Hillsborough, N.C. — Orange County officials have purchased 145 acres of land for a future county park in the northeastern part of the county near the rural crossroads community of Schley.

The site, purchased from F.M. Kirby of Hillsborough for about $1.45 million, is located five miles northeast of Hillsborough and a half-mile east of N.C. Highway 57. It has road frontage on Schley Road to the north and along Mincey Road to the south.

Current plans call for the county to bank the property for future use, as no funds have been allocated for park development or operation. A park would likely feature a combination of active and low-impact recreation, including playing fields on the open sections of the site. Much of the southern half of the property is forested, which officials said might make it conducive to nature trails and picnic areas.

County officials also are considering using a small portion of the site for a solid waste convenience center for residents in the northeast part of the county to replace a center on N.C. 57 that closed last year.