Help make Hampton Park grand

Close Mary Murray Drive to car traffic

Hampton Park should be Charleston's equivalent of New York City's Central Park, especially as the redevelopment of "The Neck" shifts the city's population center to that area.

But as beautiful and historic as Hampton Park is now, it's a bit of an underachiever in its use and recognition as a grand park.

A large part of that is because the nearly milelong road around the park is a literal raceway.

For anyone who has spent any time on foot or bike on Hampton's oval-ish Mary Murray Drive, you know how people speed around corners and down the straightaways in their mad rush to get somewhere. Many won't even concede a few feet even if there is plenty of room to move over.

It's menacing whether the drivers intend it to be or not.

I know what the naysayers will say next: "But there are plenty of walking and jogging trails inside the park." To that, I say, the road should be part of the park, not a cut-through.

Mic Smith
The Post and Courier/File

Runners in Hampton Park.

The major solution to making Hampton Park the jewel that it should be is to close the raceway. No cars, period (well, other than maintenance, police and other such vehicles). Twenty-four hours a day. Seven days a week.

Hampton and Mary Murray Drive would come alive with more walkers, runners, cyclists, strollers, inline skaters, wheelchair users, people with dogs and animal life, more so than when the city temporarily closes the park to traffic 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays year-round and 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays during the spring, summer and fall. (The city's recreation Web site notes the temporary closures are "for your safety.")

I'm not alone on the idea of closing Mary Murray to motorized traffic.

"Hampton Park could rival the (Cooper River) bridge for people who want to stay active, but are afraid to because of poor city design," says Fran Clasby, president of the Wagener Terrace Neighborhood Association.

Clasby first contacted me last summer with the idea of closing the street around Hampton Park. He has since talked with and garnered support from other neighbors, representatives of The Citadel and cycling groups about the closure. This Monday, Wagener Terrace's board plans to present the idea to the general membership for discussion.

"The park was never intended to be a thoroughfare for traffic," says Clasby, noting damage on trees on the northeast corner and repaired ruts on other corners caused by "corner cutters" as evidence of people driving too fast.

Clasby also has some alternatives, which he has presented to the city, to handle traffic.

He proposes extending Elmwood Drive from the main gate of The Citadel along a chain-link fence to a former railroad right of way at Tenth Avenue. All the property is owned by the city and The Citadel, so the project would not require purchasing land. He'd also like to see the traffic light at Rutledge Avenue and Cleveland Street moved to Rutledge and Moultrie Street.

Clasby did not specifically address parking at the park, but I think minimal parking at the park, likewise, could be moved to areas outside of Mary Murray Drive. The existing parking area could be kept as hard space or, better yet, dug up and greened.

I hope people will support Clasby and the idea of closing Mary Murray to traffic. It's sure to stir the pot. But few good endeavors are without controversy. Help make Hampton Park grand.

Reach David Quick at 937-5516 or dquick@postandcourier.com.