Does Development Lull Stop City from Acquiring More Park Land?

Edgewater Drive residents may and make it a public park.

The city isn't purchasing that property, but could it buy that or any other property for park use even if it wanted to? Not if it is relying on Land Dedication Ordinance funds.

The last of the funds for acquiring parkland were used in December 2010 to purchase the Bleakley property, a waterfront parcel at Dunedin's northernmost boundary, commissioner Julie Scales said in a phone interview. 

Without residential growth, however, the city cannot replenish those funds because public park lands are purchased with impact fees from new developments.

City leaders are revisiting a more than 30-year-old ordinance that deals with those impact fees in tonight's city meeting. They are considering whether the fees are set so high as to deter development in these economically challenging times and also if the city has achieved a healthy enough ratio of park land to residents.

The ordinance — called the Land Dedication Ordinance — was created to ensure that “residents are provided additional park lands as the city's population increases,” a city memo states.

Overall, the city has about 10 acres of parkland for every 1,000 residents, a staff report says. The ordinance is credited for the creation of the new , Scotsdale Park,  and the .

Leaders will take a high-level look at the history and purpose of the Land Dedication Ordinance, how the impact fee is determined compared to other municipalities and whether Dunedin’s parks are meeting their level of service. No decision will be made.

City meeting starts at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 15 in .

[Updated 4:42 p.m., Tuesday, March 20, 2012]