Wendell — Eastern Wake residents are having a unique opportunity to tell Wake County what they’d like to see in a new 223-acre park south of Wendell. The county recently held the first of five community forums on the Lake Myra County Park, asking future users what activities and amenities they would support.

The park, located next to the giant Wendell Falls subdivision, will have about 128 acres on the east side and about 95 acres on the west side of Lake Myra, named after Myra Stone, whose family bought it in the 1920s.

The land includes four different habitats, and the about 66-acre lake is not only a nice amenity for people, but also a home to a variety of species, said landscape architect Susan Hatchell. The county hired her to design the park.

“It’s a wonderful habitat for a lot of different species and a beautiful place in general,” Hatchell said. “And as Wendell Falls develops, it becomes even more important to have open space left in the area.”

Like many other Wake County parks, the property will be geared toward passive recreation, such as picnicking, walking, jogging, hiking, biking, kite flying and viewing wildlife.

“It won’t be a place for active sports leagues,” said Chris Snow, the county’s director of Parks, Recreation and Open Space.

The park could have playgrounds, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, picnic shelters, trails and outdoor classrooms. Wake County could also offer environmental, cultural and historical education.

And while the lake is owned by the Yeager family, the county hopes to have an agreement on its use, so boating and kayaking could be added to the list of activities.

Based on the suggestions made at the April 29 meeting, the park might also offer opportunities for horseback riding. While the county is unlikely to build large parking areas for horse trailers, riders might be allowed to use the park’s trails, something Robert Marshburn and a group of other horse owners would like to do.

“We don’t want to be left out,” he said.

The county wants to have the park’s master plan completed by the fall, although funding for the construction hasn’t been secured. Once money becomes available, building the park is likely to take 18 to 24 months, Hatchell said.

The next community forum will be held June 12 at 7 p.m. at the Wendell Community Center.

The county, together with two other agencies, is also hoping the park will be just the first piece of a much larger open space area. The property is part of the Marks Creek Rural Lands Initiative established to conserve land along Marks Creek from Lake Myra to the confluence of Marks Creek and the Neuse River.

Wake County, Triangle Land Conservancy and the Trust For Public Land partnered to establish the initiative to protect water quality, wildlife habitat and rural character as well as provide opportunities for low-impact recreation.

The first acquisition was made in 2005 and now the partnership has 11 tracts totaling about 1,000 acres. The goal is to have about 7,700 acres.

(Editor’s Note: Wake County is encouraging residents to take a survey on the proposed amenities and activities at the county's Web site. The county is also looking for photos, letters, drawings and other memorabilia related to Lake Myra to help with the park’s planning process.)