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Fondness for old park fuels debate
By BRADY DENNIS
© St. Petersburg Times, ZEPHYRHILLS -- One issue at tonight's City Council meeting boils down to a simple choice: history vs. progress. The Zephyrhills Spring Water Co. has asked the city's permission to purchase Krusen Field, the city's nerve center of youth league sports, in order to build more warehouse space on the property. In return, the company has offered to build a state-of-the-art park elsewhere in the city. It promises to be a passionate topic, especially among those residents who don't want to see a piece of city history vanish. The park has been in use for more than half a century. "I played ball there; my kid played ball there," said Bill Cole, a Zephyrhills resident since 1984 who lives down the street from the park, on Meadowwood Loop. "That park was like our back yard. None of us want to see this happen. I mean, let's leave a little piece of this town." Paula Christensen, who lives on the same street, feels the same. She has two sons, 10 and 16, and bristles at the thought of losing the 32-acre park. "Our kids have been going to that park their whole lives," Christensen said. "They can ride their bikes there, they can walk, and it's comfortable knowing they are right down the street." Cole and Christensen also said they dread the thought of more construction at the water company, which recently completed a warehouse expansion. "There must be 200 trucks a day coming in and out of there," Cole said. "I can hear them loading, can hear the fork trucks and loud bangs and booms at all hours. It has affected the whole neighborhood." Christensen isn't so subtle. "Why do they want to turn this into an industrial area?" she said. "I think the city should be buying them out. I think they should take out the water company and put in skate parks." City Manager Steve Spina says that many residents have emotional ties to the park. But he is quick to add that many positive things could come from the deal. Allowing the company to expand would instantly increase the city's tax base and add 30 to 40 jobs to the local economy, Spina said. He also said that the park, situated off Alston Avenue, is becoming less and less accessible as the city keeps growing. Although the city has spent more than $200,000 on improvements to Krusen Field during the past five years, Spina said a new park paid for by the water company could offer state-of-the-art facilities not found in most cities the size of Zephyrhills. "It's got some pros and cons," Spina said of the proposal. "I'm just saying, let's not dismiss it out of hand." City Council members seem to agree. Several council members said they had no problem with considering the proposal and opening it up for public debate. They will probably set up a task force to weigh the pros and cons of the plan, and to consider a list of possible sites for a new park that was compiled by Spina. Officials at Zephyrhills Spring Water Co. referred questions about the proposal to a Perrier spokeswoman in Greenwich, Conn. She could not be reached for comment. In the meantime, Bill Cole will watch and wait. He said he will accept whatever the city decides, though he doesn't promise to be happy with the decision. "Is this good for the community? I don't know, maybe so," he said. "Do I like it? No. "Expansion can be a wonderful thing. But I think it's a shame. This is a small town. Things just wouldn't be the same." -- Brady Dennis can be reached at 352-521-5757, ext. 23.
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