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Commissioner Book, I’m forwarding you my email thread with Monica Cooper as I suspect she’s going to continue her opposition to the next round of proposed improvements at Tom Petty Park. Our correspondence began back in November, so there’s a lot here, but it’s a good summary of how Wild Spaces & Public Places has modified the scope of work in response to input from the community and how we’ve tried to address the concerns that have been raised. It is a far better project after hearing from so many neighbors and user groups. The bottom line is that the overwhelming majority of people I’d talked to are very much in favor of the proposed improvements. I regret that I was not able to get everyone to support these changes, but I suppose that’s often impossible when there are so many competing interests. 
| Peter McNiece | Project Manager
Wild Spaces & Public Places
Desk 352-393-8544 | Cell 352-514-8992
Email McNiecePR@GainesvilleFL.gov Normal work hours: M-Th, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM | Note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. |
PS – Also note that the design team at Kimley-Horn confirmed that we are not reducing the size of the multi-purpose field. From: McNiece, Peter R
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2024 1:46 PM
To: Waite, Betsy D <WAITEED@cityofgainesville.org>
Subject: Fwd: [EXTERNAL] Tom Petty Park I’m going to call Elisabeth this afternoon. There may be some confusion, but I was under the impression that we weren’t reducing the size of the playing surface of the multipurpose field. That was one of the mandates in our original scope of work. Monica may just be lamenting the encroachment on that field. I’ll let you know what Kimley-Horn says. Will send you an update later today. After having sent multiple emails to Monica, and now that you’re meeting with her next Friday, I don’t think it’s constructive for me to continue our correspondence. I don’t have any additional information to share and she seems steadfast in her opposition to these park improvements without offering any objective rationale for her position. Since there are new paths drawn but you're not aware of anything but resurfacing the existing asphalt (which has already been done),then those paths should be taken off of the proposed drawing. I am aware of the new ADA paths to the ball fields, which is great. If you measure the width of the courts you will see that with space in between courts as you've diagrammed, the soccer field is in fact narrowed by 50 feet . I understand that pickleball players in other parks are waiting to play, from what you've said. But again, not in TP Park! Courts are always available. COMPROMISING by adding 4 dedicated pickleball courts on the racquetball court, equal to the number of tennis courts, makes sense. Put the other courts elsewhere as needed at Northside and other parks. The lighting of the soccer field is a new announcement. What is that projected cost? Thank you, Monica Cooper Hi Monica, The attached schematic design is as far as we’ve gotten with the next round of improvements at Tom Petty Park. There are no additional documents for me to share with you. There are new paths shown on that drawing but I’m not aware of any additional proposed pathways through the park. Park Operations has requested that we resurface the existing asphalt path that runs to NE 13th Ave to facilitate access for their maintenance vehicles. Perhaps that is the path “through the woods” you are referring to? The paths at Tom Petty Park serve both our neighbors who enjoy walking and our maintenance staff that need full access to the park. We did create new ADA accessible walking paths to the softball fields as part of the previous renovation. In the upcoming project, we are adding walking paths around the perimeter of the pickleball courts to allow better access to the multi-purpose field and to provide guests with mobility issues greater connectivity with all the park amenities. I met with the City of Gainesville Arborist to confirm that the few trees that might be removed are not critical longleaf pines or the persimmon tree. In fact, he requested we remove additional trees that are in poor health to promote the viability of the remaining “high quality” trees. We also discussed the possible addition of some fruit trees to complement the City’s Edible Groves program. While I appreciate the sentiment that no trees should ever be removed, I defer to the expertise of our City Arborists to decide what is in the best interest of our urban forests. I similarly defer to the expertise of Professional Engineers to determine what Tom Petty Park requires to comply with the latest storm water regulations. Also note that the size of the multi-purpose field is not being reduced. In fact, that field is currently being lighted so that park visitors can use the field until 11pm. It seems the primary disagreement you have with the proposed project is the number of proposed pickleball courts. You are basing your opinion that 4 courts is sufficient on the fact that the temporary pickleball courts that were striped on the tennis courts are not getting much use. You are absolutely correct, but that’s primarily because those courts do not have pickleball nets. There would be no tennis activity on those courts either if we removed the tennis nets. In order to play pickleball at Tom Petty Park right now, users have to bring their own nets and hope that tennis players have not reserved the court for their exclusive use. Everywhere there are dedicated courts, however, there is tremendous participation by pickleball players. Northside park is quite literally overrun by pickleball and even when Parks & Rec sets up additional city-owned temporary nets, the demand far exceeds the number of available courts. High Springs recently opened four dedicated