Oakland approves Speer Park master plan

After a year of consulting and planning, the town is ready to move forward on its park upgrades.

By Amy Quesinberry
| 10:37 p.m. February 25, 2020

This is the general layout of the master plan for Speer Park. Two new changes are to shift the north-side restrooms to the east and to add a junior basketball court beside the existing half court on the south side.

West Orange Times & Observer
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The Oakland Town Commission gave its nod of approval to the proposed master plan for Speer Park at its Feb. 25 meeting.

The town hired a consulting firm, CPWG, last year to help create the plan. In September, a community meeting was held to get input from residents regarding what they would like to see in the park. The town held a work session, and CPWG took the suggestions and provided a final draft.

Town Manager Steve Koontz said there are no major changes to the park.

“We are renovating and rehabbing what we have there,” he said at Tuesday’s meeting.

A rendering of the Speer Park plan was presented to commissioners. Koontz said there are two changes: the restrooms on the north side will be moved further east with a sidewalk extension veering off from the existing gazebo, and a junior baseball court will be built beside the existing half court on the park’s south side.

Koontz shared a list of recommended projects for the park, to be completed based on funding availability. These include an overall park maintenance plan, tree maintenance plus a replacement and planting plan, removal of old and broken furnishings and the addition of new ones, landscaping, updated signage, playground replacement, a butterfly garden, buildout of sidewalk plan, renovation of the tennis courts and new pickleball court, and the addition of a pavilion to the west side.

The commission gave Koontz authorization to move forward with executing the elements from the project list as funding allows.

author

Amy Quesinberry

Community Editor Amy Quesinberry was born at the old West Orange Memorial Hospital and raised in Winter Garden. Aside from earning her journalism degree from the University of Georgia, she hasn’t strayed too far from her hometown and her three-mile bubble. She grew up reading The Winter Garden Times and knew in the eighth grade she wanted to write for her community newspaper. She has been part of the writing and editing team since 1990.