HARC Members Query City Council Members About Harris Riverfront Park

Gene Howell, a board member of the Huntington Area Revitalization Coalition (HARC), and his wife, Robin, a member of the group, sent this letter to the members of the Huntington City Council today.

Dear City Council Members,

We must realize the extreme importance of Harris Riverfront Park to the downtown area of Huntington. It is one of the city’s greatest assets. It is obvious that at one time the park was well maintained and in beautiful condition.

Unfortunately, it fell by the wayside as other projects in the city took priority. It was left to become an undesirable area for families to spend a relaxing day and has become a hang out for teen gangs, drug dealers, panhandlers, vandalism, prostitution, vagrants and graffiti artists. This undesirable behavior along with the foul language overflows into the city on the other side of the flood wall creating a menace to the image of the downtown and other areas and is an affront to residents and out of town visitors who frequent the park.

After working at the park as volunteers, spending our own money to beautify the park with flowers we have observed a lot of this negative behavior. Although there has been a slight improvement in the last year we have a long way to go. This has all happened while under the city’s control.

As we read the Herald-Dispatch this morning, we were very disappointed that the resolution with the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District was delayed by some of the city council members. Jim McClelland has done an excellent job of maintaining our other parks for years. His crew is well trained, efficient, and competent. He has a keen eye for detail and the vision for what a beautiful park should look like.

Every effort should be made to bring this resolution to a successful conclusion that will be worth the cost to the city tax payers. It is a known fact that when an area is beautifully maintained and properly patrolled it becomes a desirable destination. We would invite each of you to visit the park periodically to familiarize yourself with the ongoing problems there and realize the necessity and advantages of professional control of a public park.

Sincerely yours,

Gene and Robin Howell, Members of the Huntington Area Revitalization Coalition (HARC)