Dorothea Dix Park

In late March, PPP conducted a poll for the Friends of Dorothea Dix Park. The results were released today. Here is the press release:

North Carolinians Support a Destination Park on Dix Campus
05-03-2007

RALEIGH, N.C. – Friends of Dorothea Dix Park announced today that a statewide poll conducted on March 20, 2007 by Public Policy Polling revealed that nearly 60 percent of all North Carolinians polled support a world-class, 306-acre destination park created on the Dorothea Dix campus when the hospital closes.

“This poll reveals exactly what we have been hearing from people all across the state,” said Jay Spain, president of Friends of Dorothea Dix Park. “The majority of North Carolinians want all of the 306 acres on Dix property used for a world-class destination park.”

In a second question, North Carolina respondents were given three choices: preserve all the land for a park, or development and a smaller park; or all development. Fifty-two percent said all park; 26 percent said a smaller park and development, 8 percent said all development, and 14 percent said they don’t know.

These results were similar regardless of gender, race or political affiliation. Other details from the poll include:

• Two polls were conducted on March 20, 2007:

• A statewide poll of 412 registered North Carolina voters with a margin of error of +/- 4.8

• A poll of 410 Wake County registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 4.9

• In Wake County, the results were even stronger. Sixty-five percent of Wake County voters polled said that they support a world-class, 306-acre destination park for the Dorothea Dix campus.

• In response to the three choices of how to use the land, 57 percent of Wake County respondents said all park; 26 percent said a smaller park and development, 7 percent said all development, and 9 percent said they don’t know.

“The success and constant demand we’ve seen from the DIX306 yard sign campaign mirror these poll results,” said Bill Padgett, member of DIX306. “We would like to add our voices to the voices of the children of tomorrow and thank our fellow North Carolinians from the mountains to the shore for their support of creating this world-class destination park.

The North Carolina General Assembly will ultimately decide the fate of the 306 acres.

Friends of Dorothea Dix Park (FDDP), founded in 2004, is a 501(c)3 organization made up of thousands of individuals and more than 30 member organizations whose mission is to preserve the Dorothea Dix Campus as a world-class destination park. FDDP is dedicated to educating people across North Carolina about the value of preserving the land as a destination park and why it is the right thing to do for our children, our economic stability and our overall quality of life. For more information about FDDP, its people, plans and vision, please visit www.dixpark.org.