Help Keep The South Wake Park Project Alive
Donation protected
On January 7, 2019, after a 6 hour meeting with more than 300 citizens showing up & 68 speakers, Commissioners voted 4-3 to sell Wake County land originally purchased to become a park. This beautiful 143 acres of natural open space in Southern Wake County, and in an area that desperately needs new parks & greenways, will now be sold instead of the County following through with the plans for it to become a park. The will of the people was ignored. County officials’ prior representations to landowners who relinquished their property rights, were disregarded. Politics and money prevailed over integrity.
This land (a.k.a. The South Wake Park Project, or SWPP), formerly known as the Crooked Creek Golf Course, is along Hilltop-Needmore Road in Fuquay-Varina, NC. It was purchased by Wake County in September of 2018.
Many people have spoken out against this injustice and have indicated they want to help fund litigation to fight this decision, so we started this GoFundMe page.
* * * * *
Read More:
On January 7, hundreds of constituents from all across the region, local and state officials, conservation group representatives, teachers, lawyers, veterans, cancer survivors, seniors and more showed up in solidarity. More than sixty Wake County residents appealed to Wake County Commissioners. It was a beautiful and heartfelt collection of stories and advocacy – from young mothers with small children in strollers to a 91-year-old WW II veteran – all pleading to SAVE THIS PARK.
Yet their voices, as well as the minority park-supporting Commissioners’ voices of reason were ignored by four Wake County Commissioners who claim they did not support the purchase of this park because it might take away funds from schools, affordable housing, and other priorities.
Please Note:
1) This action to deem this 143 acres of open space/green space as “surplus" greenspace and sell it seems inconsistent considering the deficit in the County’s greenspace goal.
2) This majority vote will result in an uncertain outcome for the land that may include being divided into multiple parcels, being sold to the highest bidder, bulldozed, and developed.
3) This abrupt announcement of the motion to SELL was done after hundreds of owners were required to remove covenants and give up a property interest in the covenants in order for the County to initially purchase the property. Several residents purchased their homes in the Crooked Creek neighborhood in the past few months and representation was made to those individuals of the planned park.
On January 7, integrity fell by the wayside and money and politics won. However, the South Wake Park Project supporters feel that this is not over. Today, a new battle begins.
You are invited to join in the legal fight to keep the South Wake Park Project alive. In all likelihood because of the egregious conduct by certain Commissioners, multiple legal challenges may surface over the coming months. This Go Fund Me page has been established to pay for legal fees related to litigation between the Crooked Creek Community Association ("CC HOA"), as well as aggrieved homeowners within the CCHOA, who detrimentally relied on the representations of County officials and the Wake County Board of Commissioners. In addition, other possible legal avenues will be explored and included that may help further the goal of preserving this land as a park.
It is the CC HOA that has the grounds to litigate due to the "bait and switch" effort by the County to coerce Crooked Creek residents to remove their Covenants in order for the County to purchase the land as a park, but then sell it to an unknown buyer or buyers and for an unknown purpose, just a few months later.
*** Any funds not used for legal fees will be donated first and foremost to any entity that would commit to preserve this land as a PARK. Depending on the amount of excess funds, Crooked Creek HOA would consider purchasing the park land, donating the land or funds to Wake County, The Town of Fuquay-Varina, or another organization who wishes to partner in order to keep the South Wake #ParkPromise alive. If the effort to save the park land does not succeed, the excess funds raised will be donated to the Conservation Fund.
In addition to donating to legal costs to help keep the South Wake Park Project alive, please continue to email your Commissioners and inform them that you do not want your tax dollars spent litigating the sale of precious park land that Wake County residents overwhelmingly want to keep! You can email all Commissioners at once at [email redacted].
On January 7th we witnessed a gross abuse of power that will not be tolerated by Wake County residents. Please join this fight today to show your County Commissioners that we do not support their actions of misleading citizens and selling our parks!
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
An update to this campaign message:
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this campaign. Wake County Commissioners experienced widespread objection to their decision to sell the land and public pressure from constituents, green space advocacy groups, and the media. In March 2019, County Commissioners changed their course of action and voted to donate the land to the Town of Fuquay-Varina for use as a new park.
The land was transferred to the Town on June 17, 2019. The Town is approaching the planning of the future park with care, beginning with steps to prevent further deterioration of this asset. The Board voted to include in the Town’s 2019-2020 annual budget funding needed to stabilize the former clubhouse and trails, with plans to open the trails to the public later in 2019. The master planning and remaining work will take place in future years. On June 18, 2019, Town Commissioners voted unanimously to name the park, “Hilltop Needmore Town Park and Preserve.”
As a provision of the GoFundMe effort, and because the Town of Fuquay-Varina is committing to preserve the land as a park (and no funds were expended for legal action), the existing funds raised will be offered to the Town to install park benches along the walking trails and to construct a kiosk with a map of all the walking trails along with installing some trash cans and recycle containers along the paths. This donation will be officially accepted by the town at the next town board meeting on October 7th at 7:00 PM. All supporters are invited to attend the meeting which will be at the town hall: 401 Old Honeycutt Road, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526.
I'm Ron Nawojczyk and I'm the leader of the South Wake Park Project. I will be personally withdrawing the funds from this Go Fund Me campaign and I will be delivering the entire amount to the town of Fuquay Varina at their next board meeting.
* * * * *
www.southwakeparkproject.com
Wake County votes 4-3 in tense meeting to sell Crooked Creek golf course property
Four Wake Commissioners Embarrass Themselves by Reneging on Crooked Creek Park
Group vows ‘widespread litigation’ over Wake commissioner’s proposal to sell park land
Editorial: Political spite won't advance Wake County needs
Wake commissioners vote to give Crooked Creek property to Fuquay Varina:
https://www.wral.com/wake-commissioners-vote-to-give-crooked-creek-property-to-fuquay-varina-for-free/18269282/
This land (a.k.a. The South Wake Park Project, or SWPP), formerly known as the Crooked Creek Golf Course, is along Hilltop-Needmore Road in Fuquay-Varina, NC. It was purchased by Wake County in September of 2018.
Many people have spoken out against this injustice and have indicated they want to help fund litigation to fight this decision, so we started this GoFundMe page.
* * * * *
Read More:
On January 7, hundreds of constituents from all across the region, local and state officials, conservation group representatives, teachers, lawyers, veterans, cancer survivors, seniors and more showed up in solidarity. More than sixty Wake County residents appealed to Wake County Commissioners. It was a beautiful and heartfelt collection of stories and advocacy – from young mothers with small children in strollers to a 91-year-old WW II veteran – all pleading to SAVE THIS PARK.
Yet their voices, as well as the minority park-supporting Commissioners’ voices of reason were ignored by four Wake County Commissioners who claim they did not support the purchase of this park because it might take away funds from schools, affordable housing, and other priorities.
Please Note:
1) This action to deem this 143 acres of open space/green space as “surplus" greenspace and sell it seems inconsistent considering the deficit in the County’s greenspace goal.
2) This majority vote will result in an uncertain outcome for the land that may include being divided into multiple parcels, being sold to the highest bidder, bulldozed, and developed.
3) This abrupt announcement of the motion to SELL was done after hundreds of owners were required to remove covenants and give up a property interest in the covenants in order for the County to initially purchase the property. Several residents purchased their homes in the Crooked Creek neighborhood in the past few months and representation was made to those individuals of the planned park.
On January 7, integrity fell by the wayside and money and politics won. However, the South Wake Park Project supporters feel that this is not over. Today, a new battle begins.
You are invited to join in the legal fight to keep the South Wake Park Project alive. In all likelihood because of the egregious conduct by certain Commissioners, multiple legal challenges may surface over the coming months. This Go Fund Me page has been established to pay for legal fees related to litigation between the Crooked Creek Community Association ("CC HOA"), as well as aggrieved homeowners within the CCHOA, who detrimentally relied on the representations of County officials and the Wake County Board of Commissioners. In addition, other possible legal avenues will be explored and included that may help further the goal of preserving this land as a park.
It is the CC HOA that has the grounds to litigate due to the "bait and switch" effort by the County to coerce Crooked Creek residents to remove their Covenants in order for the County to purchase the land as a park, but then sell it to an unknown buyer or buyers and for an unknown purpose, just a few months later.
*** Any funds not used for legal fees will be donated first and foremost to any entity that would commit to preserve this land as a PARK. Depending on the amount of excess funds, Crooked Creek HOA would consider purchasing the park land, donating the land or funds to Wake County, The Town of Fuquay-Varina, or another organization who wishes to partner in order to keep the South Wake #ParkPromise alive. If the effort to save the park land does not succeed, the excess funds raised will be donated to the Conservation Fund.
In addition to donating to legal costs to help keep the South Wake Park Project alive, please continue to email your Commissioners and inform them that you do not want your tax dollars spent litigating the sale of precious park land that Wake County residents overwhelmingly want to keep! You can email all Commissioners at once at [email redacted].
On January 7th we witnessed a gross abuse of power that will not be tolerated by Wake County residents. Please join this fight today to show your County Commissioners that we do not support their actions of misleading citizens and selling our parks!
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
An update to this campaign message:
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this campaign. Wake County Commissioners experienced widespread objection to their decision to sell the land and public pressure from constituents, green space advocacy groups, and the media. In March 2019, County Commissioners changed their course of action and voted to donate the land to the Town of Fuquay-Varina for use as a new park.
The land was transferred to the Town on June 17, 2019. The Town is approaching the planning of the future park with care, beginning with steps to prevent further deterioration of this asset. The Board voted to include in the Town’s 2019-2020 annual budget funding needed to stabilize the former clubhouse and trails, with plans to open the trails to the public later in 2019. The master planning and remaining work will take place in future years. On June 18, 2019, Town Commissioners voted unanimously to name the park, “Hilltop Needmore Town Park and Preserve.”
As a provision of the GoFundMe effort, and because the Town of Fuquay-Varina is committing to preserve the land as a park (and no funds were expended for legal action), the existing funds raised will be offered to the Town to install park benches along the walking trails and to construct a kiosk with a map of all the walking trails along with installing some trash cans and recycle containers along the paths. This donation will be officially accepted by the town at the next town board meeting on October 7th at 7:00 PM. All supporters are invited to attend the meeting which will be at the town hall: 401 Old Honeycutt Road, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526.
I'm Ron Nawojczyk and I'm the leader of the South Wake Park Project. I will be personally withdrawing the funds from this Go Fund Me campaign and I will be delivering the entire amount to the town of Fuquay Varina at their next board meeting.
* * * * *
www.southwakeparkproject.com
Wake County votes 4-3 in tense meeting to sell Crooked Creek golf course property
Four Wake Commissioners Embarrass Themselves by Reneging on Crooked Creek Park
Group vows ‘widespread litigation’ over Wake commissioner’s proposal to sell park land
Editorial: Political spite won't advance Wake County needs
Wake commissioners vote to give Crooked Creek property to Fuquay Varina:
https://www.wral.com/wake-commissioners-vote-to-give-crooked-creek-property-to-fuquay-varina-for-free/18269282/
Organizer
Ron Nawojczyk
Organizer
Fuquay-Varina, NC
