On Tuesday, the N&O printed my letter to the editor, responding to a grumpy writer who claimed that Raleigh’s Parks department couldn’t properly maintain its parks. That rubbed me the wrong way so I wrote this response.

Kudos to the editors who deftly edited my letter, creating a better one than I submitted.

The writer of the Nov. 6 letter “Dix State Park?” says that if the state chooses to turn the Dorothea Dix Hospital property into a state park it will be “enjoyed by all of the citizens of North Carolina.” While Dix’s future is still being debated, I can say that regardless of whether Dix becomes a city park or a state park it will be welcoming and available to all the citizens of our state.

Raleigh’s parks system is one of the best in the nation and continues to enjoy strong support from Raleigh’s citizens. More than that, our parks are open and available to all, providing recreational opportunities not just for Raleigh’s citizens but for those of Wake County and beyond. I invite the public to enjoy all that Raleigh’s parks system has to offer, no matter where you live.

Mark Turner
Chair, City of Raleigh’s Parks, Recreation, and Greenway Advisory Board
Raleigh