pickleball courts which are already being used to capacity every day. The six shared-use courts Gainesville just dedicated at Forest Park are getting a lot of use because we also equipped them with temporary nets. Communities all over Florida are building pickleball courts as fast as possible to accommodate the exploding popularity of pickleball. We’ve heard from hundreds of pickleball players in Gainesville that are demanding as many courts as we can build. Even if we constructed a dozen courts at Tom Petty park they wouldn’t think it was enough. We can’t always accommodate everyone’s individual desires for our parks but our motivation is to respect everyone’s opinions and propose solutions that satisfy the best interests of the majority of our community with the long-term best interests of the City of Gainesville in mind. Betsy told me that she’s going to meet with you next week to discuss this project. As the Director of Wild Spaces & Public Places, she has far more access to the senior staff at Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs and the City of Gainesville leadership team and will likely be able to share a different perspective from what I’ve been exposed too. I am very confident that she will be able to address all of your remaining concerns. - Pete A question: Did you have more than one meeting (which was in the rain)? Where was this tremendous amount of community engagement on this proposal? You misunderstand. I am compromising. You are proposing 8 and I have compromised in asking for 4 courts when there are none now. That is meeting in the middle. Question: When are the next scheduled meetings for public input before you move forward? I asked for a complete drawing of the additional proposed pathing and still don't have that. Please send the entire proposal. Respectfully, Monica Cooper Hi Monica, Your objection to the proposed plans is noted. It is not always possible to satisfy everyone’s desires so we are doing what we can to accommodate as many of our neighbors and community members as possible. As resolute as you are in opposition to these improvements, there are many people who are just as passionate in their advocacy for these changes. We’ve done a tremendous amount of community engagement to date but I encourage you to lobby your elected officials whenever you disagree with anything that is occurring at the City of Gainesville. I find myself speaking at public meetings more often nowadays. I’m sorry we were not able to find common ground as your vision for the park leaves little room for compromise. We are reducing the number of pickleball courts, working with the City Arborist to reduce our impact on the natural environment at the park, and relying on professional engineers to determine what must be done to comply with storm water regulations. I will add you to our email distribution list so you are included on any park updates we send out. 
| Peter McNiece | Project Manager
Wild Spaces & Public Places
Desk 352-393-8544 | Cell 352-514-8992
Email McNiecePR@GainesvilleFL.gov Normal work hours: M-Th, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM | Note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. |
I heard from Betsy that there is need for courts at Northside. We have been noting the usage of pickleball players over here at TP Park and for two months it is slim to none. We support your locating other places to place the courts. She said they were looking at Massey and other parks. I would urge you to get feedback from park users before you enter into any agreement with Kimpley-Horn. That should not be done until many more opportunities for discussion! Most people I've talked to had no idea of your plan. As I said, replacing the racquetball courts with 4 pickleball courts, plus the availability of the other 2 lines courts gives you 6. Stick to the already existing racquetball court area and there will be no need to add impervious surface I would like a detailed map of proposed paths. All areas of the park are now accessible to wheelchairs with the current 9' wide path through the woods is used often and without problems. It was actually proven years ago by civil engineers that no further retention is needed. You are basing your confidence on the need for more water retention on what? You need to slow down and take public input before you move forward. Good Morning Monica, My apologies for the delayed response, but I was out on an extended vacation and just returned to work last week. Attached is the latest schematic design plan for the next round of improvements at Tom Petty Park. We are currently in discussions with the Kimley-Horn design team to enter into an agreement for them to create construction documents. The number of pickleball courts has been reduced to eight and none of them will be covered. We have also added additional amenities for our tennis players – shaded spectator bleachers and a multi-use concrete pad. The size of the existing multi-purpose field is not being reduced. While changes to the paths throughout the park have not been finalized, some will be modified to provide better ADA access and to assist those neighbors with mobility issues. While your opposition to pickleball is noted, there is a tremendous need for additional courts in Gainesville and the City is planning to build courts at several parks to address that demand. I am also attaching my earlier email to you that went into more detail about the renovation plans. The design of wetlands and storm water basins is a complex and heavily-regulated practice that is best left to the professional engineers. I am confident that their calculations will dictate where there is need for additional water quality and quantity storage at Tom Petty Park. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions. | Peter McNiece | Project Manager
Wild Spaces & Public Places
Desk 352-393-8544 | Cell 352-514-8992
