On September 26, the benches, tables and chairs that once formed gathering places at downtown Winston-Salem’s Merschel Park were removed by city staff.
In a statement explaining the move, City Manager Patrick Pate points to a noticeable uptick in disruptive behavior at Merschel Park that has prompted police action. In response, he adds, city staff took “proactive steps to foster a more positive environment in the park,” which includes the removal of furniture.
Pate says the city will propose new downtown parks guidelines in the coming months, for consideration by the Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks Commission and City Council.
Kimberly Bolden is experiencing homelessness. She takes the bus for transportation, and used to stop at Merschel Park during her layovers at the nearby station. But Bolden says the scene there has changed.
"The youth don’t have nothing to do, nowhere to go," she says. "They fight all the time. They disrespect — like I’m an elder. I stopped sitting in the park lately because of that reason."
Bolden feels that rather than removing park benches, the city should restrict unaccompanied youth there during night hours. Her partner, Tony, who asked that his last name not be used, points to a different solution: addressing homelessness.
"Some of these homeless people can’t get into shelters because they’re full," he says. "Ain’t got nowhere to go. So, I think instead of taking the chairs away, they need to help these people."
At a recent City Council meeting, the issue of reopening the Day Center at Bethesda was proposed to help accommodate the homeless population. City Manager Pate says Bethesda is currently seeking corporate and individual funding to do so. But he adds, all city and federal funds for homeless services have already been allocated for 2025.