Thursday, May 08, 2008
It is all about the views; Roanoke already has them
From the RoundTable blog
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Kate Berding
Berding lives in Roanoke.
Ever since Valley Forward began proposing its multiple visions of a new Rockledge Inn, strong attitudes have emerged on how Mill Mountain best serves Roanoke's economic and quality-of-life goals. The debate has become a politically sensitive issue.
In Shanna Flowers' column "It's all about the view" (April 22), she bypasses this debate. She goes straight to this question: Why build a restaurant on a mountaintop with no intention of providing views of the city below?
Flowers' Earth Day commentary is discomforting. In stating "If we're going to exploit the mountain, let's exploit the heck out of it" we hear the beliefs of those who see Mill Mountain as an untapped city asset. In declaring "It's the view, baby," we hear future arguments for clear-cutting trees when our on-the-mountain restaurant fails to draw customers. In drawing our attention to Pittsburgh's Mount Washington, we see a picture of what some deem an acceptable price for taking advantage of a prime viewing perch.
Mill Mountain is the centerpiece that dominates and defines Roanoke's skyline. By the generosity of J.B. Fishburn, we can all enjoy this 590-acre mountain park. Free of neighborhood developments, shopping districts and industrial parks, it is our collective backyard, covered in trees, which each year offers a front row seat to spring blossoming and fall igniting.
For those of us who live here, it is the landmark that lets us know we are home. Does it need to be more?
At this time in history, when urban populations are on the rise, concerns for the environment are taking center stage and nearby nature is the quality-of-life amenity people are seeking, why should Roanoke even consider yesterday's strategies for attracting new citizens or risk scarring our mountain's ridge?
Luring newcomers to our parks by promising an indoor experience is not what we need. Attracting visitors to our mountain park by selling food with a view is not what we need either. What we need is to take care of what we have, use what is already here and strive to make them better. If high-up dining with windows facing our scenic landscape is an attraction that will help our city, then we should create a downtown penthouse restaurant.
But to be a city in which people choose to live, work and play, we need the basics: great schools, welcoming neighborhoods, a vibrant downtown and public safety.
To be a lovable city, we need the outdoor public realm and a great parks system.
To become the kind of city that is immediately recognized as a great place to live, we need the natural resources that set us apart; protected, defended and unapologetically kept whole.
Because it is all about the views. And we have them.
