INC NEWS - Guest column: Bright Future for West Point Park (Herald-Sun)

[John Schelp]

Guest column: Bright Future for West Point Park
By Josie McNeil, Herald-Sun, 17 Sept 2008

The Friends of West Point Park web site, FOWPP.ORG, has a page posted with eight points in favor of the State Park concept for preservation of Black Meadow Ridge. All our “cards are on the table.”  An important point of clarity is that we are not talking about a N.C. State Parks "takeover," but simply moving the eastern boundary of the Eno River State Park two miles to the east from Guess Road to North Roxboro Street at the invitation of the City of Durham and including Black Meadow Ridge in the process. This is a concept that some citizens of Durham are proposing as a solution.

The land and buildings at West Point Park should not be considered as liquid assets with price tags attached to them. Much of this property was originally purchased with federal and state matching funds. Whatever government agency continues to manage them,they will continue to be available to the all the citizens of Durham as permanently protected conservation land and historic buildings.

Zoning that allows either 210 or 372 housing units on Black Meadow Ridge will not be acceptable. This land must be preserved.  The City of Durham has no budget line for such a purchase.  The N.C. State Parks system does, and such funds are available in this 2008-2009 budget year.  So the City must act expeditiously to ensure these funds can be used.  This is an exciting opportunity for a signature partnership that offers Durham a creative and innovative way to preserve an important piece of buffer land to West Point Park and the Eno River.  Recent flooding and ongoing erosion in the Old Farm neighborhood highlights the need to protect upland buffers in this area.

The actual onsite management changes would most likely take place over several years, allowing Durham to relocate and refocus their current West Point Park staff (who already do programs in other locations around the city) and resources and to allow the State Parks system to hire new staff to care for West Point Park.  I read of the many programs currently offered at the Eno River State Park andI find it exciting to think this may lead to more environmental education in Durham.

The Friends of west Point Park have been told by state park officials that they see no reason why the present three West Point Park contractors - Festival for the Eno, Schoolhouse of Wonder, and Wafting the Eno -  would not continue to operate their programs under state management. But the state parks system cannot carry on formal negotiations with any entity regarding these matters at present, as the Durham City Council must first agree to make the transfer of West Point Park to the state parks system.

The recent N.C. State Park purchase agreement of the privately owned Chimney Rock Park in the western part of our state left the previous operations basically unchanged, with a transition period of over a dozen years. This allows the original family owners and employees time to slowly work through the integration process. Its gift stores continue to sell everything from high quality art and clothing to inexpensive jewelry, t-shirts and other souvenir style items.

At this month’s PAC2 meeting there was discussion about the needs of many of our Durham City parks.  With a holistic view, freeing the city from care for West Point Park should lead to better care for the remainder of our city parks and growing and demanding greenway trail system.

Taking the time to visit both the Eno River State Park and West Point on the Eno Park is a good way for people to form their own opinions about this proposed partnership. Visiting FOWPP.ORG is the best way to learn more details of what the Friends of West Point Park are proposing. On our website is a list of neighborhood and civic groups who are endorsing our proposal for Black Meadow Ridge that we will be presenting to the Durham city manager and council. We invite you to add your group's support to our growing list of concerned citizens.


Note: The author is vice president of the Friends of West Point Park.