"This should happen more often," Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Director Nick Walker told the crowd when Ezell Park opened in June, according to WFAE and The Charlotte Ledger. The same report said Ezell was only the second park Walker had opened in his nearly 10-year career as a park director.
The summer coverage focused on the splash pad, the playground and the new pickleball courts. As of late October, the splash pad is done for the year, and the community garden's water shuts off soon. What's left at Ezell this fall is the part Mint Hill residents ranked first when the county asked them what they wanted: woods, ponds and paths to walk. Fall also makes it easier to see which of their other requests haven't been built.
A Farm Field That Took 25 Years to Open
Ezell Park covers 91 acres at the corner of Matthews-Mint Hill Road and Mintwood Drive, on a former farm in the Goose Creek watershed. Mecklenburg County's opening release dates the ribbon-cutting to Thursday, June 11, 2026.
The county bought the property in 2001. As part of the sale, the previous owners required that it be used for a park or a school. For more than two decades after that, the community garden was the only part of the site in use, tended by the county and local residents. Beginning in fiscal year 2020, the county set aside about $8.5 million for the park over several years. The pandemic and rising costs pushed construction back to spring 2024. The county's project page lists construction as starting in May 2024 and finishing in May 2026. An older Town of Mint Hill update still says the park was "scheduled to open in September 2025."
Town Commissioner Trey Long's family owned and preserved the land before selling it to the county. At the opening, he said, "This park reminds us that the best investments we make aren't in just land. They're in the quality of life and sense of community we leave for those who come after us."
The wait had a cause beyond this one site. WFAE reported that the county's 2021 long-range plan, the "Meck Playbook," identified 17 areas with significant park and recreation gaps. Mint Hill was one of them, and that gap is what led to Ezell.
What Closed After Labor Day
The county runs its spraygrounds daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Its aquatics page now shows outdoor pools and spraygrounds closed for the 2026 season, with 2027 details to come. Ezell's splash pad is on that list at 4155 Mintwood Drive. The county's community garden guidance says garden water is shut off for winter, roughly November through late March, and the timing varies by year.
| Feature | Status heading into November |
|---|---|
| Splash pad | Closed until the 2027 season |
| Community garden water | Off for winter, roughly November through late March |
| Trails and multiuse paths | Open; county trails run sunrise to sunset |
| Four pickleball courts | Open, first-come, first-served |
| Full basketball court, open field, nature playground | Open |
| 32 acres of woodland and two ponds | Open to walk |
The county's hiking guidance says its trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Ezell's pickleball courts are not on the county's list of reservable courts, and the county says courts left off that list are first-come, first-served. The courts, the full basketball court, the open field and the nature-themed playground all appear on the county's list of built amenities.
Daylight saving time ends in early November, and earlier sunsets will shorten the window for walks after work.
The Half Residents Ranked First
In 2021, the county surveyed residents during design. On the passive-recreation list, walking and bike trails earned the best average rank of any option. On the nature-based list, nature trails ranked first and the community garden second. A splash pad or pool led the active-recreation list, which explains why it got so much attention in June.
The county says it kept 32 acres of woodland and both ponds from the farm, and that the design is meant to reflect the land's agricultural history, ecology and wildlife. In its opening-day coverage, Hoodline described the walking trails as paved. The park also has a sculpture called "Wings" by local artist Meredith Connelly. It's inspired by local pollinators and designed to fit into the landscape. Axios Charlotte listed the piece among the park's new features at the opening.
Summer drew most visitors to the paved courts and the splash pad near the parking lot. In the fall, the walking paths, the woods, the ponds and the sculpture are the park's main draw.
What Phase One Left on the List
The county project page labels its site plan "Phase One" and calls the project complete. Several features scored well in the 2021 survey but weren't built:
- Mountain bike or cross-country trails, which ranked second on the active-recreation list, just behind the splash pad
- A fishing pond, third among passive options, behind trails and an adventure play area
- Disc golf, fourth among passive options
- A dog park, which came up in public comments for Mint Hill
The county hasn't published a Phase Two scope, schedule or budget. For now, these are requests on record, not upcoming projects.
The missing dog park matters on every fall walk. Ezell isn't on the county's list of designated dog parks. The Mecklenburg County animal ordinance requires dogs in public parks that aren't designated dog parks to be leashed and under physical restraint at all times, and owners have to pick up after their dogs. The town's off-leash option is the 1.5-acre dog park at Mint Hill Founders Park on Brief Road, according to the mayor's message page. This is general information, not legal advice. Check the ordinance itself for the full rules.
Pickleball went the other way. In 2021, tennis and pickleball courts ranked in the middle of the active-recreation list, behind basketball and multipurpose fields. The park opened with four pickleball courts anyway, and WFAE reported kids playing on the newly paved courts on opening day.
The Garden Was There First
The community garden is the oldest part of Ezell Park. The county's release says it expanded a garden "long cultivated by local residents." In the 2021 design survey posted on the county's Ezell project page, 48% of respondents said they visited the garden daily and 42% weekly. When designers proposed moving the garden to give it room to expand, 68% voted against the move. In public comments on that page, several gardeners pointed to the years spent building up the soil.
Ezell's garden is part of the county's Community Garden Program. Plot applications are closed now and reopen February 15, 2027, and applying doesn't guarantee a plot. New gardeners are limited to one plot. The county asks plot holders to keep their plots up year-round, usually about two hours a week during the growing season, and to join the spring and fall workdays. Any fee is described as a small voluntary contribution toward shared supplies. With the water off through winter, mid-February is the next time to get involved.
Between Walks, the Town Calendar Fills In
Ezell's quiet season overlaps with Mint Hill's busiest stretch of town events:
- Veterans Breakfast, Saturday, November 7. Veterans can request an invitation by calling the Mint Hill Community Center, according to the mayor's message.
- Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting, Saturday, December 5, 5:30 to 9 p.m. The parade runs from Bain School down Matthews-Mint Hill Road to Publix, followed by the tree lighting and Santa at Town Hall, per Mint Hill Events.
- Holiday Mingle & Jingle, Friday, December 11, 5 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, December 12, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. At the Mint Hill Community Center, 11524 Bain School Road, with a movie, food trucks, Santa and a market of more than 30 vendors, per the event listing.
The parade travels the same Matthews-Mint Hill Road that runs past the park's corner at Mintwood Drive. Until the splash pad reopens in 2027, Ezell is mostly a place for walking.
A new county park changes how a part of town gets used day to day, and Mint Hill has been waiting on this one since 2001. If you'd like to know how Ezell Park and the rest of southeast Mecklenburg fit into your plans, The Alexander Realty Group knows the Harrisburg and Mint Hill area street by street. Let's Connect.
