Parks board to workshop Tippen, Granada and Durant parks; members push for 'inclusive' Tippen Park design and July council packet

The Pensacola Parks and Recreation Board agreed to ‘‘workshop’’ Tippen and Granada parks and to pursue neighborhood engagement and cost estimates to prepare a package for City Council by July, with an eye toward any budget decisions before the September budget vote.

Chair (speaker labeled 1) framed the workshops as board-led efforts to gather community input and to put a concrete proposal before council. Director Tanya Bird said the board should collect neighborhood preferences and that staff can prepare quotes and cost estimates; she noted Granada Park previously appeared on an unfunded list with an estimated cost of about $75,000 for playground equipment alone.

Discussion focused heavily on Granada and nearby Durant Park. Residents and board members described Durant as a small, landlocked park with narrow access through a city easement and frequent neighbor monitoring; staff warned that moving the existing Durant playground to Granada would be expensive and risky because excavation and reinstallation can damage parts. Board members asked for an alternatives map and safety analysis "so we know what the access is for kids and how safe it is," one member said.

For Tippen Park, resident Sherry Myers urged the board to pursue a truly inclusive playground that serves children with a wide range of disabilities. "We need to think about what disabilities really are," Myers said, raising examples including blindness, children who cannot transfer out of wheelchairs and children with autism and urging features such as tactile panels, secure fencing to prevent children from running into traffic and equipment vendors that specialize in accessible elements. Myers recommended preparing a full ‘‘wish list’’ rather than a constrained budget request so she and others could pursue outside fundraising.

Board members agreed on a timeline: gather neighborhood feedback in June (via the city’s geofencing/email tool and neighborhood watch meetings), have staff prepare concept designs and estimates in July, and seek placement on a City Council agenda before the September budget vote if funding is needed. Staff also agreed to share earlier survey results and a conceptual drawing provided by former board member Wolf so neighborhood leaders can sign and return a petition or letter in June.

No formal vote on funding or park closures occurred; the board assigned outreach leads and scheduled site visits to Tippen, Granada and Durant before the next meeting. Members discussed exploring bulk-buy options for playground equipment, public–private partnerships and phase-based implementation to reduce up-front costs.