Gleaning Facebook: Rome's "Central Park" Illustrated

It will come as no surprise to my friends that I love the centerfold of the new Chamber of Commerce magazine Bridges. It is a beautiful panoramic view of Rome from an unusual perspective - probably a camera on a drone over the flag atop Jackson Hill. Fully half of the photograph is a section of what I like to call Rome's "Central Park". I wish we'd had this photo during our battle to save "Central Park" five years ago and before. How thankful I am that that battle was eventually won, and ALL that greenspace you see here in the very heart of our city is now preserved for our posterity in this river city.

What I call Rome's Central Park is

• the Riverwalk and RidgeFerry Park along the Oostanaula River,

• the Jackson Hill and Blossom Hill public property along Dogwood Drive, Vaughn Road, and Reservoir Street.

• and the 80 acres of Burwell Creek, Burwell Forest, and the City Duck Pond.

Together those properties give Rome an amazing greenspace full of wildlife and botanical beauty just blocks from Broad Street and along the Turner McCall and Riverside Parkway thoroughfares.

We the People of Rome are the stewards of this property during our lifetimes and through our city commissioners must direct its careful development for educational, recreational, and environmental use by ourselves and those who come after us. I hope I live to see well-designed bike and pedestrian boardwalks, trails, and observation stations/platforms connecting Jackson Hill to Ridge Ferry through the Burwell area. 

Comments

Howard Smith
I call it Terrell Territory

Betty Smith Franklin
done.

Michael J. Burton
Oh me of little faith. Didn’t think this was possible since big money wanted to develop this. Ya da man well worth your fight 

Joe Cook
Terrell Shaw, thank you for leading this effort. Last weekend, I cycled the PATH Foundation's South River and Arabia Mountain trails which included several boardwalks over wetlands. WoW! What great trails those are! We need to get serious about developing similar trails through the Burwell Creek wetlands. Here's some video of one of the boardwalks!

(Terrell: Sorry - I couldn't get the video to work from Blogger.)

Rosemary Chubb Shropshire
Awesome 

Ann Gore
Thank you Terrell and Sheila for working so hard to save this beautiful green space!! Love Rome!!

Terrell Shaw
It took a crowd of folks — thanks to the scores of folks who stepped up on short notice to make a big difference.