To the editor:
The town of Wake Forest has plans to build a skate and pump (bike) park and fitness court on East Holding Avenue at Brooks Street to the tune of $4.4M.
This parcel sits between the Northern Wake Senior Center and the Brookdale Retirement/Nursing/Memory Care home, and across the street from the public library. It is a small narrow tract, 1.75 acres, and densely treed.
I am a member of the Neuse River Hawks, a chapter of the NC Wildlife Federation, and we’re hoping to convince the town that this location for a park of this type is inappropriate. We are not opposed to the town building a park like this; We just think this is the wrong place.
Not only will the parcel’s trees be clear-cut (one of the last remaining stands of trees in downtown Wake Forest), the parcel serves as a habitat for many creatures, including a deer herd along with a multitude of birds and other critters.
One of our biggest concerns about the location is because of the noise these types of parks generate. The town did not even have the courtesy to notify the nursing home people nor the owners of the pricey townhomes right there on Brooks Street of their plans. The memory care people could be very disturbed by the noise as could be the retirement and assisted living people.
We have questions about the sale of the property, if the noise will be a big concern for the veterans who frequent the American Lodge on Holding, and whether the town will even have a public hearing on the development of the park.
Marian Kirchhoff
Neuse River Hawks Secretary
Wake Forest
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November 1, 2024
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9 Responses
The town has an ordinance (Section 28-6) that prohibits skateboarding in downtown Wake Forest, and this parcel is in the prohibited area. Will they have to rescind the ordinance and allow skateboarding downtown?
Why not consider Flaherty park?
Indeed! My understanding is they want it located in the downtown area.
The proposed skate park is inappropriate for this location….environment will be destroyed, noise levels will be too much, accident calls will increase….just wrong
The town has an ordinance — Section 28-6 — that prohibits skateboarding in downtown Wake Forest and this parcel is located in the prohibited area. Will they have to rescind the ordinance and allow skateboarding downtown?
Another wonderful idea by the Town of Wake Forest that goes along with the development of excessive high density housing, high density traffic and low density forethought.
I am against the plan as proposed and agree with Marian and Ann. There appears to have been little consideration to the environmental impact and to the adjoining property owners.
Thank you for responding. I hope we get more responses that will sway Parks & Rec to reconsider the location for a skateboard park.
It seems to me that Parks & Recreation has jumped the gun on the skateboard park without enough advance planning or looking at other possible areas. The location is horrible for a skateboard park.
According to staff the residents of Brookdale enjoy that peaceful area with trees, birds and the small deer herd, including the Albino deer. All that would be gone if they clear the trees. Research says that even with a tree barrier and man made barriers, the sounds from skateboarding are extremely loud. Families chose to put their loved ones at Brookdale because it is a peaceful neighborhood.
Will people visiting the library have their reading disturbed by the noise? If the park gets crowded, how will the town stop skateboarders from using the parking lot at the Senior center? What about the members of the American Legion with PTSD?
There are too many questions that haven’t been answered. I certainly hope this goes before the commissioners before it is a done deal.