It has been a long time coming, but the Orange County Board of Commissioners approved moving forward with the Rogers Road Community Center in a unanimous vote during Thursday’s meeting.
The primarily black, low-income community has been home to the Orange County landfill since 1972. After many a delay, the new tentative deadline for closing the landfill is June 2013.
The Board of Commissioners should be commended for finally being prompt with this decision after the task force made its recommendation.
Enough time has already been wasted, and it’s good that the residents of Rogers Road are able to look forward to getting what they need and have been repeatedly promised.
It is admirable that the county commissioners have agreed to move on with opening a new community center, with or without help from Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Admittedly, the standard for local government policy on Rogers Road is regrettably low.
But, even if Chapel Hill and Carrboro don’t cooperate, there will still be a plan to continue with the center rather than just punt on the issue.
The community has waited long enough for the return of its community center, which has been 40 years in the making.
The county commissioners should work along with the recently extended Rogers Road Task Force, which was voted on at the same meeting.
The task force serves as a bridge between the community and elected officials, and would be of assistance in planning and coordinating the new community center.