Email McNiecePR@GainesvilleFL.gov Normal work hours: M-Th, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM | Note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. |
Thank you, Peter. I would like to see that new design. Please send it to me. In talking to just a few neighbors I found that they had no idea of your plan. Are you going to put a sign up in the park so people who use the park regularly can comment? I know that you want to satisfy the pickleball players but I'm concerned that you haven't gotten feedback from others Below are some questions: 1-There is very little usage, as is, by pickleball players; How many players have requested so many new courts? 2-Reducing the size of heavily used soccer ball field is not warranted. We've noticed that every bit of that width is used during practices and games as families attend to watch their kids; Have you gotten feedback from those teams? 3- For what reason have you added stormwater basins directly next to a very large naturally existing wetland area? Your drawing has not included existing swails and drainage ditches 4- for what reason have you added more asphalt paths in the woods? Please help me by answering these questions. Reducing the soccer ball field area is not warranted and I have attached a drawing of how easily 4 courts fits in the existing space. Monica, We’re reducing the number of pickleball courts from ten to eight and modifying the court “footprints” to preserve as many trees as possible and to maintain Tom Petty Park's "natural" character. I wish we could satisfy everyone’s wishes for the park, but whether you agree or not, I can assure you that the needs of our user groups are often mutually exclusive. We plan to build more pickleball courts in the SW part of town in the coming years. I met onsite with the City of Gainesville Arborist yesterday to confirm that the few trees that might be removed are not the important longleaf pines or the persimmon tree. In fact, he requested we remove a couple of additional trees that are in poor health to promote the viability of the remaining “high quality” trees. We also discussed the possible addition of some fruit trees to complement the City’s edible trees program. I believe the final product will be better than what is currently at Tom Petty Park. Sincerely, 
| Peter McNiece | Project Manager
Wild Spaces & Public Places
Desk 352-393-8544 | Cell 352-514-8992
Email McNiecePR@GainesvilleFL.gov Normal work hours: M-Th, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM | Note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. |
Hello Peter, I'm glad you are trying to contain your asphalt/concrete footprint. What is your current reduction number? I think that you can satisfy pretty much everyone. We've been here for many years so have been through many phases. Racquetball interest came and went, the two dog parks were added, even hurricanes and a tornado came through which destroyed many trees. I'm not sure that you know how valued that woods is to park users. There's a reason it was named Tom Petty Park. Tom spent his youth and much time as an adult, even after moving to LA, walking in the woods. His family and fans are very protective of his legacy. As far as pickle ball: The city population is west. Offering a reasonable amount of courts for tennis and pickleball here (4 of each would be sufficient if you look at usage which we do daily) while planting, not cutting trees, would be appreciated by all. You might not know the history of the wooded area and the massive interest over the years to keep it. As noted, people shouldn't have to drive all the way over here to play, and I'm sure it makes sense to install some more courts in the west. I would like to walk with you on Monday if possible. I am to meet with the arborist also. What time are you meeting with him? I can show you some high usage areas that think will benefit you in your planning. There are areas that get wet naturally, and grassy areas that get used for quick badminton and volleyball and picnics even while the soccer field is in use. These grassy are used quite a bit and you should be aware of how they're being used by park goers before future planning. Monica, You’ll be pleased to learn that we’re reducing the number of pickleball courts to preserve as many trees as possible and to maintain Tom Petty Park's "natural" character. We’re also exploring new court “footprints” to determine which one will have the least impact. I wish we could satisfy everyone’s wishes for the park, but the needs of our user groups are often mutually exclusive. Please know that I am an advocate for the protection of our natural resources and will do everything possible to champion that cause. I’m meeting onsite with the City of Gainesville Arborist Monday specifically to discuss longleaf pines and the persimmon tree. There has been A LOT of interest in the renovations at Tom Petty Park. Our announcement regarding the Open House was sent to 6,729 email addresses and 40% of recipients opened the email. That’s an extraordinarily high response rate. I’ve already added your email to our distribution list so you are included on any future park updates we send out. The City Commission will likely review the final plans for the park in a few months and that public meeting will be advertised as well. We’ve also ordered a new Kiosk for the south side of the park so we can post notices and community flyers. That will get installed as soon as it arrives. - Pete Peter, Thanks for writing. I understand the new pickleball craze, as we've had others, like racquetball, in the past. You say that you've got 4 dedicated pickleball courts so I see that there's a need for more city-wide. But 10 courts in NE park is way more than is needed here when most of the population is west. I can see that you are fitting 4 courts on the racquetball court site, and another 2 which may also