President’s corner: Multiuse Court
The West Towson Neighborhood Association is an active organization of committed volunteers. Welcome to what will be (hopefully) an occasional feature to our already excellent website (thanks Ben!). I’m hoping this blog will be another tool to enhance our engagement with the community.
You may have noticed some of the improvements at our neighborhood park recently, most notably resurfacing of the hard-court area next to the playground. This area has been primarily used for half-court basketball and (more recently) pickleball. Very soon the additional basketball hoops will be installed allowing for full court basketball.
The West Towson Neighborhood Association board has been getting plenty of feedback from neighbors on this issue. While some neighbors are looking forward to this new asset, there are also around potential problems with parking, noise, trash, and maintaining the child friendly atmosphere for the adjacent playground. Similarly, residents have expressed concerns about parking, noise, and court inaccessibility due to the recent influx of pickleball games.
I recently shared some of these concerns with Mr. Bob Smith, director of the county parks department. He provided several important points in support of a mixed use full court basketball. West Towson isn’t alone here. There’s a broader initiative aimed at expanding recreation opportunities countywide. Full court has been introduced at other parks with limited disruptions. More courts at more parks means no one park should experience challenges associated with being a go-to destination. His data suggests that softball fields often present more problems than basketball courts do. Further, any challenges West Towson may have faced in the past are not necessarily indicative of what may happen now.
Both the excitement and concerns neighbors have about full court basketball at West Towson Park are understandable. Past experiences have not always been favorable, but we have the chance to embrace this new asset to our neighborhood. We have the opportunity to make the best of the situation. As an avid basketball player, I am looking forward to shooting around on the new courts. I emphasized to Mr. Smith, we’re partners in making the West Towson Park a safe and enjoyable place for everyone. As it’s being introduced, we’ll do what we can to support this new initiative. We’ll see how it goes from there.
Please follow the WTNA website as this issue, and others, evolve. Thanks for your interest and ongoing feedback. Ultimately, we all want the same thing which is to provide for a high quality of life in West Towson. Feel free to continue contacting us or send a note to me at westtowson@gmail.com. We on the Board look forward to hearing from you.
