Poor ol’ Gills Creek. It’s taken quite a battering over the years. Several months ago, it battered us back when it overflowed its banks during the great flood of 2015.
Of course, the flood wasn’t the creek’s fault. It didn’t ask to have a bunch of poorly maintained earthen dams built along its course and mucking up the flow. But what happened, happened. The waters have since receded, and we have a chance to take a fresh look at Gills Creek. We can now make it safer, cleaner, and more beneficial to the community.
One of the major projects that could accomplish this goal is the Gills Creek Greenway, a system of walking trails, boardwalks, and nature trails that would stretch along the creek from Lake Katherine all the way to Bluff Road. It was approved by the public when the Richland Penny referendum passed a year ago.
However, at a public meeting about the Greenway a couple weeks ago, a few folks from the Hampton Leas and Hampton Creek neighborhoods voiced their disapproval of the project, saying it would bring undesirable people to their communities.
Here at the Rosewood Free Press, all we can say is, WTF? Are they talking about us? How could anyone think that a cleaned-up Gills Creek, with a gorgeous greenway along its banks, would be a bad thing? Have they not experienced the coolness of the Congaree Riverwalk? We’d love something like that in our neighborhood.
Here at the Free Press, we encourage staffers to get out of their cubicles and take a walk outside whenever they can. Studies have shown that a brief walk in nature can reduce stress and anxiety. That’s why we’re big supporters of the Greenway.
So here’s the deal. There is one week remaining for public comment on the Greenway. We’re encouraging all Rosewoodians who think the Gills Creek Greenway will beautify the area and improve our quality of life to voice your support. Send an email of approval to info@richlandpenny.com, and cc your message to County Council members Greg Pearce (gpearce@rcgov.us) and Seth Rose (sethrose@rcgov.us).
Thanks, everybody, and we hope to see you hiking, biking, and communing with nature on the Greenway in 2017!