The debate over the design of the Northeast Park has been joined by the Killearn Homeowners Association (KHA). The KHA has until now been focused on potential traffic issues related to the Northeast Park.
However, in a June 15th letter to the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency (IA), Steven Givens, President for KHA noted that, “Despite our immediate proximity to the proposed park, we (KHA) were never directly consulted or involved in the design of this park prior to the May Blueprint meeting.”
Givens added, if asked “we would have advocated for a more “family oriented” facility at a more reasonable budget that invited far less transient traffic into the already crowded streets of Killearn Estates.”
The comment is a reference to the current configuration of the park which includes four high school sized baseball fields. There are concerns that the traffic related to the use of these fields will result in congestion on Centerville Road.
The letter also noted that ” Killearn Estates is the ONLY neighborhood that borders any boundary of the proposed park. In fact, we border the entire western boundary of the park (please do not confuse Killearn Estates (KHA) with Killearn Lakes, that is located approximately 7 miles from the closest border of the park).”
The Killearn Lakes HOA Board recently notified the Blueprint IA of their support for the original park proposal in a letter penned by Roy H. Mars II, the president of the Killearn Lakes Homeowners Association.
In the letter, Mars stated, “On behalf of the Killearn Lakes Homeowners Association, I am privileged to lend our unanimous support to the full funding of $18 million and Concept 1 Plan of the Northeast Park. Our community has been waiting patiently for a Northeast active recreational facility for over two decades.”
The letter also noted their support for Leon County Commissioner Brian Welch.
The letter stated, “Commissioner Welch speaks for our best interests on the County Commission and the Blueprint Board, and he has our full backing on this issue.”
The Northeast Park was scheduled to be addressed at a June 15th meeting but has been delayed until August 24th.
Love how you all call Brian out for being baseball mafia.
That may be true but the other side of this coin is to attract travel ball teams to play at this park for tournaments. Hence why you have 4 high school sized fields.
Brings money in for the economy and so what a few extra cars in the area.
I support more facilities in the Northeast portion of Tallahassee/Leon County, however, neighborhoods and traffic patterns need to be considered. Maybe the new roads being build in Canopy, many of which are multi-lane can also funnel in to this new park, as many of its residents will use the facility.
Hey you know what would be better, if all five high school track and fields were open to the public when not in use by the students. https://www.change.org/ReopenTracksLeonCounty
Hey KHA, Why don't you stop worrying about the park and fix the sidewalk on Centerville Road that has been torn up by trees for 15 years. That sidewalk is the HOA's responsibility, not the city. Kids walk that every day for school and it is absolute garbage.
Givens should focus on improving Killearn. He has such an opportunity to improve a great old neighborhood. The existing parks have not keep up with the times. The parks within Killearn could be great. I mean really do something. Take some time put a plan together and execute it. Revitalize your existing parks plus the changes with the golf course would be an absolute game changer for Killearn. I’m not talking about new mulch and a picnic table. Go look at some new neighborhoods similar in size and check out the amenities,,,
Commissioner Welch can’t hide his involvement with travel ball aside from the countless photos on his Facebook, he wears “HEAT”swag year after year MC’ing opening day at City Parks. The “Baseball Mafia” is run by individuals who have controlled the City programs for years. It starts with Levy advance play, travel ball, and then using Babe Ruth (formerly city) program as a requirement to play freshman LCS high school fall baseball.
If you want to find the answer to your questions, "follow the money" as the saying goes.
Who will build the park?
What people in the approval cycle will have big "contributions" made to their reelection campaigns? Will some of those same people also receive a nice personal thank-you "gift." Maybe an all-expenses paid trip to New York; a ticket to a Broadway show; a boat tour to the Statue of Liberty or a "fun-time" trip to Las Vegas?
@Cynic, I have been asking the same question... who has the juice? Who is pushing this travel league monstrosity as a "community park"? That's what it is, it's a travel league park with a pickle ball court thrown in to appease the people that actually vote. The people behind it think they can just wring another 22 million out of us for it... as if that isn't infuriating enough.
Now they don't have enough for the cops... so we gotta pay more property tax. WOW.
Every freaking one of them has to go. There isn't a redeemable person on the commission, not one of them is actually on our side.
P.S. If anyone ever catches me playing "pickle ball", please take me for half a dive...
Forgive my ignorance but is there some kind of little league baseball mafia that has a strangle hold on all of our parks? The idea of having four high school sized baseball diamonds in what is suppose to be a neighborhood park is ridiculous on the face of it. In no way should this location even be considered for out-of-town travel ball with all the associated traffic on a canopy road.
I speak from personal experience because of the Meadows Soccer Complex which is right off a canopy road. Frankly that's a terrible location as well but what can you do as it is already long established. I also continue to add that the Meadows Soccer fields are horrible and the complex itself is in a terrible state. And yet, this facility gets significantly more traffic and use than the huge numbers of baseball fields conveniently scattered throughout the city/county.
I guess there really is some kind of organized baseball mafia in Leon County.
Isn't one of the Killearn LAKES HOA members related to the same city official that's pushing this outlandish design?
"Hey, Dad! We have no direct involvement in your project and are miles removed from it, but I've gotten my fellow HOA members to endorse it! You're Welcome!"
This is probably the least bad Blueprint project. NE Gateway and all of Welaunee are going to make life in the Northeast and the rest of the city more Ghazvini sprawled at extreme public expense
This park should wait to be addressed in a year from August, in 2024, so that all interested parties have ample time to review/comment after proposed designs with accurate cost figures can be developed after a thoughtful consideration of impacts on existing natural resources, roads, subdivisions, etc. after input from all interested parties via public surveys and workshops.
Mr. Welch's need to fulfill a campaign promise can, and should, wait.
You want it bad, you get it bad...
"Mars stated, “On behalf of the Killearn Lakes Homeowners Association, I am privileged to lend our unanimous support to the full funding of $18 million and Concept 1 Plan of the Northeast Park." Good to hear, maybe the Killearn Lakes Homeowners Association can pony up $10,000,000 to help PAY for it. It should be place on Thomasville Road instead of on a Canopy Road that can never be widened.