new furnishings and landscape beds in Grove Park
  • Make improvements in Griffing Rose Garden Park
  • Make landscape improvements in Sunset Park

2016 – City and the neighborhood association renewed its partnership agreement.

2017 – Griffing Rose Garden, E.W. Grove Park, Sunset Park

Griffing Rose Garden

  • Begin development of master site plan

E.W. Grove Park

  • Install irrigation in landscape beds

Sunset Park

  • Conduct watershed study

2018 – Griffing Rose Garden, E.W. Grove Park

Griffing Rose Garden

  • Complete master site plan

E.W. Grove Park

  • Restore trolley houses and rock wall.

2019 – Griffing Rose Garden

  • Complete construction documents

Supporting Documents

Griffing Rose Garden Park

E.W. Grove Park

Sunset Park

Contact Information

Asheville Parks & Recreation
828-259-5800

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