CRESTVIEW — Countryview Estates residents are enjoying more amenities in their neighborhood park.
Residents complained about the park’s lack of seating, missing water fountain and absence of barbecue grills for several months.
Resident Bill Cox brought the issue before the City Council in July 2014. After visiting the city’s other parks, he told the council that Countryview “is the only park that doesn't have the very basic stuff that a citizen would expect of a park.” Cox has since become one of two new city councilmen who will be seated in April.
Here are the improvements:
•The park’s picnic shelter now has four picnic tables with attached benches, augmenting the previous single table.
•Park benches now overlook the basketball court and children’s playground.
•The basketball court has received safety padding around the posts supporting the goals.
•A vandalism-resistant drinking fountain has been installed outside the restrooms.
•Two barbecue grills were installed on a concrete pad adjacent to the picnic shelter.
The new equipment and furnishings were rounded up from materials already on hand, Crestview Public Works Director Steele said.
“Most of it we had leftover from a project here and there,” he said. “The grills were relocated that weren’t used from Old Spanish Trail Park. Moneywise, the only expense was concrete and labor.”
Those costs came to less than $2,000, said Chuck Powell at Public Works.
“It is real nice,” Cox said. “I can tell you right now the park is seeing more use. I feel good about that.”
“The best thing is having a good, positive community effort will help preserve these things,” Steele said. “We had experienced so much vandalism in the past years. More responsible people using the park will help police it.”
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Countryview Park receives upgrades following residents’ complaints