Dozens of people have emailed Escambia County Commissioners in support of a proposed ordinance to protect Navy Point Park from the possibility of any future development and keep the 60-acre waterfront park as it is.
The board is scheduled to vote on an ordinance that will “preserve and protect the character of public parks in Navy Point Subdivision.”
That includes prohibiting the construction of any new structures like docks, piers or boathouses, and it prohibits the county from selling the park areas, making Escambia essentially a steward of Navy Point Park.
The proposed ordianance also states that once passed it cannot be repealed except by a unanimous vote of the Escambia Board of County Commissioners and it will be included in county code.
Escambia County Commissioner Mike Kohler represents Navy Point and proposed the ordinance. He said more than 30 people have emailed the board to pass it.
“The neighbors felt like the park needed a stronger ordinance to protect it,” Kohler said. “We included that the board would need a majority vote to repeal it and we hardened the language that you can’t build on it and it always be for public use.”
Navy Point Park runs along the shoreline of Bayou Grande and features a paved, 2.5-mile walking/biking path that is part of a larger 3.5-mile trail system and includes a public boat ramp and playgrounds.
Beside the amenities, the community also uses it for events like Art in the Park, parades and even karaoke.
Navy Point neighbor Ted Hawthorne supports the ordinances.
Like others who enjoy the park, he wants to see the area’s natural beauty protected from development or construction, a suggestion that neighbors say has been floated from time to time.
“There is nothing else like this in Escambia County,” Hawthorne said. “There are 3 miles of waterfront trails in the county and 2.5 are here. This place is a gem. People drive from all over Pensacola because it’s unique and it is special for that reason. It should just be protected not just for the Navy Point neighborhood but for everyone in Pensacola and in this region.”
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6, at 5:30 p.m. at 221 Palafox Place. Public forum begins at 4:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia County proposes new ordinance to protect Navy Point Park. Here’s why
Reporting by Mollye Barrows, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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