Betton Hills park now officially under city control
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By Julian Pecquet
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
The city of Tallahassee added a new park to its list Wednesday when commissioners agreed to take over maintenance of the Betton Hills Nature Center, right behind the Ashford Club apartments on Thomasville Road.
Over the past two years, the site of an old city substation has been transformed into a nature trail that includes bridges, a fire pit surrounded by an amphitheater and a water fountain that serves both patrons and their dogs - a first for Tallahassee, according to the man who made the park happen, Marvin Weinberger.
"I noticed that the dogs in Tallahassee were very thirsty," said Weinberger, who owns the apartment complex.
His initial idea was to create a place for his residents to walk their dogs, he said, but that plan grew into something much grander. Local businesses donated their time to help, and now the trail is used by Boy Scouts, joggers, even sheriff's deputies on horseback.
"We think it's going to be a great addition to the city's park system and a great amenity to the folks in the Betton Hills area," said Ashley Edwards, interim director of parks and recreation.
Phil Payne, scout master for Troop 105 of the Boy Scouts of America, agreed. His troop helped lay down the mulch and make other improvements to the park, and the scouts use it for cook-outs.
"This thing is great," he said. "So many of us weren't really aware that this property existed."
Weinberger said he'd spent about $200,000 on improvements to the park, and estimated the total value - including discounts and free labor - at $400,000.
Tom Coe, the assistant city manager over parks and recreation, said Betton Hills Nature Center is a passive park that will require little upkeep. The city will also be in charge of scheduling use of the park.
The long-term goal is to create a linear park linking Guyte P. McCord and Winthrop parks. Walking trails already exist, but the city now needs to get approval from property owners north of Weinberger's property in order to open them up to the public. That's the next step, along with spreading the word about the new park.
"My hope now is that we can work to really use the site intensively," Weinberger said.
