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County Finalizes Land Swap For Bratt Park, Public Input Meeting Set
February 5, 2009
Escambia County has finalized a land swap that will bring a new community park to Bratt, and area residents are wasting no time in beginning to plan what they want to see done with the park.
The Escambia County Commission approved the land swap back in April, and there has been a “coming soon” sign on the property for months. But the deal just became final a few days ago.
The county traded 57 acres of mostly wetlands that county owned on Hanks Road for 13.19 acres at the corner of West Highway 4 and Bratt Road. The Highway 4 property was owned by Kale and Donna Schneider.
District 5 Commissioner Kevin White said that the new park had been a “long time coming”, with plans having been in the works for about 10 years.
“I think this is a great thing,” White recently told NorthEscambia.com. “A park in that area has been needed for a long time. This has been 10 years in the making.”
The land swap will end up costing the county only about $9,000. That will leave about $141,000 currently budgeted in White’s discretionary Local Option Sales Tax funds to develop that park. In the beginning, that money will pay for land improvements, playground equipment and a walking trail. Softball fields are part of the ultimate plan for the park, White said. The county’s budget crisis will not effect the funding for the park since funds will come from the local sales tax monies.
Area residents interested in the park are invited to attend a public meeting to be held at 6:30 next Thursday night, February 12 in the Fellowship Hall at the Shiloh Free Will Baptist Church at 5410 North Highway 99.
“It will be a great asset for the community, and we expect the private sector will get involved and help too,” White said. “It provides another park in the north part of the county that the other board members have supported since I have been here.”
The new park will be located along Highway 4 between Bratt First Baptist Church and Northview High School.
Pictured above: The site of a new county-owned park in Bratt is currently an open area with just a few very small trees. Pictured below: The aerial photo shows the placement of the new park. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
9 Responses to “County Finalizes Land Swap For Bratt Park, Public Input Meeting Set”
I think it’s a great idea,I grew up in Bratt,it’s a close knit community.I know parents appreciate a place where their kids can play.I also think it should be considered to have a play area for the smaller children as well,like having infant swings.I live in Molino,and when the park is finished,I will take my children to play there,I think it’s worth the drive to support my old hometown.
i think a soft ball park or field should be in this park sop then we dont have to drive all the way to walnut hill or molino to sign up for base/softball
Get a grip Bruce. We people in Bratt will take care of a Park as well as we do our schools. So back up and watch. You will be wishing you lived in a community as great as Bratt. From the well-off to the need to have families, this park will be ours! We will maintain!
I think this is an awesome way to get the community involved in a project as well as create a place that people of all ages can enjoy. I am sure that it will take work and a group effort to develop, build, and maintain the park. If the Bratt community is the same one that I remember when I grew up there, I know that the people will come together and make it great and keep it great. This is a wonderful way to get kids as well as adults away from the TV and video games and out exercising and enjoy the family unit. In these days of a failing economy and unsteady politics, fostering a family unit is now more essential than ever. I agree with one of the other comments, be glad that the Bratt end of the county is actually getting something rather than being treated like the stepchild of the county.
I’m a kid and at this park should have a skatepark for kids and all skaters. i will get all the kids in the Bratt area to help out with this activity instead of driving all the way to Pensacola or Bayminnete to a skatepark .
Come on people…. instead of complaining about something, help out your community. My husband and I pick up trash up and down our street every so often. We have picked up trash at the ball fields. It is actually nice to go for a walk together, even if it is to pick up garbage. Yes, it would be nice if no one put it there to start with, but I don’t think it is someone else’s job to clean up our mess. We are perfectly capable of cleaning our own community. I personally am grateful for any park or recreational area that our children can use and I am not going to complain about it.
Hats off to the Molino ball park association!! They are always cleaning at the ball park and making sure everything is taken care of. You can see the pride the community takes in the ballpark there and I am sure Bratt will do the same.
Well Bruce as a community if Bratt gets the park why can’t the people help keep it up that live around there. Be happy that we are getting something on the end of the county. I live in Walnut Hill and I have picked up trash at the ballpark and the play grounds over here. We have a responsibility to keep our community clean the way I see it.
Great Job…. Although this would be nice for the community, wait until you call on the county to build it, or help maintain it….. they cannot support the parks they oversee now… what makes anyone think they will be able to support this one….. Maybe the county should consolidate or manage what they have before opening new park areas that will just fall by the wayside…. Just a thought.