Agenda Item 8CAGENDA ITEM # 8C
MAY 23, 2011
CITY COMMISSION MEETING
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM: Possible Naming of a Park in Honor of Commissioner Dezmond
Waters
SUBMITTED BY: Jim Hanson, City-blanas;
DATE: May 16, 2011
BACKGROUND: Commissioner J. Dezmond Waters III served the City of Atlantic Beach
through many roles over many years including as a City Commissioner for
three different terms from 1991 to 1995, 1999 to 2003 and 2003 through
2007. He also served on numerous boards and committees including
Chairman of the Atlantic Beach Parks and Recreation Board, Community
Development Board, Chairman of the Atlantic Beach Zoning Committee,
Member of the First Night Committee, founding member and Chairman of
the Atlantic Beach Beautification Committee, President of the North
Duval Beaches Association, Chairman of the Atlantic Beach Tree
Conservation Board, Voting Delegate to the Florida League of Cities
annual conferences, and a member of the Beaches Resource Center
Foundation. Upon his retirement from public office, he was honored with
a proclamation by the Mayor of Atlantic Beach on November 6, 2007.
Since his passing, the City has received contributions totaling $2,155 in
the name of Commissioner Waters with the intent of honoring his past
service to the City and the staff was asked to consider various options for
the Commission to consider.
After considering several options for naming either parks or public
facilities in honor of Commissioner Waters, the one that seems most
appropriate is Mandalay Park. This Park was named by the Atlantic
Beach Commission through a resolution adopted February 10, 1997. The
name Mandalay Park was recommended by the Parks and Recreation
Board, which was chaired at that time by Dezmond Waters. The name
came from Mandalay Avenue which was originally a part of what is now
Ocean Boulevard. The street was originally named after the Mandalay
Company which, in 1938, deeded various streets to the Town of Atlantic
Beach including Mandalay Avenue.
Mandalay Park currently does not have a name sign as do most other City
parks. The estimate for the cost of such a sign for this park would be
under $2,000.
AGENDA ITEM # 8C
MAY 23, 2011
BUDGET: The City has collected $2,155 in revenues from various individuals to
honor Commissioner Waters. The estimated cost to purchase and install a
sign at Mandalay Park would be under $2,000.
ATTACHMENT: Report of the Parks and Recreation Board to the Atlantic Beach City
Commission on January 27, 1997.
ATTACHMENT A
JANUARY .27.`; 1997 COMMISSION MEETING
AGENDA ITEM # 8C
MAY 23, 2011
TO: ATLANTIC BEACH[ CITE' COMMISSION
It is the consensus of the_ Parks and Recreation Board that all properties
designated for parks be given names as soon as possible in order to avoid
misnomers. At least two current properties stand the possibility of forever
being remembered by the names of their sellers, i.e. Tresca and Dutton, if the
Commission does not name them in a timely fashion.
In pursuit of this objective, the Board, months ago, asked Mrs. Ding to run
an advertisement in the TIDEVIEWS to solicit names for a small triangular
piece of land at the intersections of Ocean Blvd. and Seminole Rd. and 16th
St. There were not a lot of suggestions, but the Parks and (recreation Board
found MANIDALA Y the most appealing and appropriate for our
northernmost park Knowing that Mandalay already had a history in this
area, I asked Eleanor and Garnett Ashby about it and they pointed out that
a short extension of what most people think as Ocean Blvd. north of 16th St.
used to be named Mandalay; said name was also the description on the old
plat maps for the development.
Byway of a little history, this park is a combination of a road closure of a
part of IDewees and a small parcel .of land purchased originally for a lift
station which was never built. Former Commissioner Bob Cook also voted to
acquire the land so that a park there could be named in honor of Adele
Grage, but the Community Center has since been named for the former city
clerk Several years ago the Commission designated it a park and it has
remained unnamed until this day.
Pursuant to these outlined goals, the Parks and Recreation Board
recommends that you name the triangular park at the intersections of
Seminole, Ocean and 16th 66 MANIDAIrAY PARK" and ask the city clerk to
prepare a resolution to that effect,
We should also like to inform you that we have begun the process of seeking
a name for the Tresca property. Mrs. King will run the same "NAME THAT
PARK" ad that she ran last time in the TIDE.VIET' S . Those suggestions plus
any others that are submitted to us will be ranked and compiled and, if
copious, then resubmitted to residents for a final vote. From among the
highest ranked, the Board will make its choice which we will then forward to
the Commission for final approval.