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OPINIONS
April 11, 2019 |
 |
 Wingate Lassiter |
Making progress with public
recreation --- on two fronts
Our County Commissioners have long been reluctant to get into "the recreation business," even after Johnston's explosive growth took root in the early 1990s. They've steered clear of setting up a county recreation department, instead choosing to make grants to volunteer community organizations providing ball fields and athletic leagues in rural areas outside our municipalities.
Two actions by the commissioners last week may have broken that mold.
First of all, the board agreed to sign an agreement with the state's Division of Parks and Recreation to build a proposed link in North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea trail between Clayton and Smithfield. Actually, it would be an extension of the Neuse River Trail built and maintained by the City of Raleigh from Falls Lake to the Johnston County line and the Town of Clayton from there past the Riverwood development to a point downstream from Covered Bridge Road.
The County of Johnston now says it's willing to take responsibility for building and maintaining the trail --- a paved bicycle and pedestrian way --- from the present Clayton terminus to a connection with Smithfield's "greenway." Commissioners apparently realize the "quality of life" benefits that arise from projects like this. If you've traveled about the state and nation in recent years, you've likely seen "greenways" taking shape in communities large and small. Folks of all ages want places where they can safely walk, jog, or bike close to home.
Action No. 2 by Johnston's commissioners last week was to put money into purchase of a future park site in the heart of suburban Cleveland Township. Leaders of that community had hoped to win approval of a special recreation tax district to pursue that dream, but that idea has been squelched --- first by the N.C. General Assembly, which refused to allow a local referendum on the question, and more recently by Cleveland residents opposed to the idea of more taxation, modest as it would been (leaders of the park proposal had suggested a property tax of 4 cents per $100 valuation, a rate less than what rural residents throughout Johnston pay to maintain their fire departments).
County Commissioners saw the wisdom of setting aside land in a fast-growing suburban community for a park before it's too late, so they agreed to take money from the county's Open Space Fund to help the newly formed Cleveland Parks and Recreation Association exercise an option on 82 acres near the intersection of Polenta and Matthews roads. That Open Space money, by the way, was collected from fees on real-estate development in Cleveland Township, which means it's going where it was intended to go.
Not only should rural residents of Johnston applaud this breakthrough in county recreation policy, but residents of our towns ought to be relieved that their municipal parks don't have to become "de facto county parks" unsupported by county taxpayers.
A bitter pill from JoCo
Teen Drivers
I saw a gripping YouTube video this week from the JoCo Teen Drivers Club that was targeted at young drivers yet carries a message that needs to be heeded by us all. The video concludes with the question: "What would you say to the family of someone you just killed?"
Take the one minute and 28 seconds to watch it for yourself>
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