Barth Cleaned Up Wednesday. What’s Next?

May 17, 2023

During an April town hall meeting held in Cantonment, Commissioner Steven Barry said he is looking for ways to help the small community of Barth after residents reached out.

Barth is a quiet little community between Highway 29 to the west and the Escambia River to the east, a couple of miles north of the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection.

During that meeting, Barry promised the first-ever community cleanup event. That took place Wednesday , with residents of Barth and a portion of Molino able to yard debris and other items such as old furniture, appliances and household waste free of charge.

Some of the roads in Barth are dirt. And it’s dark, with no street lighting.. There’s no bus stop, no community center, and no playground. Children play basketball in the street with a goal next to Barth Lane.

“This is a small community, but we are still people. And we need the same concern and consideration,” resident Mary Nory recently said. She was born in Barth, moved away, and returned home about a decade ago. “No one seems to help Barth. They pass over Barth. They go to everywhere but Barth, and there is a whole community here.”

NorthEscambia.com reached back out to Barry this week to find out the status of street lights and perhaps even a park, as were discussed during the April meeting.

Escambia County has identified several locations around Barth for streetlights. Those are Highway 29 and Barth Road, Highway 29 and North Barth Road, Barth Road and Barth Heights, and Barth Road and Barth Lane. Barry said the county is now simply waiting for Florida Power & Light to install the lights.

In April, Franscine Mathis told Barry that she would love to see a community park in Barth, and that she has had contact with a Barth landowner with “a lot of land” that has expressed interest in allowing a park on their property. Barry replied that was doable, if they donate the land or lease it to the county for $1 a year.

I’m comfortable looking at something similar to what we did in the Walnut Hill community, a small community park that’s walking distance for a lot of residents that may not have transportation,” Barry said. He said a park in Barth could be located on any small parcels owned by the county. The Katie Mae Marshall Memorial Park open in July 2021 on North Cypress Street in Walnut Hill with a playground on a small parcel that escheated to the county.

This week, Barry said there has been no movement forward to date on a possible park. That’s because, he said, no landowner had made contact with a possible location. He said the county will search for any parcels in the area that are county property, perhaps that escheated to the county in a tax case.

Comments

2 Responses to “Barth Cleaned Up Wednesday. What’s Next?”

  1. JJ on May 17th, 2023 6:50 pm

    I see a Dollar General store at 29 and Barth rd. In the future

  2. Bonnie Exner on May 17th, 2023 6:15 pm

    If you have driven up that way, you see a big red and green sign mandated by law stating a desired rezoning from Agricultural [ 1home/ 20acres to Rural Residential [ 1 home/4 acres..a local builders has bought that land for future home development. My main concern is that is the primary evacuation route for hurricane exit..those of you who were here in October 1995 remember how gridlock Hwy 29 was for all those trying to go north out of the hurricanes path.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News