GREENSBORO, N.C. — The discussion surrounding Bingham Park, and its potential remediation, was put to rest as the City council voted in favor of a measure they called “Option A” on October 22, 2024.
“Option A was a difficult decision, but a decision based on how much effort the city's put forth over the last I'd say 10 years, option A will cover and cap at Bingham Park," said Councilman Zack Matheny.
Divided into two different options, Option A would be a containment and cover system which would lock in the contaminated soil and turn Bingham Park into a walking trail. Option B, however, was a full remediation of the 12-acre site. The difference? Option A was $12.4 million and Option B over $40 Million.
"Remediation is not off the table at Bingham Park. But while we have the funds that we know we have and we are sure that we have in hand, we have an ability to be able to give the community some of the needs, you know, they want and they asked for," Councilwoman Sharon Hightower said.
Both Hightower and Matheny, who voted in favor of option A, acknowledge it’s not a perfect fix.
“I think everybody on council would prefer to have a full remediation, um, as much as we, uh, begged and, and lobbied our partners in the legislature from both the state and the federal, we were only able to obtain a little over 18 million," said Matheny.
Kesha Cunningham-Dockery, a Greensboro resident and chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee, is one of the residents who spoke at the public hearing hoping for full remediation.
“I'm heartbroken. I'm happy that they've picked the solution, I guess because that means we're moving forward. But I'm also heartbroken because the residents that continue to live in this community really don't, won't have a viable and safe option. Now they have, I think the solution for a means that we'll cap and cover this land, cause I don't want to call it a park anymore," said Cunningham-Dockery.
She’s right, Bingham Park won’t be a park, instead it will turn into a walking trail once the cap and cover is over, and nearby former Hampton Elementary will instead turn into a park for the time being.
"What are we doing? We're just patching. It's like having a wound, a gaping wound. We're just putting a band aid on it. All right. We're putting a $12.4 million band aid on it," said Cunningham-Dockery.