Okay-Bar Residents Additionally Supply Strategies Relating to Site visitors, Security, Lighting & Pure Preservation
District 7 Tampa Metropolis Council member Luis Viera informed a crowd of 50-60 folks — most of whom had been Okay-Bar Ranch residents — that he has been working to construct a metropolis park in Okay-Bar Ranch virtually because the day he first took workplace in 2016.
Viera hosted one more of his ever-present New Tampa City Corridor conferences on Aug. 7 to debate the park, which is positioned utterly in Okay-Bar and which the town now has about $1 million in its fiscal 2025 finances for the park’s design.
Along with Viera, Brad Suder, the superintendent of the town’s planning design pure assets division, and metropolis supervisor Heather Wolf-Erickson additionally had been available, representing Tampa’s Parks & Recreation Division. Co-hosting the assembly with Viera was Dist. 67 State Consultant (and Florida Home minority chief) Fentrice Driskell, who will attempt to safe some state funding for when the park is able to be constructed.
The assembly was held on the Mahadevia Schooling Heart on Highwoods Protect Pkwy., within the West Meadows group.
“Now that we’ve the design within the finances,” Councilman Viera mentioned, “the subsequent step shall be to get group’s enter, to see what services the residents wish to see included within the park.”
One of many options Viera mentioned was already being talked about being included on this park is a cricket discipline, “and now’s the time to push for that problem.”
To that finish, lots of the residents who attended the assembly had been there in help of cricket, a sport that originated in England that’s massively widespread not solely in India, however with New Tampa’s sizable Indian inhabitants, which Viera mentioned has been pushing him to incorporate a regulation cricket pitch and facility within the Okay-Bar park’s design “mainly since I used to be elected.”
Amongst these in attendance had been Nagesh Nayak and Prahlad Madabhushi, the president and managing director, respectively, of the Tampa Premier League (TPL), which at the moment relies on the Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Rd., however which doesn’t have an precise cricket pitch.
To begin the dialogue, Viera touted the $9- $10 million whole he has gotten for recreation services in New Tampa since taking workplace eight years in the past, together with the growth of the New Tampa Recreation Heart, the growth of the recreation services behind Liberty Center Faculty (working with the Hillsborough Faculty District) and the Metropolis of Tampa All-Skills Park. Viera mentioned, “I couldn’t have carried out this with out the assistance of those of us — Brad Suder and Heather Wolf-Erickson.”
Wolf-Erickson mentioned that designing a park is, “a protracted course of that received’t get achieved tonight, however when it’s constructed, that’s when it will get handed over to my staff and we do the operations, to maintain the park lovely and packed, and deal with the ready lists and all that we do for the (metropolis) parks right here in New Tampa.”
She added that, “The design part is such enjoyable, so I hope you all will sit again, loosen up and luxuriate in that design part, however simply notice that no matter you suppose (the park) goes to be, it’s going to be a hybrid of what all people needs. That’s the attractive half about it. It should signify the entire group.”
Wolf-Erickson additionally mentioned that Suder, who was concerned within the design of each metropolis recreation facility in New Tampa, additionally was chargeable for the design of the Tampa Riverwalk downtown and so many different services city-wide.
“Luis didn’t point out the New Tampa Nature Park (close to I-75), however it’s one in all my favourite parks that I’ve designed,” Suder mentioned, “however these are all labors of affection. And, I’ve been engaged on the Okay-Bar park since 2012.”
Suder added that the Okay-Bar park began out as a county-city cooperative. It was alleged to be within the northern portion of the group, “however we bumped into some points the place we couldn’t settle for what the developer wished to present us. The county went to a distinct website and the [K-Bar] park went silent for some time. I knew Okay-Bar was constructing and constructing, however we had been promised park land. We had been initially solely supplied a donation of 15 acres with an choice to buy 15 extra at market worth. However in the end, we had been supplied this 65 acres, which was initially a borrow pit, however due to the lakes that had been dug in Okay-Bar, we ended up with lots of of hundreds of cubic yards of soil — and we examined each truckload of that soil — and we ended up with an acceptable park website to begin the design course of.”
What About Cricket?
“We have now heard that cricket is a highly regarded and desired amenity to have at this park for New Tampa,” Suder mentioned. “The issue is that almost all of our parks don’t help the sq. acreage that’s wanted for cricket. However, on this case, we consider we’ve the acreage to make it work on this park, together with the opposite wants that we hear about tonight.”
He added, “Councilman Viera calls me a buddy, however he did struggle to get this going and I applaud him for that. And now, we’ve bought it going.”
Suder additionally famous that when the cash for the park’s design turns into obtainable and the town can rent a marketing consultant to work with, “We’ll begin the general public participation course of, so we are able to hear all the components the group needs — the group as a complete. It might’t focus solely on Okay-Bar residents, however that is part of the dialogue.” He did say, nonetheless, that the design funds in all probability received’t be obtainable till late November, or a number of weeks after the fiscal yr begins on Oct. 1. “Then, it can take a number of extra weeks to rent the marketing consultant. And, the precise design part will possible take a little bit greater than a yr to finish.”
