Marilyn Alphin describes herself as “an ordinary Raleigh citizen.” After retiring from the Wake County School System in 2010 she settled into the quiet peaceful townhome community, Ridgeloch, located in North Raleigh across from Shelly Lake. Since 2015, she has served on the Board of Directors for the HOA and is currently vice-president. Her tranquility was disturbed last summer (2022) when the Parks Board contacted Towne Properties asking for a meeting to discuss relocating the current Ironwood Trail* behind 14 units (3 buildings) of her beloved community. That’s when she transitioned from an “ordinary citizen” to a “community activist.”
Marilyn has been an advocate for saving Ironwood Trail and submits this update of recent action by the City Council:
The Ridgeloch Townhome community is breathing a sigh of relief after the City Council instructed the Parks and Recreation Department to present plans for keeping the portion of Mine Creek between the two historic bridges (known as Ironwood Trail) in its present location. The Parks department has been trying for the last 15 years to abandon that section of the Greenway and relocate it behind 14 townhomes in the Ridgeloch community. A “fence” of some description was to be constructed between the new Greenway and the back decks of these 40-year-old established townhomes. That fence would be 20-50 feet from some of these decks and over a football field in length.
Saving our community from this invasion was a two-year struggle; first with the Parks Advisory Board who voted in their June 2023 meeting to relocate the trail to our side of Mine Creek. This vote was cast despite a 2015 promise from the Parks director to “go forward” with rebuilding the bridges and repairing the trail and that “Ridgeloch would no longer be considered as an option.” This was a huge defeat for both the Ridgeloch community and trail users who wanted to preserve this unique historic section of Mine Creek. Ironwood was the first Greenway trail, opened in 1977.
After the June 2023 vote by the Parks Advisory Board, the community organized again to bring this issue to the City Council and the Mayor. Only the City Council can approve an acquisition or condemnation of private property. Thus, another 8-month long mission; speeches, research, blogs, social media, TV segments, newspaper articles, emails upon emails, a successful petition with 1000 signatures, and the hours spent on the Greenway, stopping trail users and asking for their support. Also, at our invitation, four of the council members came to our community for a one-on-one walk-through.
Our efforts paid off. At the August 20, 2024, City Council meeting, Mary Black our District A representative, made a motion that the Parks Department go back to the proverbial “drawing board” and make plans to keep the Greenway in its present location and leave Ridgeloch alone. It was passed 7-1. Our Mayor, Mary-Ann Baldwin, was one of the seven votes. Our heartfelt thanks to the mayor, and the other council members voting to keep our community safe from this takeover: Corey Branch, district C, Christina Jones, district E, Jane Harrison, district D, and Jonathan Melton and Stormie Forte, members at large. Also, thanks to all who signed the petition and emailed council members on our behalf.
What is next? Our community feels we are safe, for now. Homeowners are now making plans to renovate their homes and decks instead of preparing to move. Although celebrating our win, a cloud of doubt still lingers. It is our hope that this vote will secure our future but only time will tell. Our last celebration lasted only seven years. If this happens again, we will be back again and the City of Raleigh and beyond will know.
Climate change and tree removal were concerns for those objecting to keeping the trail in its present location. Climate change is a fact, but climate change will not just affect these two bridges and this 300-foot section between them. Despite the potential for flooding, bridges are still being constructed and bridges are still being replaced all over the Greenway. They too, will be affected by climate change. These two bridges, the oldest on the Greenway, have survived every major flooding event. Now maybe it is time to replace and “build back better.” Many trees in this section will be removed by the Water and Sewer Department to make way for a new sewer line and more trees will have to come down to make this 300-foot path straighter and wider. But not all trees will have to be removed. Saplings left behind will flourish in a more open sky and more trees can always be planted. The ecosystem there will eventually stabilize, homeostasis will return, and future trail users can enjoy this unique and beloved part of the Capital Area Greenway. And this small community will be saved.
Thank you to all who supported our efforts in protecting our community and saving the historic Ironwood Tail. This is a testament as to what community activism can do; a lesson that sometimes-real people do win; people with no deep pockets, no political clout.
I said in my very first speech to the Parks Advisory Board; “This decision is not about option 1 or option 2; This decision is about what is right and what is wrong”. In the end, RIGHT won.
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