Background
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The General Assembly voted to build a mental hospital in Butner and close the Dorothea Dix hospital. At the point the idea of selling all the Dorothea Dix property surfaced. A legislative committee was appointed to study the issue. The directive was to study what should be done with the property if it sold. There is a real danger that the property could be sold for private rather than public use.
Parks protect the environment and enhance the economy. The City of Raleigh, Wake County, and the State of North Carolina are investing millions of dollars to acquire new parks and greenways and to protect water quality. Wake County has just spent $20 million acquiring new parkland and voted to approve borrowing another $26 million for parks in the last election. The NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, Parks & Recreation Trust Fund, and Natural Heritage Trust Fund have invested over $15 million to acquire parkland in Wake County.
Protecting the existing land at Dix is much, much more cost effective than spending state and local funds to buy new land. Furthermore the State discourages development in the 100-year floodplain and in riparian buffers. The best way for the State to protect floodplains and buffers at Dix is to protect them as a park. We — the citizens of North Carolina – already own this land.
Protection of open space was the top priority on a recent Raleigh citizen survey – above transportation needs.
Great cities have great parks. Atlanta spent a fortune trying to buy back about 20 acres for its downtown Centennial Park. Creating the Dorothea Dix Park would protect water and air quality, improve the quality of life, attract new investment, and increase property values – particularly downtown, Pullen Terrace, Boylan Heights, Caraleigh, NCSU’s Centennial Campus, and south Raleigh. People need parks.
Raleigh, Wake County and the Triangle are growing rapidly. Green space is shrinking. According to the City of Raleigh Raleigh’s population is increasing 10% every four years. According to Environmental Defense Wake County has lost one out of three trees in the last 12 years.
Development can be built just about anywhere. Dix is the only site left for a large downtown park for the Capital City.
The Dorothea Dix Campus is important to North Carolina and the nation’s history. It’s a National Register Historic District.
North Carolina is trying to retain and recruit “knowledge workers” to grow its economy. Knowledge workers can live anywhere. Parks, greenways, trails, clean air, and clean water are key to retaining and attracting knowledge workers.
The State is currently using the existing buildings as offices for 1200 employees. If the hospital closes, that space could provide office space for some of the 1800 employees in leased space. Leasing space is more costly than using already state-owned space.
Considering all factors, it would be foolish to sell this particular piece of property.
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