RES-2004-014 Resolution on the Future of the Dix Hospital Campus

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sd ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMIVIISSIONERS A RESOLUTIONREGARDING THE FUTURE OF THE DIX HOSPITAL CAMPUS WHEREAS, Dorothea Lynde Dix was a social reformer, journalist, and skilled lobbyist who as a young woman wrote, "In a world where there is so much to be done, I felt strongly impressed that there must be something for me to do", and who during the middle 1800s woke America's conscience to the plight of the mentally ill; and WHEREAS, in the autumn of 1848 Dorothea Lynde Dix came to North Carolina and toured 36 counties to conduct a census of the mentally ill in jails, poorhouses, and private homes; and WHEREAS, in a "memorial" submitted to the North Carolina legislature, she emphasized the need to remove the insane from jails and recommended modem approaches to the treatment of the mentally ill along with specifics of needed buildings .and equipment; and WHEREAS, through the persistent effort of Dorothea Lynde Dix and the personal appeal of James C. Dobbin, an influential legislator from Fayetteville, the legislature was persuaded to adopt in December of 1848 an act that provided for an appropriation and the appointment of six commissioners to select a site and oversee the erection of a hospital that would eventually be named in Dix's honor; and WHEREAS, on February 22, 1856, the first person was admitted, suffering from "suicidal mania" and in the first nine months was joined by 51 males and 39 females; and WHEREAS, over the intervening century and a half, thousands of North Carolinians and their families have been served by Dorothea Dix Hospital; and WHEREAS, today the Dorothea Dix Hospital is situated on a beautifu1425 acre tract of land, accentuated by oak and pecan trees, on the south side of Raleigh with a commanding view of the city skyline, making it the largest tract of undeveloped land near downtown Raleigh with an estimated worth in the millions; and WHEREAS, the disposition of this historic property -perhaps the only tangible collective asset of persons with mental health, substance abuse, and developmental disabilities in North Carolina - is the current subject of much debate and discussion as the State moves to close the facility in 2007; and WHEREAS, a special commission has been established to make recommendations to the legislature, drawing upon views and opinions from individuals and organizations as diverse as mental health advocates and professionals, neighborhood activists, government administrators, park designers, and state historians; NOW THEREFORE THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS calls upon the Dix property special commission to be as visionary as Dorothea Lynde Dix and consider supporting an approach that honors the past and inspires the future by reserving an appreciable amount of acreage on the Dix campus for public open space, with the remaining portion of the property to be leased or sold for complementary urban development, with all monies received dedicated to and reinvested in innovative programs and projects that benefit the mentally ill throughout North Carolina. Adopted this the 16~' day of March, 2004. Barry Jacobs; Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners