Letter to the Editor: New Irmo Park Raises Concerns for Resident

To all members of Town Council and residents of Irmo: 

While I enjoy parks and community recreation, I think it is important that the Town Council and appropriate developers take into consideration the thoughts and concerns of those who live adjacent to the park and who, subsequently, will be the most affected by park activities and construction.  It is with this in mind that I would like to highlight my concerns: 

1. Park Buffer - We've heard mention of a 100-foot buffer between the park and residential properties.  Currently, this does not seem to be the case, as the land clearing and mulching is definitely within 100 feet of our homes.  Whatever type of buffer we decide upon should be effective in keeping park visitors from accessing our yards.  Many residents who are adjacent to the park do not have fences.  This combined with an insufficient buffer zone would welcome anyone to trespass upon our backyards and invade privacy; especially if we expect large crowds in the park for festivals like the Okra Strut.  I would like to see an effective buffer (e.g. fencing, shrubs, and cedar) to deter park visitors from accessing our yards and invading our privacy.  I also feel that meandering walkways which infiltrate or disturb the buffer take away the point of having a buffer.  In other words, if walkways are closer to the homes than the buffer, we would lose the benefits of having such a buffer zone.  Please keep the buffer 100 feet or 150 feet.

2. Safety - As we plan for the design and functionality of the park, I appeal to us putting just as much thought and resources toward ongoing park security.  As we all know, unmonitored or under-monitored public areas can attract many dubious elements.  Public parks can easily become the domain of vandals, delinquents, and the homeless.  I have young children who enjoy playing in their backyard, as do other residents adjacent to the park.  It is of utmost importance that we not only have an effective border, but also an effective policing, surveillance, and patrolling plan in place.  This type of plan must be properly budgeted for and must be comprehensive.  It is not my wish to see people sleeping in the park or to have sex offenders or drug-related activity lurking in my backyard.

3. Water Runoff - As most residents on the lower sections of Doncaster Drive already know, we have a serious issue with water runoff from the proposed park area.  I'm no topographical expert, but it seems to be due to the slope of the land, its low relative elevation, and the myriad of small creeks and waterways around Friarsgate.  We must take into consideration how this clearing will further exacerbate this problem.  Whenever we have moderate to heavy rainfall, several residents experience flooded backyards, front yards, and chronic sewage backup problems.  Will the clearing of this land for the park create greater water runoff for residents already struggling with our near swamp like conditions?  Will this park be as swampy and boggy as some of our yards?  Will vendors for an event like the Okra Strut be stuck in mud or wetlands?  We need to address this matter generally for many residential plots, and with regard to the park.

4. Budget - While we know that the land has already been purchased for approximately $224,000 and we've already paid approximately $6,000 for brush clearing, plus an additional $26,000 earmarked for the design by Grimball-Cotterill & Assoc., many residents are still unsure about the overall budget.  And more importantly, what is the budget breakdown?  I've also heard that the completion of this park depends heavily on grant money that will become available after 2014.  Is there any provision for not getting this grant?  It seems to me like the construction of this park could easily eclipse $1 million.  How much money has the town agreed to spend on this project and its long-term upkeep?

5. Communication - As I've talked to many of my neighbors about this park, many had no idea of what is going on.  In fact, most of us have become aware only as we see our community vastly changed by the lack of nature and wildlife that attracted us here initially.  I feel the town council needs an improved way of communicating with the public about the park happenings.  It is true that most of this information is available via the Irmo News and Irmo.Patch.com, but most residents are still not up to date with what is going on.  Due to the magnitude of this project, and how closely it affects residents along Doncaster Drive, Eastview Drive, and Church Street I feel we need better lines of communication with these residents to get true community interaction on this community project.

6. Infrastructure - Since this park is the proposed venue for the Okra Strut beginning in 2013, what are the plans to accommodate the large crowds that the Okra Strut could possibly draw?  Parking and the paving of Eastview Drive seem paramount when it comes to infrastructure.  And with the many vendors an event like the Okra Strut demands, do we have a plan that will allow for these vendors to access the park, set up trailers, and have adequate utilities?  Is the supporting infrastructure being taken into account when we budget for this project?

These are my main thoughts and concerns.  Other areas of interest are noise levels and preservation of the natural habitat.

I present these concerns not as opposition to the park, but as a platform for us to make educated decisions that can hopefully benefit everyone.  Parks can be wonderful if properly planned and funded for the long term.  We cannot take on an endeavor of this magnitude without dedicating long term resources to its maintenance and safety.  Nor can we let a good idea become a poor idea because we were not thorough and we rushed to get something started that we cannot afford to sustain.  I appeal to everyone involved in this project to please take an effort to inform the community.  Please keep asking the community for feedback because many of us will be able to provide valuable input as this process develops...not just at its inception.  Please think long term when budgeting. And please keep the safety and privacy of those residents nearest to the park in mind as we develop our park.

Sincerely, 

Akin Watson

Irmo