| About | | | History | | | Images | | | News:Opinion | | | Leisure | | | Resources |
Opinion
Let's Go Greenways
The Mayberry Approach
The availability of greenways or trails speaks to the well-being and quality of life of a 21st century town. People want to live in a walkable environment, they want open greenspaces, and they want walking trails. But our elected leaders want to back away from their commitment to greenways.
In this year’s citizens' survey, Mooresville residents clearly indicated that we want more greenspace and greenways. Yet some of our leaders are balking, saying greenways would only benefit a few. The opposite is true. As opposed to ballfields, greenways and greenspaces benefit people of every age and ability.
Greenways can have the double benefit of providing an outlet for recreation as well as being a practical means of getting from point A to point B. A well-designed greenway system can also serve as a pedestrian route the same way sidewalks do.
They are an attractive asset when companies choose locations for their headquarters. Good employers look for quality-of-life amenities in the cities where they will relocate.
They know that amenities like greenways and green parks attract top employees. If Mooresville wants to score more corporate headquarters, it needs to provide those amenities.
If Mooresville wants to continue to fill its hotels—especially the planned upscale hotels—it needs to provide the same amenities that travellers can find a few miles down the road. Discriminating travellers will prefer the new hotels coming into Davidson over Mooresville hotels, because Davidson has a reputation for walkability, greenspace, and nature trails.
Today, Mooresville citizens and visitors who wish to walk, run, stroll, or bike on a route free of motorized vehicles must go outside of Mooresville, to Davidson or Troutman or further beyond. Unless Mooresville's leaders change their stance, this will continue to be the case for the unforeseeable future. How can that be okay with the people elected to make this town a great place to live?
Our leaders say that it costs too much to build greenways. But greenways don't have to cost tens of millions of dollars. By being creative, we can cut the cost of a greenway system.
The Town can partner with civic groups, local businesses, neighborhood associations, churches, and schools to create a network of volunteers who can help plan and build the trails. Paving is a big expense in creating greenways. Let's start by creating mulched, unpaved trails until we have the money to pave. We’ll call them trails instead of greenways. Let's create those first trails on existing right-of-ways, such as land that runs under powerlines, so that we don't have the land acquisition costs. Many towns and cities are already using this approach successfully to create trails and greenway systems.
Mooresville needs greenways and greenspaces. It's not just about recreation. It's about health and well-being of its citizens. It's about quality of life. And it's about the future prosperity of Mooresville.