HOUSING AUTHORITY TAKES CONTROL OF DURHAM PARK

Shift Is Intended To Make Area Safer

Burton Park in Durham has been a sanctuary for drug dealers and users for
years. Their days may now be numbered. During a ceremony Saturday at the
park, Mayor Bill Bell passed control of the small swath of land to the
Durham Housing Authority in an effort to crack down on criminal activity
and make the park safe for kids.

"Hopefully by the time summer arrives, we'll see a park full of children,"
said James Anderson, a housing manager, before he and others accepted a
symbolic key to the park from the mayor.

The housing authority, which runs the McDougald Terrace public housing
complex across from the park, has been pushing for the transfer for months.
Nearly 1,000 people live in the complex.

In September, the Durham City Council agreed -- voting to lease the park to
the housing authority for one year with the possibility to extend.

The move allows the housing authority to ban unwanted people from the park
and gives police power to arrest trespassers -- enforcement strategies that
were illegal before the new arrangement.

"This is still a public park," Bell told a small crowd huddled underneath a
white canopy at the park Saturday morning. "But if you're here for bad
reasons, you're not welcome."

Residents of the housing development say the park has become more dangerous
than ever for children.

It's often littered with hypodermic needles and liquor bottles and used by
dealers to sell drugs. Underscoring the risks, late last month a man was
killed and three others were injured in a shooting just outside the park.

"It hasn't been safe for our kids in years," said Barbara Lyons, 33, who
lives in the housing complex with her 9-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son.

People banished from the park will be able to appeal by taking their case
before a special committee created by the housing authority, Anderson said.

Some council members expressed concern that the park would no longer be
open to the public, but Anderson said those willing to abide by the laws
are still welcome.