Park officials respond to restroom, water concerns in Statesville

STATESVILLE, N.C. — Some residents are frustrated over conditions at some public parks in Statesville.

A concerned woman reached out to Eyewitness News, concerned that some taxpayer-funded facilities are closed and without water supplies in this sweltering heat.

Eyewitness News visited Garfield Park Thursday. There was fresh dirt in the area where the city installed a new water fountain. Leaders said the one before had been ripped off the wall repeatedly.

Some children told Eyewitness News they've been drinking from a water spigot that is roughly 2 feet off the ground.

"That was heartbreaking, it really bothered me," resident Nande Kristi said.

She contacted the city after seeing kids playing at Garfield Park get on the ground to get water.

"The child was hot," she said.

The director said vandals ripped off the old fountain, worth $1,700. They'd replaced it with new fountains, but most recently decided to install an older one that was salvaged from another facility.

Kristi is also upset that the restrooms at some parks are locked every day.

"Children relieving themselves behind a tree, that is very upsetting to me," she said.

But it's not the case at every park. We checked Martin Luther King Junior and Caldwell Park and found the restrooms are open daily.

"I think some of the parents are feeling like there is a difference in treatment," Kristi said.

The Parks and Recreation director said the restrooms are locked at smaller neighborhood parks like Garfield because they don't have as many visitors and were never meant to have open restrooms daily.

"If they want to use the restroom, they just need to go back home?” Eyewitness News anchor Brittney Johnson asked the director.

"Yes, that's normal," Parks and Recreation Director Brent Cornelison said.

Cornelison also said destructive vandalism is a big problem and that the larger regional parks with more visitors are also staffed more often and see less damage.

"Unfortunately, the restrooms have had a history of if we leave them open they get torn up," he said.

Kristi thinks Garfield Park could be more popular but is often empty because families are taking their kids elsewhere.

"I think people have gotten disgusted; each park should be equal," Kristi said.

The city of Statesville will open the restrooms at the neighborhood parks when the shelters are reserved and is willing to work out special requests with some groups.

In Mecklenburg County, there are more than 210 parks and facilities. Officials said the restrooms at four parks are kept locked due to vandalism. The rest are always open to the public.

Cox Media Group