CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Clay County wants to pass a 10-year plan to improve its existing parks and build new ones.
The plan would, in part, work to get new parks in some of the more than a dozen areas it says don’t have access to them.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
In its 10-year plan, the county shared a map showing where there are existing parks and where there aren’t any readily available for families. The orange areas show where there aren’t any nearby parks, while the green shows the parks already open:
Some parents say there’s more the county needs to do to allow families to play in Clay.
“There is a huge need for more public resources, parks, and things like that for the kids,” Jenifer Garcia, a parent and teacher in Lake Asbury, said.
Garcia and other parents, like Toni Parker, who also lives in Lake Asbury, said making use of the existing parks has even become difficult because of how few of them are easily accessible.
“We try coming out here on the weekends, but, if we do, the park is always at maximum capacity,” Parker said. “If we had more access to different parks in the area, it would be better for everyone.”
Read: Multimillion-dollar scheme leaves families with ACA coverage with changed or no insurance
Part of the reason they say the parks are getting cramped is because of the new neighborhoods being built around the county. The U.S. Census Bureau said Clay County’s population has grown by more than 21,000 people since 2019.
Parents like Garcia and Parker don’t believe the existing parks, like Ronnie Van Zant Park in Lake Asbury, aren’t enough to accommodate the families moving in.
“As more people come in, we’re going to need more resources,” Garcia said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
The county’s 10-year plan, being proposed as a master plan for bettering local parks and building new ones, is proposing a number of ways to meet the needs of families both already living locally and who are moving in:
- Security and Comfort: Better lighting at existing parks and more seating, like benches
- Neighborhood Walkability: Connecting parks and neighborhoods through walking trails
- Disability Accommodations: Adding accessibility features for those with disabilities
The county is looking to focus on bringing parks to the rural northwestern and southern neighborhoods of the county. Some parents believe bridging the gap between those areas and new parks should be the county’s top priority.
“With more communities being built, I think having more playgrounds would be absolutely better,” Parker said.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Others, like Garcia, don’t want to see new families to Clay County miss out.
“Kids need a place to come and play,” Garcia said. “It’s a great way to get them to learn how to play together, make friends, solve problems, and socialize.”
The county’s 10-year plan lays out more than 10 areas it’s planning to use for future parks. It’s still working to come up with how much money building new parks and making improvements to existing parks will cost.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
