As we reported last issue, K-Bar Ranch is getting a 60-acre City of Tampa park and one that District 7 Tampa City Council member (and New Tampa resident) Luis Viera (photo, left) has said he hopes will include a cricket pitch as one of its amenities.ย
At that meeting with about 50-60 residents (most, but not all of whom live in K-Bar Ranch) on Aug. 7, Viera said that he hoped and expected that the funding for the design of the park to be included in the cityโs Fiscal 2025 budget.
Well, on Sept. 5, the City Council did approve the roughly $1 million needed for the parkโs design upon first reading of the cityโs budget and Viera is thankful not only for the item passing its first muster, but also for the support of District 67 State Representative and State House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (who also attended the resident meeting on Aug. 7). Leader Driskell wrote a letter (in the far right column) to the City Council members on Sept. 3 to let them know that she is โin strong support of the FY25 budget design money for the K-Bar Ranch Park.โ
Viera then went on his Facebook page to thank Driskell โfor your advocacy in supportโ of the park design funding. โRep. Driskell has been on the front line advocating not only for this park in the budget, but for a cricket component to this park…Thank you, Rep. Driskell for your advocacy for this budget item.โ
And of course, Viera also noted in his Facebook message that, โWe have about 60 acres available โ with a great deal of conservation space and a park, as well as potentially a fire-station long-term,โ even though Tampa Fire Rescue Fire Chief Barbara Tripp has yet to express her support for a full fire station in K-Bar, at the park site or otherwise.
At the Aug. 7 resident meeting, Brad Suder, the superintendent of the cityโs planning design natural resources division, said that once the design money becomes available โ most likely sometime in late November โ the city will be able to hire a consultant to work with and the public participating in the design process could begin. The second reading of the budget is scheduled for Thursday, September 19 โ or a couple of days (or so) after this issue arrives in your mailbox.