(5/21) Neighbors of the future Bollinger Nature Park were not happy at the April Planning and Zoning meeting. The discontent was focused on the changes to the entrance of the planned parking lot and the overall impact on their privacy.
The 120-acre park will have a walking/jogging/biking trail, a pollinator garden with an apiary, and a meditation garden. Even though the final plan for the park was approved in June of 2022, it was contingent on county approval, which has only recently been received.
The parking lot will sit between two properties and will have 11 spaces. At the direction of the County, the park’s entrance was shifted to the north from its location in the original plan by 24 feet to meet the requirements for drivers to have a line of sight of 445 feet in both directions.
The owners of both of the adjacent properties voiced concerns about the adjusted location of the entrance being too close to their property lines. Wayne Ruby, one of the property owners, said "I bought the property for privacy, and now all of these people will trespass on my property thinking my stuff is public." He asked the City to consider putting up a fence to prevent trespassers. Ruby also expressed concern about the lighting from the parking lot shining into his home.
In reply to Ruby’s concerns, Lorena Vaccare, the Director of Parks and Recreation, said the City would be adding a rail fence for the initial boundary and Leland cypress trees, which are fast-growing evergreens. She also said there will be minimal lighting installed, just enough for the 4 security cameras.
"This is a nature park," Vaccare said, "it won't have a high traffic count. It’s better than a housing development or a sports complex or a concert venue. This will be a dawn to dusk park and will only have 11 parking spaces as well as a gate in the future".
"I’m not opposed to the park, I just want a little more privacy," said Jenny Ruby. Ruby asked why putting the parking lot further back isn't an option.
City Manager James Wieprecht explained that by having the parking lot closer to the road there's less paving to install, which reduces cost as well as environmental impact on the storm water system. "It’s also more natural and keeps the parking lot from becoming an ‘attractive nuisance’ where people would go to party and do things unseen."
Both neighbors expressed concerns about people partying, lighting fires and being a nuisance on the property as it stands now. In reply James Wieprecht concurred with their concerns, saying there is evidence "people are already out there doing this stuff."
Despite a tense start to the meeting, all parties agreed to meet with appropriate planning members and City staff to discuss privacy fencing details, as well as what the City can, and will do, to address the concerns related to after-hours nuisance use.
