Here in Southwest Mississippi, taking for granted the abundance of land around us is easy and can make us spoiled.

But even here where thousands of acres of timber and other farmland surround us, the location of that land can be critical.

Decades ago, the National Park Service carved out a key spot of land at one of Natchez’s busiest intersections. Their intent was to bring the Natchez Trace Parkway to an end at the spot.

Years later a different plan moved the Trace’s terminus and thus protected this special spot of land, affectionately called the bean field ever since.

Fortunately, past city leaders saw the spot for what it is — a large section of undeveloped land, right in the heart of the city, central to practically every neighborhood. Further, they dreamed of putting a recreation complex on the land. Years went by and the city eventually obtained the land with the intent of building that complex.

Residents, some 78 percent of them, voted in 2009 to support the plan.

Yet, here we sit with no dirt yet turned on the project. Instead, the city is now considering giving away a section of land to the school district for a new high school that voters have already soundly rejected.

This occurs despite the school district already having land available in other locations. To donate the land to the school — mainly just because a few on the school board suggested it would be best — is not a wise move. It goes against the wishes of the voters and would further hamper efforts to build a cohesive, state-of-the-art recreation complex for the community.