Residents speak out against potential Flat Rock park

Two news stories on today's Flat Rock village council meeting on the park proposal. First from the Hendersonville Lightning:

For the first time since it has been publicly debated, a proposed Flat Rock park received a mostly thumbs down from residents who feared the result will be a longterm financial burden and a property tax increase to cover operating and maintenance cost.

The Flat Rock Village Council heard from 13 residents Monday afternoon, most of whom urged the council to be cautious. The council met for an hour and 25 minutes and spent most of that time listening to comments from the public....

Several residents said they did not believe web-based surveys or public meetings had produced an objective measure of Flat Rock residents' views. Several speakers also said they believe the area has ample park space and plenty of walking trails now....

The Village Council took no formal action on any of the options laid out by Mayor Bob Staton....

Read it all, and check out the Times-News as well:

Citing the potential of higher taxes and the redundancy of more parkland, about a dozen Flat Rock property owners showed up Tuesday at a Village Council meeting to express reservations about a proposed municipal park.

The majority of those who spoke asked council to hold a referendum before deciding on whether to purchase the 66-acre Highland Lake Golf Club property from Course Doctors Inc.

Until recently, few members of the public have voiced opposition to the park. A summary of all public input collected by the Highland Lake Park Exploratory Committee found 69 percent of 332 respondents were in favor of a park, with 22 percent opposed. The village has about 3,114 residents....

Council members made no decisions, saying they must get a firm handle on maintenance, operating and security costs. They'll meet again March 4 for an agenda meeting, but Mayor Bob Staton said last week that no final decision on buying the golf course would be made until at least March 14....

John Dockendorf, a member of the exploratory committee, said Monday's 2 p.m. meeting did not allow working people and families the opportunity to speak. Representing those viewpoints, Dockendorf said he supports the project because families now have to leave Flat Rock to find parks with playgrounds....

 Read it all.