be on that site, but can't quite tell from your map. That would make makes 6 without laying down more concrete The other 4 within the woods are clearly not needed. The retention ponds on the map also would not be needed. Over the years we have lost trees to storms and we do need to replant again. ALL of the trees are important, and many you would clear for these 4 courts are valuable long leaf pines. With the Climate crisis we need to plant and enhance wooded areas that are crucial to addressing this real problem. We dedicated the park as Tom Petty Park in this wooded area because he frequently walked there in these woods. Many people are not on your email list who use the park. When are you having other meetings so that we can advertise via a notice in the park? I know that you want to hear from those who did not make the meeting so that all of the community is involved. Hi Monica, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on the next phase of renovations to Tom Petty Park. There are many competing interests at our parks and it’s difficult, often impossible, to satisfy everyone’s wishes. Nevertheless, we do our best to solicit as much feedback as possible in the hope of finding common ground and solutions that satisfy the greatest number of our neighbors and user groups. While I agree that the loss of any tree is regrettable, we have taken extraordinary steps to try and incorporate the high-value, heritage trees at Tom Petty Park into our proposed design. The main entrance to the pickleball courts, for example, will be built around the enormous live oak at the southwest corner of the parking lot. Instead of being an obstacle or impediment to development, it will become the focal point of our improvements. There are also a number of “nature” parks in Gainesville that are purposely dedicated to maintaining their natural habitat. While those may not be as close as Tom Petty Park, there are plenty of venues where our community can enjoy the tranquility and beauty of nature. At our “active” parks, we have to find a balance between the need for active play venues (softball, basketball, tennis, playgrounds, pools, etc…) and maintaining as much of the flora and fauna as possible. Also note that the City of Gainesville has very strict guidelines and regulations regarding how and when the removal of trees is justified. We want to promote the vision of our Tree City USA designation by making a concerted effort to keep our canopy whenever possible. Decisions about tree removal are also made in collaboration with the arborists at the City of Gainesville’s Urban Forestry Division and often involve a 2 for 1 mitigation with new trees. I’m certainly not trying to talk you into agreeing with a different perspective. As an avid hiker, I consider myself a staunch environmentalist and dedicated advocate for Nature, but I understand that the house where I now live was once a strand of trees that was cut down by a developer to build my home. Meanwhile, the need for pickleball courts in Gainesville is very real. There are THOUSANDS of players that have been very vocal about needing more than the FOUR dedicated courts that currently exist within the City limits. One of their Facebook pickleball player groups has over 1,700 members. Our attempts at re-lining tennis courts for dual purpose use was a well-intentioned stop gap measure that created unnecessary conflict within our racket sports community. Our intent is to address the needs of our community members without taking facilities away from other user groups. We want tennis players to have exclusive access to their courts and also not have to deal with the additional striping that can often be confusing (to everyone) and to prevent the inevitable conflicts that arise over shared use of the courts. There are also a number of people and user groups that are advocating for even MORE development. They want us to build a basketball court, a Bike Polo venue, and a building to house a flat-track derby course for the Roller Rebels. We are working to find them alternative venues to prevent the over-development of Tom Petty Park and risk losing the natural charm that currently exists. I’m SUPER-excited about the next phase of renovations at Tom Petty Park and am confident that these improvements will be well-received by the community. Not mentioned previously, but also in our scope of work as a result of comments we received at the Open House (and via emails afterwards), we’re going to install new benches in the dog park, order and install a Kiosk for that side of the park, create a new park entrance and walking trail from the 16th Ave crosswalk, enlarge the bathrooms, install a BAKKO tennis backboard for hitting practice, and create a wildflower/pollinator garden. It’s going to look great J I will add you to our email distribution list so you are included on any park updates we send out. Thank you for being an active member of our community and advocating for the improvement of our City parks! I wish we could accommodate everyone’s needs, but we’re working as fast as we can to make Gainesville’s parks better for everyone. | Peter McNiece | Project Manager
Wild Spaces & Public Places
Desk 352-393-8544 | Cell 352-514-8992
Email McNiecePR@GainesvilleFL.gov Normal work hours: M-Th, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM | Note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. |
I am on vacation for Thanksgiving so just saw the proposed pickle ball court addition drawing. I am vehemently opposed the taking the woods south of the existing tennis courts for pickle ball. That is a very special and rare wooded area. I and many walkers enjoy the peace and tranquility of that area, Parks are not just for constant activity with balls but also for spaces for quiet reflection. When is the next meeting as I know many people don't even know about this and need time to become informed?
