Reform Recreation Complex Hours and Locking Procedures in Weaverville, NC

The Weaverville community

• This provides consistency with the operating hours and security of Lake Louise playground and walking trails and other Weaverville park
• This saves money. 

The Weaverville Community center, which also includes the Recreation Complex (basketball and pickleball) and Lake Louise Park, serves the purpose of unity, bringing all sorts of people together. However, the current operational hours and locking procedures of our Recreation Complex are causing frustration, costing the taxpayers undue expenses, and creating barriers instead of building bridges.

We are in favor of this simple and effective reform:

Update the operating hours of the Basketball and Pickleball Courts to "dawn to dusk", 7 days a week, and not apply any unnecessary security measures.

(When the courts are being fully utilized in broad daylight, staff lock the courts and everyone is forced to exit due to current operating hours.) 

This provides consistency with the operating hours and security of Lake Louise playground and walking trails and other Weaverville parks.
This saves money. 
At this time, the town employs the police force and other personnel 2-4 times per day to lock and unlock the courts in addition to their current duties. 
Daylight hours will be the natural governance since it is an outdoor sporting complex with no lighting. 
The solution is not to hire more personnel ($$) nor purchase automatic locking gates ($50,000), both of which are currently proposed.
Vandalism is a very low risk.
Multiple cameras were a large expense and are already in place providing strong security measures.
Money spent on preventing vandalism (locking the gates) most likely far exceeds the cost to remediate any potential vandalism.
The town has sound ordinances in place to protect neighbors.
We respect all neighbors, and those living near the Recreation Complex receive the same level of protection as those adjacent to all recreation and commercially zoned areas (i.e. Main Street).
The zoning on this property is public record and has always been zoned for recreation. 
The town heard the complaints and has gone above and beyond to accommodate the noise issue by spending $25,000 in sound barriers and tree planting.
Keep parking a separate issue.
The Community Center hosts large events (weddings, funerals) that it already cannot accommodate the parking for, which is why it needs to remain an issue to resolve separately.
The courts are to remain open during tailgate markets and ALL events occurring at the Community Center.  To be an inclusive community, we cannot prioritize certain community events over others.
Parking is first come, first serve for all Community Center, Lake Louise, and Recreation Complex parking spots.
The town voted in favor to install the Recreation Complex instead of turning the entire property into a parking lot.
Clinics organized by the Town of Weaverville are the only time that the courts can be reserved.  

We urge the board to evaluate the current hours of operation and realize that by extending the hours we are able to accommodate a larger portion of the community and truly serve the purposes of the center's existence. The National Recreation and Park Association suggests that recreation centers must be flexible with their hours to meet the needs of their community. 

Regarding the locking procedures, they are unnecessary, a large tax payer expense, and deter people from utilizing this community amenity.  According to the American Society of Safety Professionals, it is essential to balance security measures with ease of access in public community centers. 

A change in these policies is a simple and effective way to ensure everyone in our community is included and our tax dollars are spent wisely.  We ask those in charge to take our concerns seriously and make these vital changes so that we can make Weaverville more inclusive and united. 

Sign the petition now, and let your voice be heard for our community!

(If you do not reside within Weaverville City Limits, please notate that in your signature).