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New Port Richey lifts lid off Old Florida
By MATTHEW WAITE, Times Staff Writer
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Less than 2 miles from the noise and road rage of U.S. 19, there is silence. On 80 acres -- closed to the public until today -- sits a glimpse of what west Pasco looked like before snowbirds, block houses, planned communities, even before Spanish explorers. And that glimpse is quiet. The city of New Port Richey will open the James E. Grey Preserve today, a huge plot of land covered in wetlands, trees and trails, and cut by the meandering Pithlachascotee River. The mass of trees blocks the sounds of urbanized west Pasco, creating a peaceful walk through Old Florida. The park, which lies south of Plathe Road, a quarter-mile west of Rowan Road, is 50 acres of wetlands and 30 acres of uplands. In other words, city parks director Bob Consalvo said, there could have been houses here had it not been saved. The West Pasco Audubon Society has found 140 species of birds in the preserve. Consalvo said he has seen manatees in the river along the park land. The city bought the land in 1997, paying $120,000 of the $775,000 purchase price. A state trust that buys environmentally sensitive land paid the majority of the purchase price. The land is named after the patriarch of the Grey family. John Grey brokered the deal between the city and a New York company for the land. An archaeological survey done for the city found pottery fragments and tool pieces from what was probably a seasonal hunting camp used by prehistoric American Indians dating as far back as 2,500 B.C. They were predecessors to the Timucua Indians, who lived in Florida when the Spanish explorers came here. "What we're really providing here is nature," Consalvo said Thursday. The park won't have ball fields; it won't have playgrounds. It will stay quiet. At least after the work is done. City workers spent this week cleaning out areas, cutting up brush and hurrying to make the park look its best for the grand opening this morning. For now, there are 2 miles of trails back into the preserve, with more being built. There is a canoe launch, a pavilion with benches and picnic tables throughout the area. Consalvo said the next project is permanent restrooms, but those will have to wait for grant money the city is seeking. And City Manager Gerald Seeber said there is still $1.5-million in construction to do in the park -- building a nature center and outdoor classroom for children -- but there is no money yet for the project. Consalvo said the city's best known park will remain Sims Park in downtown New Port Richey, but the opening of the preserve might start to change that. "When this is completely developed, this can turn into a focal point," Consalvo said. -- Matthew Waite can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6247 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6247. His e-mail address is waite@sptimes.com . Where is the preserve?New Port Richey city officials will open the James E. Grey Preserve at 11 a.m. today. There are two ways to get to the preserve. -- From the west, go down Congress Street to Louisiana Avenue. At Louisiana, turn left, or east, to Carpel Drive. Turn left on Carpel, to Baker Road. Turn right onto Baker to Plathe Road. Follow Plathe to the parking lot. -- From the east, turn west off of Rowan Road onto Baker Road (one block south of Nebraska Avenue). Follow Baker south to Plathe Road. Turn left on Plathe, and follow it to the parking lot.
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From today's Pasco Times |
