Property owner wants to add mile to city's trails
By Julian Pecquet
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
Tallahassee's 50 miles of park trails could soon become longer thanks to the vision of a property owner who's ready to donate his land to the public.
Marvin Weinberger, owner of the Ashford Club apartments off Thomasville Road, is raising money and spending thousands of his own for a mile of trails connecting Winthtrop and Guyte P. McCord parks, both off Thomasville. Weinberger eventually will donate the land to the city, he said.
"It would really beautify an unusable piece of land," said Kelly Patterson, a vice president at Wachovia, which has made a $5,000 contribution to the project. "There are places like that all over town that are kind of forgotten."
The project ties in with the city's plans to eventually have 100 miles of trails in and between parks, said parks Superintendent Larry Schenk.
On Friday, Weinberger gave city employees a tour of the area and shared with them his vision of bicycling and pedestrian paths, a pavilion and an amphitheater, where children could camp and tell stories. The proposal is in its early stages and has not been shown to city commissioners.
Weinberger is only in Tallahassee part of the year but said he was driven to link people with nature after he recently started staying here more often.
"I was really inspired when I started walking and saw all the parks," he said. "We are really a part of the Betton Hills neighborhood."
Surrounding residents agree. The neighborhood association is involved in the project and meets at the apartment complex, Weinberger said.
"I've been asking for a bikeway here for years," said Dean Hansen, the Betton Hills Neighborhood Association's representative on the project.
Weinberger has to work with local and state employees to come up with paths, fences and other amenities that fit safety and environmental criteria.
"We're just trying to steer the design so it's compatible with the city" plans, Schenk said.
