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Re: Mountain Hope
The potential dignity the greenway affords our neighborhood is measured in many ways.-- Brad Spencer
I like the way Mr. Spencer uses the Greenway running from Grandview as a metaphor for Mt. Hope -- he is right -- in many ways this pathway epitomizes many of the problems that plague Mt. Hope: governmental neglect; litter, debris, and environmental unawareness; crime, drug use, and drug dealing; the mis-use of property; zoning and housing issues; and neighborhood inertia and apathy.
As Katie pointed out, this land was sold by the Mt. Hope Land Trust to the State of Rhode Island to be developed into affordable housing units to be sold to qualified first-time buyers. Still, there must be an approval process before building that the builders must go through that should include hearings and an opportunity for input from the neighborhood and interested parties.
It would be in the interest of the neighborhood for someone to do a close reading of these proposals and an exacting study of what the process will entail and where and how it would be appropriate for people in the Mt. Hope neighborhood to voice their opinions and concerns. The pathway/greenway is definitely worth saving, worth fighting for.
Mr. Spence writes of Mt. Hope and its ills, “Something deeper needs to take place and a new path must be discovered.” He calls the path, “. . .an urban rarity and a true treasure.” and, truly, these words do resonate.
And then Mr. Spencer scares us: “This pathway just sits there defenseless waiting for some nearsighted government official, organization and developer to tear it out.”
Exactly! The path of inaction leads to destruction, I’m afraid.
Is this issue worth looking into? Is it worth neighborhood effort? When this website was launched we took a poll on what issues were important in Mt. Hope. A number of residents expressed grave concern for environmental issues. A clean, safe Greenway would be another symbolic sign that Mt. Hope is indeed coming back from the brink to once again be a family friendly place where its residents can use the entire neighborhood without shame or fear.
I agree with Mr. Spencer. What’s to be done?
John Twomey
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Posted at November 9, 2005 12:09 PM