Oldsmar Council approves Master Plan update for Canal Park
The Oldsmar City Council agreed last week to pay a consulting firm $74,000 in order to develop a new master plan for Canal Park.
The Oldsmar City Council recently approved an agreement that will allow a consulting firm to come up with a new Mater Plan for Canal Park, located at 3120 Tampa Road.
The Oldsmar City Council agreed last week to pay a consulting firm $74,000 in order to develop a new Master Plan for Canal Park.
According to the agreement, Stantec Consulting Services will evaluate existing conditions as well as to come up with a master plan for future aesthetic and recreational enhancements at the park, located at 3120 Tampa Road.
During the city council meeting on Tuesday, June 7, City Manager Bruce Haddock explained the nature of the proposal.
“This is a planning endeavor, it does not include the design of any improvements,” Haddock told the council.
Oldsmar City Manager Bruce Haddock.
“It includes review of existing programs and facilities at Canal Park, and also the existing user groups—Little League, football, soccer and BMX.”
Haddock went on to explain that city officials gave Stantec representatives a list of 11 items to look at when formulating the new Master Plan.
According to the backup materials provided in the agenda, potential improvements include:
- Camping
- A field house with showers, restrooms, a lounge and an office
- Upgrades to all sports fields and identification of additional fields
- A professional soccer field
- An additional park entrance
- A cyclocross track
- Additional parking
- Stormwater improvements
- Freestyle bike park
- Pedestrian access to Woodlands Square
- Additional maintenance facility
Prior to the council’s vote, Haddock stated that since the parcel was donated to the city by SWIFTMUD more than 25 years ago, roughly 40 acres of the park have been developed, while the other 70-75 acres cannot contain permanent structures, based on a license agreement that expires in 2018.
He said he hopes the expiration of the agreement will allow further development on the property.
“We’ve had some preliminary discussions with the staff of the water management district about what new terms we might obtain for use of some of that property,” Haddock said.
Oldsmar Mayor Doug Bevis.
While unanimously approving the contract by a 5-0 vote, council members expressed optimism over the plan.
“This is going to be a good thing for us,” Jerry Beverland said.
“I think its great to find out really what the potential is of the park, both with the facilities that are currently there and the possible addition of some additional facilities,” Mayor Doug Bevis said.
A public meeting on the plan is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26, with a final presentation before the council planned for Tuesday, October 18.
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This is good news – as an avid outdoorsman, however, i would note that camping facilities are probably not a good use of this location. Most people, when camping, go to locations where they do not have to hear adjacent noise pollution (traffic). Being bordered by Tampa and Curlew roads, along with the close proximity to McMullen Booth, would render this location a poor choice for camping. The soccer fields are in definite need of some repair and renovation, and an additional field would be of great use as well. You may consider a Mountain Bike trail (you could combine with Cyclocross), as it is a pretty far drive to any decent MTB parks (Alafia to east, or Ocala to North are the closest of any quality). There are a lot of MTB’ers in the area that would make great use of a local MTB trail/park.