Viera famous that there isn’t a cash within the present metropolis finances for building of the park. “We actually want that half-cent Neighborhood Funding Tax to proceed,” Viera mentioned. “That’s the place the cash to construct the park would probably come from.”
Suder then talked about that, “We envision asking for about $5 million, possibly a little bit bit extra, in a few years, when the design course of is finished, for what’s going to primarily be Part 1 of the park.”
And, though the county had envisioned a sports activities megaplex, Suder mentioned that with the brand new website, “We realized {that a} megaplex for sports activities in all probability isn’t the thought right here, for a lot of causes — one is public security, together with issues about getting fireplace rescue in there if something occurs and clogging up the roads with, say, 18 groups for a match. That simply wouldn’t work — we don’t need that a lot visitors going by means of there.”
So, Suder and his staff got here up with what he calls a “hybrid” mannequin, “with one half neighborhood parks with passive makes use of like picnicking and pleasure of nature, one half lively, primarily sports activities, and a very nice playground for all the households that stay close to right here.”
The fourth element of the park Suder mentioned he envisions is conservation.
“Numerous this property is outdated pasture land for cows, and we hope so as to add a whole lot of bushes, with strolling trails, to make one thing very nice.”
Viera then requested Prahlad Madabhushi to discuss cricket, “as a result of Tampa is a really pluralistic metropolis and the truth that we’ve many individuals asking for cricket speaks to that. And, the truth that the HOAs and CDDs in New Tampa are all supportive of it’s another excuse why New Tampa is so superior.”
Madabhushi first gave a short description of cricket and its origins in England, courting again to the sixteenth century, that’s much like baseball, “and lots of people like it. Should you ever come to look at a sport, you’ll fall in love with it, too.”
Madabhushi additionally talked about that with Florida’s local weather, “We will play 11 or 12 months a yr, which you’ll’t do within the northeast and different locations.”
He additionally mentioned that the TPL that he and Nayak run additionally has hosted tournaments, with gamers even coming from different nations to play, “Which may actually put New Tampa on the map.”
A number of of the Okay-Bar residents in attendance talked about that they hoped the cricket pitch on the Okay-Bar park wouldn’t be used for tournaments, due to the neighborhood security and visitors issues Suder had talked about.
Wolf-Erickson requested about what the wants can be to have the “correct” cricket pitch Madabhushi talked about throughout his presentation.
He mentioned that the whole measurement wanted for one discipline can be about 5 acres. “Should you can think about two full-size soccer fields subsequent to one another and draw a circle round it, that’s the scale of a cricket pitch, Madabhushi mentioned. “Soccer may very well be performed there when it’s not getting used for cricket. When you’ve got sufficient flat floor and probably lights, that will work.”
Having lights for enjoying cricket at night time was a priority for among the Okay-Bar residents.
However, Suder countered that the LED lights being utilized in new services being constructed as we speak wouldn’t shine into the close by homes.
Okay-Bar Ranch Owners Assn (HOA) president Patrick Leduc mentioned that his group does help cricket on the park, “however should you may preserve it low-density, with out lights and with out fencing it in, that will be high-quality. I believe a health observe across the outdoors would work. The factor that’s distinctive about this piece of land is that it’s open. There’s really an absence of bushes, which I name ‘Huge Sky Nation.’ You would widen the lake on the market and use the filth to make hills for the health observe for teenagers to journey bikes and skateboards. I believe it may very well be a singular place within the metropolis’s park system.” He additionally famous that his concepts got here from HOA discussions, “I didn’t provide you with them myself.”
Leduc additionally talked about that it might be essential to regulate ingress and egress, particularly at nightfall. “All the communities close to the park are gated besides Bassett Creek,” he mentioned. “So, we’d prefer it should you may gate it and preserve the ‘look’ of the park entrance much like the group’s gated entrances.” He additionally mentioned that if the lake may very well be widened and permit fishing, since no fishing is allowed at different lakes and ponds locally, “I believe the youngsters who stay right here would like it.”
One Okay-Bar resident, who mentioned his residence backs as much as the park, mentioned he appreciates that the park shall be low-density due to the character and animals which might be on the market now.
“I can look out at that property and see bald eagles and 20 deer at a time,” he mentioned. “That’s so particular in an space that’s rising so shortly. It must be preserved.”
One other resident requested about the opportunity of tennis or pickleball courts being included on the park, however Leduc mentioned that Okay-Bar is getting pickleball at its Amenity Heart, “and we wish there to be a synergy between what we’ve in Okay-Bar and this metropolis park.”
Different residents expressed issues concerning the visitors, however Viera promised that earlier than the design is improved, Tampa’s Mobility Dept. shall be introduced in to evaluate the methods to regulate the visitors on the park. “That’s all part of this course of.”
Suder added, “The signage will emphasize the primary entrance (see map above), in order that the opposite entrance shall be for residents and emergencies solely.”
And, though she spent most of her time on the assembly simply listening, Rep. Driskell help, “We’ll get this undertaking over the end line collectively.”
