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Letter to the editor

Upgrades put spark in park

By RITA FARLOW
Published July 4, 2007

A small neighborhood park behind Edward White Hospital has undergone major changes in the past several months, to the delight of nearby residents.

"We love it. It looks so nice, " said Kelly Carter, who lives a few blocks from the park.

Carter, 47, said Booker Creek Park was unappealing and hard to access before the renovations.

"It's so open now and you're not afraid to come here anymore."

Carter was at the park early Monday afternoon with her husband, Noel, 48, and their two chihuahuas. While the Carters walked their tiny dogs, a jogger ran by and a couple picnicked on Cuban sandwiches nearby. At the northwest corner of the park, two small children made enthusiastic use of the playground.

Joan Valori-Staton, a nurse at Edward White, was out for a walk on a work break.

Valori-Staton, 50, said that before the trail was put in, there weren't any safe places to walk during the day. "It has increased my opportunities (for walking) tremendously and it gives me some quiet time, " she said.

The 9-acre park, nestled between Ninth and 13th avenues N and bordered on the east by I-275, reopened in April after six months of work. A fishing pier, a dock, picnic shelters and benches were installed, said Steve Ochsner, the city's capital projects coordinator.

Two existing foot bridges were fixed up and two new ones were installed, connecting a path that creates a full loop around the lake. The new path is lighted for safety and marked by signs that show the distance around the lake.

A fountain was added to the center of Booker Lake, a freshwater lake and stormwater retention pond that feeds Booker Creek. Invasive plants were removed and replaced by native species of aquatic plants, Ochsner said.

The project received $200, 000 from a federal grant, and $300, 000 in Penny for Pinellas funds. The North Kenwood Neighborhood Association received a $25, 000 grant from the city. The hospital matched the grant and donated $30, 000 and a new parking lot on the southwest corner of the lake.

The city plans other improvements if a $200, 000 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund is approved. That phase will include a restroom, more picnic shelters, a gazebo and a shade structure for the playground, as well as additional landscaping and irrigation.

"We've taken an area that was very much underutilized and it's become a jewel of a park. It's really been transformed into a neighborhood asset, " said city parks director Cliff Footlick.

[Last modified July 3, 2007, 21:25:18]