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Residents objected to building a new fire facility in lieu of much needed recreation, but the city found a way to get both.
By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 17, 2002
LEALMAN -- More than a year's lobbying efforts by community activists paid off last week when the county agreed to pursue three recreation projects in the Lealman area.
The decision headed off a civil war between fire officials and community association leaders, who were butting heads over more than $3-million that has been earmarked for a new fire station. Neighbors desperate to find open spaces for youngsters wanted to redirect that money to recreation projects.
But several county officials led by Administrator Steve Spratt entered the fray and by Thursday everybody was happy.
For recreation, the county presented these plans:
Developing a tot lot and playground for young children at the Lealman Park, 54th Avenue and 37th Street N. The new fire station will be built as planned on the eastern portion of this parcel.
The county will consider buying the site of the former Frontier concrete plant just east of 46th Avenue N and 46th Street. Called Lealman's Eden for its abundant bird life, the property would become a passive park. A kiosk or pavilion would be built, probably at the edge of a lake formed by Joe's Creek as it wanders through the property.
The land would serve as the center for a longitudinal park or trail along Joe's Creek. The trail could include an area on one side with trees and benches for pedestrians and joggers. The opposite creek bank could have room for horseback riding and dogs.
A baseball complex for older kids. One possible site is the Veterans of Foreign Wars Sunshine Post #6827, 4145 34th St. N.
The current site of Fire Station 18, 4017 56th Ave. N, will be refurbished and turned over to the Lealman Family Center as promised.
"I'm tickled pink," said Mike Quinlivan, Family Center executive director. "If we get into that building, we can really put on some programs for the community. That will help us for years."
The idea of developing a series of small, individualized recreational facilities was born from a simple fact of Lealman life: There are few large, undeveloped areas available to use as parks or playgrounds.
"Our problem is land. We simply don't have big parcels of land," said Ray Neri, president of the Lealman Community Association and a member of the revitalization planning team that has been working since late 2000 to improve the area.
With that shortcoming in mind, Neri approached the Lealman Fire Board Monday with an idea that found no vocal supporters.
Neri told Lealman Fire Board members that he planned to ask the county to take the $2.2-million set aside for the new fire station and the $1-million for refurbishing the existing building and instead build a community center at Lealman Park. Any leftover funds could be used to buy the Joe's Creek property.
Neri said he didn't want to hurt the fire service, but the community already has a fire station. Children need a place to play, Neri said, and the community needs to attract new residents who could help revitalize the area.
But fire board members who have worked for years to secure the money for a new firehouse became upset. At times, Neri and the board members talked over each other, making it difficult for listeners to keep track of the squabble.
On Thursday, when Neri and Quinlivan met with Spratt, County Commissioner Ken Welch and assistant administrator Gay Lancaster, the community leaders asked about moving the money to the recreation projects.
That could be done, they were told, but Lealman would risk losing the money entirely. Then Spratt told Neri and Quinlivan that he was willing to work to see that Lealman gets recreation areas.
"The Lealman community has a real deficiency of recreational opportunities. We're trying to meet that need," Spratt said Friday. "I think that they've got some valid points about getting some basic services in there. I think the county wants to be responsive."
Spratt said he already had ordered a county parks employee to design a tot lot and play area for younger children at the Lealman Park. The county has money for that, he said, and it's likely parents will see toys there long before the fire station is built.
Once the fire station is built, then firefighters will keep an eye on things, even locking and unlocking the park gates daily. That's fine with Lealman fire Chief Rick Graham.
Neighborhood kids already visit the fire station, he said. Some come to have air put in their bike tires, or nuts and bolts tightened; or to get a drink from the water fountain. Firefighters also have made sure that some kids get bike helmets.
"You'd be surprised how many kids come around," Graham said. "We always have little kids, especially on the way home from school, swing into the station."
Although changes at the Lealman Park should come soon, other recreational changes will take more time, Spratt said.
Officials need to look more closely at the undeveloped area around the Joe's Creek lake. There is some concern that soil contamination may prevent a park save for an expensive cleanup.
Even so, Spratt said, the county has committed to a "park planning process" for that area. That would include an assessment of what residents want and what's actually possible. Spratt said money could be a constraint if the plans become elaborate, but any changes could be phased in over time.