But the decision Roanoke Rapids City Council made Tuesday night to move forward with the Highway 158 masterplan is a stepping stone to improvements in not only the area of the Chaloner Recreation Center but other communities such as Southgate, South Rosemary and Lincoln Heights.
It has been in the planning stages for a few years now, talked about openly during discussions on the 2016-2017 budget and now has the chance to become a reality, making improvements to an area which serves as a gateway not only to the city but one leading to points east and west of here.
Benefitting from these improvements will be three city parks — Wheeler, King and Chaloner.
We believe the plan deserves a thorough debate and believe it benefits the cluster of parks in the area rather than focusing on just one.
The masterplan is already something the Kate B. Reynolds Foundation is behind, Parks and Recreation Director John Simeon has said.
While there is no chance of funding a new pool at Chaloner, there have been discussions and the plan will most likely include a water feature of some kind.
It has been our experience that most youngsters would enjoy a water feature as much as they would a pool. In coming and going, covering different events, we have found children love to be doused with fire hoses, love to frolic under the shower on a hot summer day and would derive as much enjoyment from that as they would a pool.
The idea of the masterplan is to make significant improvements to these vital areas. It is not an attempt to bandage a small wound, but to bring these facilities up to standards of places such as Emry and Chockoyotte parks — new equipment at Wheeler, better lighting and walking facilities at MLK Park and an effort to make Chaloner less prone to flooding.
This is not to excuse away the need for a pool at Chaloner Recreation Center. We have always believed there should be one and would encourage city council to continue to explore funding opportunities while at the same time encouraging those who hold the center near and dear as the icon it is to seek ways to help the city find other options.
Unfortunately, in light of limited funding sources, the best answer at the moment is to move forward with the Highway 158 masterplan.
The process leading up to this plan means opportunities for public input — the same process which led to the adoption of the countywide recreation masterplan and a heavily used skate park at T.J. Davis.
We are on the cusp of some new things coming to the Roanoke Valley — talks of an Amtrak Station in Weldon, the revitalization in Halifax and even something as simple as the continued development of the green space at 1026 Roanoke Avenue.
The masterplan is another way to see improvements come to our community, another way for us to take pride in the efforts going on behind the scenes to make us more economically viable.
While we know there is bitterness, we also know this plan addresses several concerns instead of just one and should be looked at objectively by council, the residents these improvements will benefit the most and the overall population of Roanoke Rapids as well. — Editor
