Beautify Jax: Local park cleaned up after neighborhood complaints about vandalism, overflowing trash

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There’s a push by city leaders to clean up Jacksonville, from parks, to beaches, to waterways.

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The community has been invited to help in some cleanup events, but what happens when there’s a chronic problem with littering and vandalism?

When children could no longer play at a playground in the Spring Park neighborhood on the Southside, the city got word and set out to investigate the problem. What it found is like night and day.

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From overflowing trash bins, to vandalism, to graffiti, the park was becoming a breeding ground for everything except children and families coming to enjoy the facility.

It was a danger for all involved, but former City Councilman Al Ferraro, now city manager of Blight Initiatives, said it’s something he sees routinely on his drives around town investigating nuisance and blight complaints.

“They were using it as their own personal trash cans ... full of debris they were collecting, from towels and blankets and cans,” Ferraro told Action News Jax’s Dawn Lopez.

Read: Beautify Jax: City plans to clean up downtown, funnel homeless to shelters with fencing

Now, things are looking up for the park. Ferraro said that thanks to complaints from neighbors who wanted to take the neighborhood park back, those complaints got the city’s attention.

“The parks department worked really well, and unfortunately, we had to take the grills out,” Ferraro said. “[We will] do what we can in the future to reinstall them.”

Ferraro said the problem has been that vandals and vagabonds tend to make places a dumping ground again as fast as the city can clean it up. He said that with some adjustments this time was the charm.

“Anywhere we can get out here and get the blight out of the streets, we feel successful,” he said.

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If you want to “Beautify Jax,” upload your pictures HERE or look for the Beautify Jax banner.

Don’t forget to include the street and your contact information, and Dawn will reach out to the city on your behalf.

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