AHOSKIE – The choice is made.

At its meeting here Tuesday, members of the Ahoskie Town Council reviewed a list of 10 possible names for the Buy Out area. Council members were instructed to numerically assign numbers as to their first choice, second choice, etc.

The list was generated through suggestions made by Ahoskie citizens.

After tallying-up the numbers, Ahoskie Town Manager Tony Hammond announced the council’s top two choices n Ahoskie Creek Recreational Complex and Creekside Park. Of those two, Ahoskie Creek Recreational Complex was the top choice. Councilman Ronald Gatling motioned to approve that name for the Buy Out area and the ensuing vote was without objection.

The Buy Out area n formerly what was the western edges of Camlin Street, Memorial Drive and Stokes Street along with Woodlawn Drive, Lakewood Drive and Edgewood Drive n was deemed as such as FEMA purchased the property on the heels of destructive flooding caused initially by Hurricane Floyd in September of 1999 and later by Tropical Storm Allison in June of 2001.

Under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, FEMA worked with Hertford County on the project. After the buyout, which also encompassed other portions of the county, including Stony Creek Mobile Home Park, Hertford County officials deeded the Ahoskie property, after the homes were demolished, over to the town.

FEMA guidelines prevented permanent structures from being constructed in the Buy Out area, thus leading Ahoskie officials to turn the old neighborhood into a park/recreational complex. Work is finished on a portion of that effort while plans are proceeding for the remainder of the project, including an amphitheatre.

Other suggestions on the list to rename the Buy Out area included Memorial Park, Lakewinds Park, Riverwinds Park, Heritage Park, Lakewood Park, Centennial Park, Common Ground Meadow Park and Common Meadow Ground Park.

Hammond did not rule out the possibility that any of the non-winning suggestions could be used to name specific areas of the now renamed Ahoskie Creek Recreational Complex.