Hi Monica, Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on the next phase of renovations to Tom Petty Park. There are many competing interests at our parks and it’s difficult, often impossible, to satisfy everyone’s wishes. Nevertheless, we do our best to solicit as much feedback as possible in the hope of finding common ground and solutions that satisfy the greatest number of our neighbors and user groups. While I agree that the loss of any tree is regrettable, we have taken extraordinary steps to try and incorporate the high-value, heritage trees at Tom Petty Park into our proposed design. The main entrance to the pickleball courts, for example, will be built around the enormous live oak at the southwest corner of the parking lot. Instead of being an obstacle or impediment to development, it will become the focal point of our improvements. There are also a number of “nature” parks in Gainesville that are purposely dedicated to maintaining their natural habitat. While those may not be as close as Tom Petty Park, there are plenty of venues where our community can enjoy the tranquility and beauty of nature. At our “active” parks, we have to find a balance between the need for active play venues (softball, basketball, tennis, playgrounds, pools, etc…) and maintaining as much of the flora and fauna as possible. Also note that the City of Gainesville has very strict guidelines and regulations regarding how and when the removal of trees is justified. We want to promote the vision of our Tree City USA designation by making a concerted effort to keep our canopy whenever possible. Decisions about tree removal are also made in collaboration with the arborists at the City of Gainesville’s Urban Forestry Division and often involve a 2 for 1 mitigation with new trees. I’m certainly not trying to talk you into agreeing with a different perspective. As an avid hiker, I consider myself a staunch environmentalist and dedicated advocate for Nature, but I understand that the house where I now live was once a strand of trees that was cut down by a developer to build my home. Meanwhile, the need for pickleball courts in Gainesville is very real. There are THOUSANDS of players that have been very vocal about needing more than the FOUR dedicated courts that currently exist within the City limits. One of their Facebook pickleball player groups has over 1,700 members. Our attempts at re-lining tennis courts for dual purpose use was a well-intentioned stop gap measure that created unnecessary conflict within our racket sports community. Our intent is to address the needs of our community members without taking facilities away from other user groups. We want tennis players to have exclusive access to their courts and also not have to deal with the additional striping that can often be confusing (to everyone) and to prevent the inevitable conflicts that arise over shared use of the courts. There are also a number of people and user groups that are advocating for even MORE development. They want us to build a basketball court, a Bike Polo venue, and a building to house a flat-track derby course for the Roller Rebels. We are working to find them alternative venues to prevent the over-development of Tom Petty Park and risk losing the natural charm that currently exists. I’m SUPER-excited about the next phase of renovations at Tom Petty Park and am confident that these improvements will be well-received by the community. Not mentioned previously, but also in our scope of work as a result of comments we received at the Open House (and via emails afterwards), we’re going to install new benches in the dog park, order and install a Kiosk for that side of the park, create a new park entrance and walking trail from the 16th Ave crosswalk, enlarge the bathrooms, install a BAKKO tennis backboard for hitting practice, and create a wildflower/pollinator garden. It’s going to look great J I will add you to our email distribution list so you are included on any park updates we send out. Thank you for being an active member of our community and advocating for the improvement of our City parks! I wish we could accommodate everyone’s needs, but we’re working as fast as we can to make Gainesville’s parks better for everyone. 
| Peter McNiece | Project Manager
Wild Spaces & Public Places
Desk 352-393-8544 | Cell 352-514-8992
Email McNiecePR@GainesvilleFL.gov Normal work hours: M-Th, 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM | Note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. |
I am on vacation for Thanksgiving so just saw the proposed pickle ball court addition drawing. I am vehemently opposed the taking the woods south of the existing tennis courts for pickle ball. That is a very special and rare wooded area. I and many walkers enjoy the peace and tranquility of that area, Parks are not just for constant activity with balls but also for spaces for quiet reflection. When is the next meeting as I know many people don't even know about this and need time to become informed?
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