Monday, January 25, 2010

Request from Sig Hutchinson re: Greenways

Please read the e-mail from Sig below. Based on our experiences, Access Umstead is all too familiar with rude and vocal groups making the same tired argument...

Action Alert – Action Needed
Your Greenways Are under Threat!!!!
(Please Forward)

Within several years, your greenway system in the Triangle will soon span hundreds of miles from the Falls Lake Dam through Raleigh or down the Neuse River to Umstead Park, Cary (and many more towns and cities) connecting up to the American Tobacco Trail and then to Durham. AMAZING!!!! But now the greenway system is under threat of being severed by a small group of VERY vocal neighbors in Summerfield North subdivision, (North Raleigh off Strickland Rd.) who are literally objecting to signage directing users through their subdivision on public streets and sidewalks for the 2 ½ blocks to where the greenway restarts heading south towards Shelly Lake. Staff has said they have never seen such a rude and vocal group of citizens at a public meetings shouting down our supporters and basically making a spectacle. They proposed two alternate routes that would add unnecessary time, cost and distance to a direct link though the neighborhood. (You might be reading the ongoing battle in the N. Raleigh News) They are making the same old tired arguments about crime, vandals and property values; all of which is totally untrue and in fact, the opposite is true.

Property Values
http://www.railstotrails.org/resources/documents/resource_docs/tgc_economic.pdf

Crime
http://www.railstotrails.org/resources/documents/resource_docs/Safe%20Communities_F_lr.pdf

What can you do?

Contact members of the Raleigh City Council and the Parks and Greenways Advisory Board

Mayor - Charles Meeker - charles.meeker@ci.raleigh.nc.usDistrict A - Nancy McFarlane - nancy.mcfarlane@ci.raleigh.nc.us (This is in her District)At-Large - Russ Stephenson - russ.stephenson@ci.raleigh.nc.us (Chair, Public Works Committee)District B - John Odom - john.odom@ci.raleigh.nc.us (Member, Public Works Committee)District E - Bonner Gaylord - bonner.gaylord@ci.raleigh.nc.us (Member, Public Works Committee) District C - James West - james.west@ci.raleigh.nc.us (Mayor Pro Tempore)At-Large - Mary-Ann Baldwin - mary-ann.baldwin@ci.raleigh.nc.usDistrict D - Thomas Crowder - thomas.crowder@ci.raleigh.nc.us
Entire City Council at once – Citycouncilor@ci.raleigh.nc.us

Then CC. the Members of the Parks & Greenways Advisory Board

Mr. Eugene Weeks (Chair) - eweeks1@bellsouth.net
Mr. Jimmy Thiem (Vice-Chair) – jthiem@hagersmith.com
Ms. Gail Till – gtill@nc.rr.com
Mr. Greg Barley - gbbarley@msn.com
Mr. Kevin Brice – Kmbrice@nc.rr.com
Ms. Doris Burke – johnnieburke@bellsouth.net
Mr. Jay Chaudhuri – jay.j.chaudhuri@gmail.com
Mr. Mark Turner – jmarkturner@gmail.com
Mr. Scott Reston – scott@therestons.com
Ms Rebecca Oxholm – rboxholm@gmail.com
Ms. Jan Pender – jan@ctnc.org
Ms. Elaine Perkinson – eperky@bellsouth.net
Ms. Shoshanna Serxner – sserxner@nc.rr.com
Mr. Christopher Smith – csmith5@nc.rr.com
Mr. Gerald Wright – Gerald.Wright@Duke.edu

Subject: Honeycutt Greenway

“Please complete the Honeycutt Greenway in North Raleigh in the most direct way possible, including a direct link through Summerfield North. Our greenways are of real value to our community and the interconnection of our system is one of its greatest strengths.”

You can add about how much you love and use the greenway, and how much you appreciate the City Council funding the expansion of our greenway system if you would like. Sign it and your good to go.

And/Or

You Can Attend a Meeting

We need some people in the audience to counter the large group of opposition that will be out in force. You don’t need to say anything but simply be there to support the greenways. In talking with City Councilors and Parks Board members, this group is a very intimidating crowd and we need to neutralize their impact so our elected officials will have the support and courage to do the right thing. Most importantly, this sets a precedent for elected officials and Boards in the future to do the right thing when uninformed neighbors show up trying to sever the greenway. These elected and appointed leaders need to know that the public support the greenway system and most importantly, the interconnectivity of our system.

Meetings

Parks, Recreation & Greenways Advisory Board
Thursday, January 21st, 6:00 pm, City Council Chamber of the Raleigh Municipal Building, Avery C. Upchurch Complex, located at 222 W. Hargett Street, Raleigh, North Carolina.
You can sign up for a 2 minute public comment at the beginning but this is not necessary
(But your presence is important)

City Council Meeting
Tuesday, February 2nd at 1:00 in the Council Chambers, 2nd Floor Municipal Building
222 W. Hargett St. Raleigh, NC

The meeting starts at 1:00 pm, This will be part of the PRGAB report that should be around 2:00 but you never really know. They could approve it or refer it to the Public Works Committee, (Most likely) to be worked out there and then to come back to City Council at a later date.

Public Works Committee
Tuesday, February 9th at 5:00, and Tuesday, February 23rd 5:00 (2nd and 4th Tuesday)
Council Chambers 2nd Floor - 222 W. Hargett St. Raleigh, NC

Once in Public Works, Chairperson Stephenson decides when it is to be placed on the agenda, so we won’t know till later when it will be heard by the PW committee. If you are planning to attend these later meetings, e-mail me at Sig@SigHutchinson.com and I can keep you posted to the latest information.

I’ll thank you in advance for your support and attention. Rarely do I ask for help and when it do, I promise it’s important!!!

Sig Hutchinson
Sig@SigHutchinson.com

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