Norfolk City Council: Build a new park on the Meadowbrook School site

After the Meadowbrook School had been closed for a number of years, the school district turned the property over to the city of Norfolk. The city installed signage on the fence of the athletic field designating the field as a city park. The park includes approximately 2 acres of grass, several basketball courts and some very dated playground equipment and benches.

The park has become a gathering place for dog owners and their dogs, basketball players and children from nearby neighborhoods. These groups exist together and share the park in a peaceful and cooperative fashion. The park has become a significant gathering place for people of diverse backgrounds who share a love of outdoor recreation and enjoy the social interactions that take place in the park.

The City of Norfolk has announced plans to build a new fire station on the western portion of the athletic field and to demolish the old school building. These plans include a “passive park” on the site of the demolished building. The term passive park was defined by city officials at a recent meeting as a grassy space with no fence or recreational amenities.

We assert that it is unacceptable for the city to take away a beloved, heavily used park and replace it with a space that will not provide any of the recreational opportunities that are currently enjoyed by users of the existing park.