A reader tipped us off that a new fence had gone up at Triangle Park at 601 Christian St., a place we’ve told you about before. When we last checked in on this triangular lot that has been transformed into a park by a dedicated group of neighbors, we’d learned that the RDA was in the process of purchasing the land from the private developer who owns it. Ostensibly, after the RDA completed this purchase, the land could remain as a park indefinitely.

In December

According to an article in yesterday’s Metro, the owner of the property put up the fence because the city isn’t moving quickly enough to purchase the property. The owner of the property is Stuart Schlaffman, according to Friends of Triangle Park’s Facebook page. Schlaffman purchased the former gas station for $290K in 2005, and has had it listed for sale on and off for the past several years, for prices ranging between $319K (current price) and $750K in 2006. The Metro article indicates that the fence is intended as a signal to potential investors that the lot remains for sale, in spite of the park that’s been created there.

That is indeed a fence

View from the north. Oddly, no 'For Sale' sign

Hopefully, the process of selling the parcel to the RDA will speed up appropriately, satisfying Mr. Schlaffman’s desire to bring this process to an end. Hopefully, the fence will come down soon and neighborhood residents will again be able to enjoy this small patch of green space. Whether it’s due to the snail-like pace of bureaucracy or just impatience on the part of the owner, it’s truly a shame that it’s come to this.

To be continued…