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Naming the Park – What’s the Point

Let the city commission know what you think about the new “park.” Below is my letter to them.


Mayor and Commissioners,
 
I note you did not provide us the opportunity to suggest names for your new park.
 
https://cityofwinterpark.org/government/projects/progress-point-project/vote-for-new-park-name/
 
However, I want to recommend a name that captures both the history and expenditure of taxpayer dollars:
 
POINTLESS PARK

  • The park is 1200 feet from a 50 acre city park.
  • The park is located at the most dangerous pedestrian intersection in the city.
  • You wasted $4 million in direct costs and another $4 million in opportunity cost using this city land for an unneeded park.
  • The park is adjacent to very busy roads and a railroad track.
  • There are few residential properties within walking distance of your park.

Your sole justification for all this waste is to “preserve” land. There is no strategic insight or rationale serving the people of Winter Park that justifies this park. This will go down in Winter Park history as a totally pointless personal indulgence.

The perfect name: POINTLESS PARK.

If you had not reversed the 385 residential units in the original OAO, you could have sold a portion of the Progress Point land for enough money to pay for a park. In that case a park would have been justified by the usage base from the residential units, which would have served to draw more usage and surrounding retail and restaurant activity, as exists around Central Park and Shady Park. But no, you had to indulge a “preservation at any cost” dogma at the expense of current and future Winter Park residents.

How disappointing.

Regards, Pete Weldon

Posted in Policy.


One Response

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  1. Ellie Warner says

    At present it’s the newest venue for “public art”. (Graffiti). Inspiring freedom of expression such as this is essential in a town being systematically drained of common sense and revenue.

    How we miss the graffiti at the Parisian Cleaners – a previous, yet ongoing very expensive boondoggle!



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