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Hello Rachel,
I was really disappointed to see that the City plans to use $75k of Wild Space & Public Places funds to pave existing recreational green space & put another parking lot in Tom Petty Park. Not only that, but the public was given only 2 days' notice before the issue was put before the City Commissioners on Thursday morning.
Four of us from the neighborhood were at the Commission meeting Thursday at 10 am to speak in opposition, even with so little warning or information to go on. We erroneously thought there would be a presentation, and then a comment period, and therefore we didn't get our comment cards in on time. The funding was approved in a block vote without us even noticing.
Rachel, we have communicated before, and I don't like to jump to conclusions, but this looks terrible from where I'm standing. I know that you inherited this project and that you're new to the team. I'd like to give you a chance to explain the reasoning for this parking lot. Maybe there is someone who has been on the team longer that can speak to the sudden necessity of this parking lot?
This is my take, from the limited information that I have: - Tom Petty Park is a small urban park, surrounded by neighborhoods. People live directly adjacent to the park. It is easily walkable, bikeable, bus-able, and it has an existing parking lot and near-unlimited street parking in the neighborhoods.
- You are currently creating what you anticipate to be a greater "need" for parking, against the advice of the community.
- In the public comment materials that I've seen [attached] there are no mentions of any more than 6 pickleball courts. Your original plan included 12 courts. You dropped the number down to 8 courts after public pushback.
- In all of the materials I have, there is no mention of parking concerns. Maybe you are still holding onto those? If so, how common are those concerns compared to the others mentioned by attendees? Is that the best use of the money?
- The written justification for the new parking lot is: "The addition of 8 dedicated pickleball courts, along with the park’s existing popular amenities, has increased demand at this regional facility." The courts are not built yet, though, so it's not clear to me how demand has been assessed.
- You are creating a "problem," and a preemptive solution, which in turn will create much bigger problems for the park (runoff near a wetland, oak tree limb thinning, a bigger retention pond, pavement maintenance, bollards, more lighting, more trash, more noise, more heat, more idling cars).
- The City has repeatedly told concerned residents that this would not happen:
- Feb 2024: "The field size will remain the same (approximately 160’ x 280’) (44800 ft^2)." But now, you will halve the field size to 150' x 150' (22500 ft^2). Newest schematic attached.
- July 2024: "Due to the need to keep the overall development footprint as small as possible to minimize impacts on wetlands and existing trees... additional paved areas are not planned for this project." Why are we no longer concerned with minimizing impacts? Has there been a new environmental assessment done in the past year?
- May 2025: "We are no longer making significant design changes." That is a quote not from the City, but directly from you to me, via email. According to documents now made available, the parking lot plans had in fact been underway since at least January 2025.
- I disagree with this justification document that two parking lots in a small urban park meets Gainesville's Goal 3: "A Great Place to Live and Experience." As someone who lives next door to the park, it certainly will do the opposite, discouraging walking and biking in one of the few truly safe, easy, walkable and bikeable communities in Gainesville. And visitors to the park will objectively have less space to recreate for leisure.
- I disagree that this process has met Gainesville's Goal 5: "'Best in Class' Neighbor Services." I do not believe proper procedures for public transparency have been followed here. This project has seriously eroded my trust in our City, our Parks and Recreation Dept, and especially in our use of Wild Spaces & Public Places tax dollars.
- I do believe that two parking lots in a small urban park - as well as the southernmost pickleball courts that y'all cut down 20 mature trees for - has a clearly negative impact on Gainesville's Goal 2: "Sustainable Community for the Future."
- I do not see a single Gainesville Strategic Goal that this parking lot meets.
- I don't think that voters had parking lots paving over recreational green space in mind when voting for the Wild Spaces & Public Spaces tax. If you doubt that, I think a public survey would be wise.
I have bcc'd my neighbors that attended yesterday and a few local media. I strongly believe that we, the taxpayers (and especially the next-door neighbors of the park, who are not only paying for the lot but are the ones most impacted by these changes), deserve a reasonable explanation.
Thank you for taking the time to address these concerns. This little park really is important to us. I know someone who moved to our neighborhood just a few months ago because he loved biking to the park so much... and now it's getting paved all over. And the opposite - I know elderly folks who grew up in the houses they still live in now, right next to the park. This frustration comes from love of our quiet, walkable, diverse, safe, friendly, tree-filled neighborhood. If you need help spending $75k on anything other than pavement, we'd be happy to brainstorm with you.
Have a great weekend,
Darcy Doran-Myers NE 6th Terrace
Relevant Gainesville Goals:  WHAT? City Commission Meeting |
WHEN? Thursday, June 5 Consent agenda item 10 a.m.
Business discussion item Afternoon session 1 p.m. |
WHERE? City Hall Auditorium 200 E. University Ave. |
| The Gainesville City Commission meeting includes the following Wild Spaces & Public Places agenda items:
Consent agenda item: Request for approval of additional design services for the Tom Petty Park Pickleball Improvements Project Request approval to amend a task assignment to include additional design services for the Tom Petty Park Pickleball and miscellaneous improvements project provided by Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. The cost for the additional services is $74,502.50.
Business discussion item: Morningside Nature Center 20-Year Master Plan Presentation Request for the City Commission to hear a presentation on the Morningside Nature Center 20-Year Master Plan and provide feedback. |
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| Questions? Contact Betsy Waite, Director Wild Spaces & Public Places Phone: 352-393-8187 |
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| Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department | Wild Spaces & Public Places | PO Box 490, Sta 24 | Gainesville, FL 32627 US |
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