City seeks public's input on recreation

Residents can tell officials how they would like to see their recreation choices grow during a series of meetings next week.

By CHRISTINA HEADRICK

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 11, 2001

CLEARWATER -- Should there be more trails and bikeways in Clearwater? More parks with open space? More soccer fields?

The city wants to know what residents think, so it's hosting a series of meetings next week for people to voice their opinions about the city's recreation needs.

City officials will use the public input as they finish a master plan for improving Clearwater's parks and recreation facilities over the next 20 years, said Kevin Dunbar, parks and recreation director.

"It's a total system approach to what's out there and what we need," Dunbar said.

The plan will consider even small details, Dunbar said, such as whether small neighborhood parks have enough sidewalks leading to them. But the city has big questions to answer, too, such as how many new soccer fields and new baseball fields it should build.

For instance, Dunbar said, the city is considering creating a new seven-field soccer complex off Drew Street and Old Coachman Road on an old landfill the city owns. (The land was to be the site of a new Philadelphia Phillies spring training stadium, but then the Phillies decided it would be too expensive to build there.)

The city probably has enough soccer fields to serve its residents, Dunbar said. Since residents from outside the city participate in the programs, the city is talking to Pinellas County, Safety Harbor and the Pinellas County School Board about ways to join in creating such new facilities. Members of the groups are even on a city committee monitoring the creation of the master plan.

The city also is looking at trail systems and new facilities such as dog parks that people may want. The city has budgeted to build a dog park at Crest Lake Park this year, where people can let their dogs run free. But the city might be interested in finding a site in the north part of the city for another such park, Dunbar said.

The city has been working on the master plan all year, compiling nearly 70 existing facilities and about 1,500 acres of parks and recreation space, and judging the condition of all the facilities.

The city then hired Harper Partners Inc. of St. Petersburg, which has brought in another West Palm Beach consulting firm to assist, to help it seek public opinions and craft the actual plan. The consultants are costing about $80,000.

In addition to the public meetings next week, the city is scheduling small focus groups to talk to teens, seniors and leaders of organized athletics programs in the city about their wishes, Dunbar said.

The master plan is expected to be presented to the City Commission in January 2002, he added.

Next week's public meetings are from 7 to 9 p.m. at these dates and locations:

Monday -- Countryside Recreation Center, 2640 Sabal Springs Drive, and at the Long Center, 1501 N Belcher Road.

Tuesday -- Martin Luther King Recreation Center, 1201 M.L. King Ave., and Oak Grove Middle School, 1370 S Belcher Road.

Wednesday -- Harborview Center, 300 Cleveland St.

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