The City of Winter Park recently renovated one of its local public parks for the first time in its 34 years of use but residents quickly put them on notice that the improvements weren’t up to their high standards.
Phelps Park Playground, located at 1200 Phelps Avenue [GMap] was completely rebuilt and reopened to the public in March 2021, based on feedback collected from nearby residents via email surveys. The City removed a number of larger play structures and two swing sets that had been there since the park’s original opening and then commenced with the park redesign, which is now geared for children aged 2-12.
Residents have since rallied against the redesign, complaining that the park does not offer enough activities for “bigger kids,” who they believe were better-served by the older equipment. Yard signs, pamphlets, fliers, and stern emails have since resulted in an upcoming public meeting.
The City of Winter Park will host a community input meeting for Winter Park residents to share their thoughts and feelings about the park and their needs for further improvements at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, September 23 in Phelps Park.
Following the meeting, city staff will conduct a survey offering three possible playground additions for city residents to vote on, which you can see HERE from Tuesday, October 5 through Sunday, October 17.
Once the votes are counted, survey results will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Wednesday, October 20, where the board will vote on their recommendation to send to the City Commission, who will decide on the next steps.
