OK... So I have had this idea stewing in my brain since the work on the parking garage (See Also: Abomination) began.
I think that it would be a great thing if the town were to make “Harmony Lot” into “Harmony Park”.
It occurs to me that hardly anyone uses the common anymore. I think that this is because it is sort of on the edge of downtown and not a lot of people feel like braving the crosswalks to get there. Well what if we had a true center of town, actually in the center of town, where people could meet and sit and relax?
I envision “Harmony Lot” as “Harmony Park”. A place where the tar has been removed and grasses have been re-grown. A place where there are park benches for the people who want to relax without walking to the other side of town. I envision a park in the center of town where the farmers market could be held and be accessible to all. Occasionally we have a farmers market in the parking lot next to The Merchants Bank but what is a farmers market held on tarmac? The only other option we have currently is to drive up Western Avenue next to the Mobil station. This is not conducive to the people who live in town and don’t drive. If we were to make Harmony Lot a Park we would not only be helping out the town, we would also be helping out local farmers and businesses.
Think of all the possibilities... Concerts could be held there in good weather, there could be swings and slides for children in the summer, we could even put up an old style movie screen to show local films and films of interest (for free). Sorta like a drive in without all the cars. Wouldn't it be nice to sit on the grass in the center of town on a nice warm summer evening, watching "Singing in the Rain" or “The Sand Lot”?
Wouldn't it be nice to have a spot in town where you could hold speeches and get togethers? I think it would.
If we really wanted to go all out we could put in cobblestone walkways and a fountain in the center (Maybe the Wells Fountain?) We could also throw up some solar powered streetlights (yes they would still look like the “new classic” ones we already have). Maybe we could even put up a small solar array to store power for events?
If Harmony lot were a park it would truly be a town center. A place where people could eat lunch, walk their dogs, and meet their neighbors. Think of it this way. If there was no longer a Harmony Parking Lot then people would have to utilize the Parking Garage (See Also: Abomination) and it would help the town gain back the millions of dollars spent on it. I figure now that it’s here we can’t do anything about it so lets make the best of it. Lets make something good come out of something that a lot of us didn’t want to have happen.
Anyways my main point in writing this is to get some sort of response from some of the people who live here. What say you neighbors