[Durham INC] Fw: Community Awareness - Parkwood Rec Center -- we need your help...

[Melissa Rooney]

Please see the attached document from the president of the Parkwood Neighborhood Association, regarding the nearby (soon to be vacant) site of the Parkwood Library. The text is also cut and pasted below for your perusal.

This case/issue is not unlike the Lakewood-Tuscaloosa neighborhood's concern regarding their YMCA. Parkwood was once an award winning neighborhood, and it now faces serious decline because of the dilapidated state of the central buildling/location from which the Parkwood Library will soon move. This area is the fastest growing in Durham, yet it has no rec center, no YMCA, and soon no library. Please help these neighbors (and all of this area of South Durham) to achieve the community center they deserve and desperately need.

Thanks!
Melissa (Rooney)
Community Awareness Co-Chair

________________________






Community Center in Parkwood? 

As you may know, Durham Parks and Recreation is interested
in placing a new community center at the Parkwood Shopping Center. They have
money in their current budget to spend on acquiring land, but the present
economic situation caused the city management to decide not to pursue this
project. 

  

The City Council is just starting to write the next
fiscal-year budget (which starts in July). Now is the time to convince the
Council to fund the purchase of the shopping center and start down the road for
a Parkwood Community Center. 

  

Southern
     Durham has grown rapidly since the opening of the Streets at Southpoint.Southern
     Durham is underserved for community center services.Citizens
     of our area have partially filled this gap withSports
      programs at the Parkwood ball field and swim club (users not limited to
      Parkwood residents), andReading,
      craft, chess, children’s and ESL programs at the county library in the
      Parkwood Shopping Center.The
     Parkwood library will close in 2010. Some programs may reappear at the new
     South Regional Library, but most people will not be able to reach them on
     foot or by bicycle.A new
     community center is needed to replace those services and to provide many
     others, especially for our youth and retired citizens.The
     Parkwood Shopping Center is an excellent candidate for a new community
     center with existing parking and utilities. The building can be used for
     some programs now, although a substantial investment will be needed for it
     to reach its full potential.The property
     is available for sale now but will not be available forever.The
     Parkwood area was designated among the “Priority Areas for New Community
     Centers” in the Durham Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2003 - 2013 (See
     page 88 in the document referenced under Adopted at http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/parks/parks2.cfm) 

  

What can you do? Contact your city council members. Their
email addresses are: Bill.Bell at durhamnc.gov, farad.ali at durhamnc.gov, Eugene.Brown at durhamnc.gov, diane.catotti at durhamnc.gov, Cora.Cole-McFadden at durhamnc.gov, Howard.Clement at durhamnc.gov, & mike.woodard at durhamnc.gov. Their mail address is
101 City Hall Plaza, Durham, NC 27701. The city hall phone number is
919-560-4333. 

  

The message is that the time is right for a community center
in Parkwood.  You may want to use some
of the points mentioned above.
 

If you are interested in doing more, contact Dan
Oldman at d.oldman at verizon.net or 544-2686.



      


      
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