Fayetteville's Parks and Trails

People want more parks. Parks with more baseball and soccer fields. Parks with playgrounds for the kids and walking trails for the adults. How about the dogs? We need a park for them too. What about the city's Alternative Transportation and Trails Master Plan which has 129 miles of future trails that will connect parks, neighborhoods and citizens for years to come. The Community Park in the Southpass Development is expected to have at least 20 baseball and soccer fields. The City Council has passed ordinances in order to establish parks and have even encouraged people to vote for the passage of the Trails Bond. I guess the one thing they have failed to do is plan for the care of the parks. The City Council praises our parks and trails and yet fails to hire people to take care of them. The Parks and Recreation Department is already easing up on the upkeep of the parks.

"But the surrounding areas, sometimes, we're mowing less and less just because we're trying to protect the active-use areas," Edmonston said. Another change has been reducing the mowing on the sides of the trails.

I really disagree with Shirley Lucas and Lioneld Jordan on this. People love our parks and trails and we really don't want to see them get shabby. Amazingly, I agree with Mayor Coody.

"As Fayetteville continues to grow in population, we need to make sure our city stays green," said the mayor, who added that the city's park system is "by far the number-one favorite"in the city survey. "Especially when we are trying to encourage more dense development and encourage more infill and walkability and livability, if we start cutting back on our greenspace, then over time we will cut back on the quality of life for our community," Coody said.

It's time for the City Council to look at not just acquiring and developing parks and trails. It also has to provide for the maintenance and upkeep of them now and for the future.

Story