By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
Previous coverage:
* June 13 – Basketball court ‘dangerous’
* June 18 – Basketball court closed, roped off
* July 10 – Council votes to keep court closed
DOBBINS HEIGHTS — Quentin Gore doesn’t understand.
The 19-year-old Dobbins Heights resident brought to Town Council a concern about the safety of the basketball court at Dobbins Heights Community Park. The court, he said, is riddled with cracks that run the court’s width and length.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Quentin Gore stands by a pile of Quick Pavement Repair, donated by Lowe’s in Rockingham, near the basketball court at Dobbins Heights Community Park. The court has been closed to the public since mid-June after Gore raised concerns about safety due to cracks in the court several feet long.
Gore wanted to do something about it, so he managed to obtain a donation from his employer, Lowe’s in Rockingham, for 63 bags of Quality Pavement Repair. Retailing on Lowes.com for $13.98 apiece, it’s a donation worth nearly $900 that Gore said would provide a temporary fix to allow kids to play basketball in town if not today, then tomorrow.
“That’s just how passionate I am about it,” Gore said.
And the town rejected the donation.
The skid of 50-pound bags was delivered at the park early Thursday morning. Shortly afterward, Gore said he received a call from Councilwoman Angeline K. David. Gore said David told him to have Lowe’s come back and pick up the donation at the request of Mayor Antonio Blue.
Reached Thursday, Blue said that he and the Town Council have agreed to “fix it right” and eliminate any potential hazards on the court. The town is pursuing grants and larger donations to ensure that once the money is available, residents will have a court to play on for the foreseeable future.
To patch the court would cost about $35,000, Blue said. To replace it will cost about $50,000. No money is earmarked in the town’s budget for Fiscal Year 2015, which began July 1, for repairs or replacement.
On top of that, town officials have said the court is not eligible for a “quick fix” that QPR material offers. In addition, the funds required for supporting material and manpower would better be used for a more long-term solution.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
The town of Dobbins Heights closed the basketball court in mid-June after resident Quentin Gore expressed concern about the safety of players.
Blue has urged town residents to pay back taxes that would allow the town to fund items such as the basketball court repairs.
Here’s what my suggestion is,” Blue said during a July public meeting of the Town Council. “There’s $250,000 in delinquent taxes in Dobbins Heights. If we collect the $250,000, the basketball court becomes a dream that will come true. There are 1,400 delinquent properties. So if we can start getting some of that. That basketball court has been broke for probably 12 or 13 years. This didn’t just happen.”
