CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders are going to preserve a beloved park in the Madison Park neighborhood, after a community outcry.
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The park is next to Pinewood Elementary on Seneca Place near Tyvola Road.
There were talks of converting the green space into baseball fields for the Dilworth Youth Sports Association. Those plans have since been shut down.
People who live in the neighborhood said the fact that CMS wants to keep this space a park is exactly what they wanted to hear. Dozens gathered for a community engagement session with school district officials Thursday night. But they left with concerns about what happens next.
“I have mixed feelings,” said Kristina Fine, with the Save Madison Park group. “I think it’s a step in the right direction, but there are a lot of unanswered questions.”
It was a packed Pinewood Elementary cafeteria Thursday night, as concerned neighbors shared their opinions with CMS officials about the future of Madison Central Park. They describe this park as the heart of their community.
“It’s kind of like the pathway to get from place to place,” said Jessie Levy, who lives in the area. “It has, for at least my family, has served us to really be a community meeting place.”
CMS, which owns the property, was potentially planning to move forward with building baseball fields on the green space. That prompted the neighborhood to rally together to stop it.
“When you think of toddlers, what they don’t need is organized sports,” said Fine. “What they need is free space to run around and fly a kite.”
After getting negative feedback, CMS’ plan now is for board members to make a formal agreement with Mecklenburg County to make Madison Central Park an official park. That means it would be maintained by Parks and Recreation, but the school district would still own it. It’ll go before the school board for a vote.
“We’ve heard you loud and clear,” said Board of Education Vice Chair Gregory ‘Dee’ Rankin. “The next step will be before us, and I’m almost positive that the board will do what’s best for Madison Park.”
The concern now is, how do neighbors make sure another entity doesn’t come in and try to change the park’s landscape down the line?
“Being able to have the community read it, feel comfortable with it, maybe have some legal advice,” said Fine. “How do we know, given the history, that they will honor it and have our best intentions while they’re putting this together?”
That’s something school leaders said they’ll have to consult their legal team on before making any promise
As for the Dilworth Youth Sports Association, the district is exploring other school properties where the organization could put baseball fields.