Park Master Plan to Further Enliven North Port Communities


 

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, May 6th, 2016 – Wide-ranging recreational benefits are in store for residential neighborhoods in North Port under a parks master plan that the city commission approved in April 2016.

This plan, which has identified and prioritized residents’ needs, will serve as a road map for a $15 million project to revitalize the city’s parks network within a 10-year timeframe. Also designed to attract new residents and promote North Port as an eco-tourism destination, the plan has identified trails development, parks connectivity, and water access amongst its top priorities.

New Plus for Heron Creek

Park Master Plan to Further Enliven North Port Communities

Some of the action steps lined up are focused on the 42-acre Butler Park which upon implementation should bring delight particularly to its nearby golf community of Heron Creek, one of North Port’s prime offerings to prospective buyers of Sarasota homes for sale. The proposed enhancements to the park include an aquatics facility and development of a southward walking/hiking trail along city-owned easement to North Port’s Paw Park. Another priority is clearing invasive plants in the waterway between these two parks in order to open a route for kayaking.

It will be a source of delight too for homeowners in Warm Mineral Springs that the tourist attraction namesake to their neighborhood is prioritized under the parks master plan. Its recommendations include upgrades or replacement of the Warm Mineral Springs’ old buildings and more amenities, such as additional food and beverage services. Land acquisition for connectivity with the Deer Prairie Creek is likewise proposed to allow opportunities for kayaking, hiking, and bird watching.

Spill-over Benefits

North Port residents in communities off Tropicaire Blvd. such as those at Woodland Estates also have something to look forward to. Under the master plan, priority has been placed on the continuing development and land acquisition for the Myakkahatchee Creek Greenway to enable kayaking, walking, and cycling up to the 24-acre Carlton Reserve north of the city.

To further expand routes for cyclists and runners, the parks master plan also proposed a North Port link starting from the northwest side of the city to the 10-mile Legacy Trail between Sarasota and Venice. When such a connection materializes, benefits of the master plan will extend to communities in North Port’s neighboring cities.

Also on the priority list of the master plan is the development of better quality biking network on North Port streets. This will entail not only the development of a series of multi-use trail and the installation of markings and signage on paved roadways. It will likewise provide for bridge improvements, as well as connect the gaps with shared-use pathways.

New School Site

Besides their approval of the parks master plan, North Port’s city commissioners also recently sent positive vibes to several communities in the West Villages District where they authorized purchase of 60 acres as site for a future school. This property is located adjacent to the southern boundary of the State College of Florida-Venice campus.

Directly west of this site is the planned 28-acre medical and wellness complex of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital, another facility that should further enhance property values not only in North Port but also in neighboring Venice communities, such Gran Paradiso and IslandWalk at West Villages offering a wide selection of Sarasota homes for sale.