Waterfront Park boardwalk should be completed in early March
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The next phase of Safety Harbor’s Waterfront Park project, which includes the construction of a boardwalk through the mangroves along the shoreline, is expected to be completed in a few weeks, according to officials.
“We’re looking at an early March grand opening for the Waterfront Park if everything stays on schedule,” City Manager Matt Spoor said during the January 17 City Commission meeting.
The timeframe is right in line with an earlier estimate of a late February finish for the latest phase of the multi-phased, multi-million dollar project, which began last summer after the city received a long-awaited permit from the Army Corps of Engineers.
The latest phase features the biggest addition to the property to date—a 2,000-linear-foot wooden boardwalk with four trailheads that begins at the north end of the park and winds through the mangroves and along the shoreline before ending at the edge of the large grassy area that comprises the majority of the 13-acre parcel.
Other elements of this phase include parking and sidewalks upgrades as well as the addition of bike racks, benches and other minor amenities.
Prior to the grand opening, a massive replanting effort will take place on Saturday, Feb. 25, as 200 volunteers will help fill the area where two acres of invasive species were removed during the work on the boardwalk.
Spoor noted the replanting project, which was funded with grants from the Department of Environmental Protection and assistance from Tampa Bay Watch and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, will restore vegetation in an area that had been overrun with invasive species, and thus will benefit, not harm, the mangroves.
“I know some people see the invasive, exotic species being removed and they, I guess, assume that it’s mangroves,” he said, adding, “the project that is underway…will restore two acres of invasive species that were removed, not the mangroves.”
After the meeting, Spoor went into detail about the replanting to help clear up misconceptions that had been floating around about the work that was done.
“We’ve got a massive amount of people planting new vegetation for the wetlands, and once it takes hold, it will create a better environment for the wildlife and the mangroves,” he told Safety Harbor Connect.
“Because we removed the invasive species, other mangroves will be able to grow and thrive. So it’s not damaging the wetlands, it’s actually helping them.”
Earlier, Spoor said the area where the boardwalk work took place comprised 6.4 acres of the park, five of which were not impacted at all.
Of the remaining acreage involved, he said there was a temporary impact to 1.4 acres and a permanent impact to .02 of an acre, but he added “two acres of planting are going in, which will allow for the mangroves to take over in those areas.”
Stay with Safety Harbor Connect for complete coverage of the latest Waterfront Park grand opening.
Related content:
- Waterfront Park boardwalk on pace for February finish
- Initial work on Waterfront Park should be finished next week
- Waterfront Park contract approved, work to begin soon
- SHCC goals include Waterfront Park, downtown Master Plan review
- Permit snag could lead to year delay on Waterfront Park work
Note: An earlier version of this article listed the wrong date for the wetland planting project. It has since been corrected.
As the City’s appointed member to the Tampa Bay Estuary Community Advisory Committee, I have attended work days all over Tampa Bay. I am thrilled with the invasive plant removal as I hate Brazilian peppers! Very glad that we have a Give A Day For the Bay in Safety Harbor and it is nice so many volunteers are coming to Safety Harbor for the planting. Do hope we have a local event that our citizens can sign up to attend in future.
It’s good to hear about the progress being made. I would have liked to have volunteered to do some planting. Just heard about it now and sounds like it’s closed. Where was the volunteer opportunity announced (so I know where to look in the future)?
Barbara,
I am happy to report that as recently as yesterday we have 270 registered to plant on the 25th, with registration closed. Many supporters are looking forward to getting dirty and helping the cause in the Harbor!
Thanks for your continued support in these efforts!
Thanks Matt, Sheryl and I are signed up and ready to help. It won’t take long with that amount of volunteers.
This is such great news.
I am a member and volunteer with Tampa Bay Watch. They do wonderful projects in the Bay Area, including counting scallops, the plantings, and building oyster domes to name a few.
Over 150 folks have volunteered to help the native planting here in Safety Harbor. You will be amazed at how much gets planted in a relatively short period of time.
From Tampa Bay Watch:
Coastal habitats in the Tampa Bay area have suffered extensive damage due to the overwhelming amount of urban and industrial shoreline development. The presence of healthy coastal habitats along shorelines is important for habitat restoration because they act as a nutrient buffer, aid in erosion control, and provide sanctuary for wildlife.
Having them volunteer here in our city is awesome, as much of their time is spent in the southern portion of the county.
Thank you Tampa Bay Watch and volunteers for all you do. I am proud to be a member.