 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Mood at meeting: Preserve park's charm
By WILL VAN SANT WEEKI WACHEE -- County parks director Pat Fagan, now 53, can recall picnic outings he and his family took to Bayport some 40 years ago. The waterfront area, unlike much of Hernando, is remarkably unchanged from his childhood, he says. Fagan has devised an ambitious plan to increase Bayport Park from 1.5 to 11.5 acres, adding a host of amenities such as a gazebo and observation deck. But the proposal was greeted with wary skepticism by a handful of residents who met with the director and other officials Thursday evening at the Weeki Wachee Area Club. Some present called Bayport -- home to pines and palms that obscure several archaeological deposits from the prehistoric to Civil War eras -- the last beautiful place in Hernando County. They said plans to increase parking, the number and quality of boat ramps and to provide access to wooded areas with an elevated walking trail were justifiable, but urged that impacts be kept to a minimum and Bayport's Old Florida charms be preserved. "We would be doing the county and future generations a disservice if we destroyed Bayport," said Mildred Ann Bishop, 55, who has lived in the area for half a century. Fagan said he appreciated the special character of the area and is willing to scale back the park expansion. The director said the move would free some of the $1.4-million dedicated to the Bayport project for work on nearby Linda Pedersen Park in the Weekiwachee Preserve. The money comes from taxes residents have paid into the county's sensitive lands fund. "I have been here my whole life, too," Fagan told residents. "Bayport has always been a beautiful place to go." Bayport Park is a popular site for watching sunsets and launching boats. Fagan said improving recreational facilities there is crucial as the county park system struggles to serve a growing population. But he vowed "not to overbuild Bayport." The decision to scale back plans leaves the future design in doubt. Fagan said he would work with engineers and park planners to develop a revised design that would be the subject of a second, as yet unscheduled, public meeting. Work at the park, Fagan said, could begin in six months. There was a general consensus that parking needs to be increased and existing picnic pavilions and restroom facilities improved. Still in question is whether a caretaker's residence, concession stand and gatehouse will be built. Residents urged Fagan not to charge admission to the redesigned park. The director said no final decision had been made on admission fees. Despite the unanswered questions, resident J. Adrian Kilby, whose family has owned land at Bayport since 1852, said he was encouraged by the meeting and felt Fagan understood the arguments being made by those against a too intrusive design. Kilby also said Bayport's value lies in it being largely undisturbed, and he said he intends to monitor progress on a final design closely. "We need to leave Bayport ... alone as much as humanly possible," he said. -- Will Van Sant covers Hernando County government and can be reached at 754-6127. Send e-mail to vansant@sptimes.com
.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
| ||||||||||||||||
