Petition to the Durham City Manager, Mayor and Members of the City Council to seek the protection of Black Meadow Ridge through help from the North Carolina State Parks System: (presented to the Durham City Council work session on November 6, 2008)

1 - Whereas Mrs. Mildred Ray, the owner of two parcels of land totaling sixty acres on what is known as Black Meadow Ridge in north Durham and adjacent to the southern boundary of West Point on the Eno Park, has stated that she is willing to sell her property at fair market value either to development or for preservation,  and 

2 - Whereas the Friends of West Point Park recognize the need to preserve this valuable piece of upland buffer, West Point Park and the Eno River from environmental compromise due to development impacts such as forest and wildlife habitat destruction, pollution and sediment runoff, erosion, light and noise penetration and domestic animals, and

3 - Whereas the Friends of West Point Park have been advised by Durham CIty officials that the City of Durham is unlikely to fund the purchase of Black Meadow Ridge for preservation at fair market value, and

4 - Whereas N.C. State Parks officials affirm that they will seriously consider a request for funding in their current 2008/9 budget for the preservation of Black Meadow Ridge, if the City of Durham agrees to the transfer of West Point on the Eno Park, an illiquid permanent conservation asset owned by the public, to the N.C. State Park system with its consistently high standards of upkeep, effectively moving the eastern boundary of the Eno River State Park eastward two miles from Guess Rd. to N. Roxboro St., and

5 - Whereas the City of Durham resources that are required to manage West Point Park - the maintenance of historic buildings, meeting ADA requirements, garbage collection, recycling, restroom upkeep, invasive plant management and environmental education - could be redirected to improve the condition of our other smaller neighborhood city parks and rapidly expanding greenway trail system, allowing the consistently higher standards of upkeep by the N.C, State Parks System to apply to West Point Park, and

6 - Whereas the Friends of West Point Park have been assured by N.C. State Park officials that if the state assumes the management of West Point Park, they foresee no barriers in renewing the park’s currently contracted festival and environmental education programs, and
 
7 - Whereas the Friends of West Point Park find that the existing law enforcement at West Point Park,  presently consisting of a city patrol car drive-through once a week and a state wildlife enforcement officer visit once a month, could be greatly enhanced by the presence of state park law enforcement rangers ...

     Now Therefore, the Friends of West Point Park ask the Durham City Manager and City Council to enter into formal negotiations with the N.C. State Parks System that could make possible the transfer of management of West Point on the Eno Park to the North Carolina State Parks System, thereby allowing the State of North Carolina to negotiate with the owner of the sixty acre Ray property for the purchase and preservation of Black Meadow Ridge for the continued use and benefit of the citizens of Durham and the larger community.

The Friends of West Point on the Eno Park

         The following neigborhood associations that encircle West Point on the Eno Park have formally endorsed this resolution and petition to the Durham City Council:

Argonne Hills Neigborhood Watch Community
Horton Hills Homeowners Association
Lochhaven Hills Neighborhood Association
Old Farm Neighborhood Association
River Forest Neighborhood Association

          Endorsements from other Durham neighborhood aassociations:


Fairfield Neighborhood Association
Forest Hills Neighborhood Association
Old West Durham Neighborhood Association
Olive Branch Road Neighborhood Association
Trinity Park Neighborhood Association
Tuscaloosa Lakewood Neighborhood Association

          Endorsements from area environmental organizations and leaders:

Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association
Friends of South Ellerbe Creek
Neuse River Foundation
Haw River Assembly
John "Blackfeather" Jeffries
Holger Olof Nygard

          Endorsements from the Durham Business & Political Community:

Sylvia Kerckhoff - Former Durham Mayor
Frank Ferrell - Ninth Street Bakery
Bob Chapman - Traditional Neighborhood Development Partners, LLC
Carol Cappelletti - Real Estate Broker
Frank Hyman - Former Durham City Councilman
Matt Yarborough - Former Durham City Councilman