by Walkerasurus
If you haven't noticed already, two local parks have been closed off for “improvements” by the city: Sonny Lawson and “Triangle” Park.
There is a lot of discussion on the street about what is actually happening. At Sonny Lawson the improvements include new playground equipment, additional tables, additional lighting, exercise equipment and more. There has been some concern from the homeless community about how the park will be used when it reopens in April. Fears that the the homeless will be run off once the park reopens abound. Over the years the park has been very popular with the local homeless community. It's away from the noise of the city so it is peaceful, yet it is close to many needed services. So its popularity is understandable.
Over the last several months a neighborhood group called the Sonny Lawson Stewardship Committee has been meeting to discuss how to use and maintain the park when it reopens. The meetings have had regular and vocal attendance from the park's heaviest users, homeless people. Concerts, craft shows, farmers' markets and volunteer clean up crews to support these events are all being discussed. Those attending the meetings (which are open to everyone) understand that, because of its location, Sonny Lawson Park will continue to be popular among the homeless community.
It will be interesting to see what actually happens when the park reopens in the spring. For me, it is a welcome development that the committee has expressed a desire to make sure those heavy users are not “run off" and continue to be a large part of the park's future. (Yeah I guess Five Points is full of cool people who “get it." I see an opportunity here! a community modeling to the rest of the city how to integrate well with people experiencing homelessness.) The Stewardship Committee seems hopeful that usage in the future will help the total community mix better. With the amount of activity being discussed, it is likely that Sonny Lawson Park will be a lively and active place when it reopens this spring.
I am hopeful that six months from now I will be able to report that the positive changes to the park evolved. But the history in the area suggests it will likely go back to the way it was before the city spent the money. The same way it has been for the last several decades... we shall see.
The situation at “Triangle Park” is quite a bit different. Rather than improvements being made to the existing park, it is being completely overhauled to become a different kind of park. When it reopens this spring it will be a gated community garden. There will not be the random but constant hanging around that the park has experienced in the past. We will see what kind of access there will be to the park when it reopens as I do not know the details but it will certainly have a different usage upon reopening.
If you haven't noticed already, two local parks have been closed off for “improvements” by the city: Sonny Lawson and “Triangle” Park.
There is a lot of discussion on the street about what is actually happening. At Sonny Lawson the improvements include new playground equipment, additional tables, additional lighting, exercise equipment and more. There has been some concern from the homeless community about how the park will be used when it reopens in April. Fears that the the homeless will be run off once the park reopens abound. Over the years the park has been very popular with the local homeless community. It's away from the noise of the city so it is peaceful, yet it is close to many needed services. So its popularity is understandable.
Over the last several months a neighborhood group called the Sonny Lawson Stewardship Committee has been meeting to discuss how to use and maintain the park when it reopens. The meetings have had regular and vocal attendance from the park's heaviest users, homeless people. Concerts, craft shows, farmers' markets and volunteer clean up crews to support these events are all being discussed. Those attending the meetings (which are open to everyone) understand that, because of its location, Sonny Lawson Park will continue to be popular among the homeless community.
It will be interesting to see what actually happens when the park reopens in the spring. For me, it is a welcome development that the committee has expressed a desire to make sure those heavy users are not “run off" and continue to be a large part of the park's future. (Yeah I guess Five Points is full of cool people who “get it." I see an opportunity here! a community modeling to the rest of the city how to integrate well with people experiencing homelessness.) The Stewardship Committee seems hopeful that usage in the future will help the total community mix better. With the amount of activity being discussed, it is likely that Sonny Lawson Park will be a lively and active place when it reopens this spring.
I am hopeful that six months from now I will be able to report that the positive changes to the park evolved. But the history in the area suggests it will likely go back to the way it was before the city spent the money. The same way it has been for the last several decades... we shall see.
The situation at “Triangle Park” is quite a bit different. Rather than improvements being made to the existing park, it is being completely overhauled to become a different kind of park. When it reopens this spring it will be a gated community garden. There will not be the random but constant hanging around that the park has experienced in the past. We will see what kind of access there will be to the park when it reopens as I do not know the details but it will certainly have a different usage upon reopening.
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