Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Colleen McCarthy" <cmccarthy1 AT nc.rr.com>]

Hi Folks,

 

I think that many of you are interested in this, also.

 

Thanks!

 

Colleen

---

Subject: [W5] Asking for your support for the Dorothea Dix Park

Ladies,

I am not one to send chain letters but this one is different.  I am asking you to support the plan to turn the remaining Dorothea Dix Hospital property into a park.  When will we ever get such an opportunity again to create a 305 acre "central park" for Raleigh?

It's time everyone to step up to the plate and help create an exceptional park. Raleigh (really the entire Triangle region) is such a popular relocation site not just because homes are reasonably priced as compared to the larger metro areas in the Northeast and West.  It's because of the quality of life, the educational system, the open land, the jobs....  You know why, you live here!

Last Saturday I walked the property with the Triangle Environmental Meetup group and was so impressed with the land, the buildings, the view and the possibilities.  The group leader had worked on the campus and knew so many stories making our trek much more meaningful.  The picture we took are more of the group than the site except the on of us hugging the 150 year old tree.

This walk really opened my eyes. I have always been in favor of the park concept simply because I like being outdoors and fell that there are not enough parks for the number of people.  Unfortunately mental health lost this battle long ago.  Raleigh does not have enough mental health resources for the current population much less the future.  That's another story for another time.

If you'd like to learn more, the Friends of Dorothea Dix Park (FDDP) site has tons of information, http://DixPark.org.  There's a wonderful informative article contrasting the current 205 acre park + development plan with the 305 acre park only plan support by FDDP. 

 

ULI Development plan is a mixed use of park, residential and commercial.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I support the revitalization of downtown.  We need a mixture of destinations, restaurants and businesses to create the foot traffic after 5pm. Having a vibrant downtown is critical to Raleigh's continued development.  Look at the success of Glenwood South.  My goodness, I used to buy my tires down there and have my brakes fixed on Glenwood! 

 

There are 100s of condos being built downtown.  Why do we need to build more housing on land that is essentially a park already?   We can all enjoy the land if it is a park!  Look at the commanding view of downtown as seen from the Dix property.

I was stunned to learn that in1974 the Hospital had 2,354 acres of land, with 3 lakes and 1,300 acres for the farm.  I remember seeing the area for the first time in 1974 as my parents live within minutes of the Dix site.

In 1984 approximately 1000 acres was re-allocated to NCSU for the Centennial Campus and the Farmers Market during Governor Jim Hunt's tenure.  There was no protest, no discussion; it was slipped in to a bill at the last minute.

Today, our voices can be heard. It's OUR city.  For me, I'd like to be able to say with pride, that Raleigh rose to the challenge and created a world class park for its citizens to enjoy.  Research Triangle Park may be fueling our economic success but we need real park land of grass, trees, vistas… a place to move or sit a reflect.

 

Please support the Friends of Dorothea Dix plan for a "World Class Destination Park".  Write your legislator; tell your friends and neighbors.  Let them know how important it is to develop this precious piece of land to benefit the community.  Raleigh is a wonderful place to live, let's plan for the future and make an outstanding city!

 

Thanks for reading and for your support. You can tell that I'm passionate about this property.  It's my environmental side coming out.  Once a tree hugger, always a tree hugger!

 

Jeanne Moyer

jeanne AT jeannemoyer.com

919-412-2384

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Friends Of Dorothea Dix Park Announcements <announce AT dixpark.org>
Date: Jan 24, 2007 11:45 AM
Subject: [announce] Friends of Dix Park Progress - Great Press
To: announce AT dixpark.org

We are very encouraged by the events of the last two days.  We did a lot of preparation for the commission meeting, but the cards were stacked against us.  I made several pleas for the commission to listen to our FDDP park plan and they refused.  Then I tried to amend the "Recommendations" our commission would make to the Legislature so that it would recommend preserving the land as the first choice and only developing it if it were absolutely necessary.  That too was put down. 

The Recommendations, however, are completely consistent with a park, and in fact on simple reading look as to be preferring a park, but when I asked if the recommendations were, in Staff's opinion, consistent with a 250 acre development they said that it was.

I then tried to again amend the wording so the development couldn't be private development, and of course that too was not accepted.  In fact at one point the Chair asked me not to speak with such emotion.

So why did I start this with "We are very encouraged..."?  Because we are finally getting the public recognition that we deserve.  And it is YOU (remember YOU are "Time" person of the year) who will convince Jennifer Weiss, Vernon Malone, and Deborah Ross that when they negotiate the final bill for us the negations will center around a great park over the whole Dix Campus with the development around its edges.

The focus now moves to the Legislature as a whole.  Vernon Malone, a Co-chair of the commission put it very well when he said that Legislators from all over the state will be making this decision, not just those from this area, so it is time to talk to your friends from Murphy to Manteo and let them know what a great World Class Destination Park Dix could make.

We are finally getting some good, no excellent press.  The TV is now mentioning the "Park" plan as a significant alternative.  Just as importantly they are distinguishing between the 200 acre park that will only be a neighborhood park and the Destination Park that needs all of the Dix property to create the synergies necessary to become Great.

Here are links to the articles.  You can find links to all the Dix Park articles at our website:
http://DixPark.org


Latest Dix Idea Focuses on Park    News & Observer Ryan Teague Beckwith Jan 24, 2007
Proposal for state hospital grounds would have condominiums nearby
http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/535454.html

Big Chance at Dix   News & Observer Editorial Jan 24, 2007
Dix Hill in Raleigh represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something special with 300 beautiful acres. Updated: Jan. 24, 2007 3:04 AM |
http://www.newsobserver.com/579/story/535368.html


--
Joseph Huberman
919-828-6068
Joseph AT Treklite.com


_______________________________________________
announce mailing list
announce AT dixpark.org
http://dixpark.org/mailman/listinfo/announce_dixpark.org

-- 
Jeanne Moyer 
REALTOR, Broker, MBA, RECS
Triangle Estates Realty
919.412.2384 Cell
866.547.3464 Fax
jeanne AT jeannemoyer.com 
www.jeannemoyer.com


By the way, the best compliment you can 
give me is your 
referrals.
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