Torres: Melbourne should take over Wickham Park | Opinion
If you live near an airport, you’re going to hear loud planes. If you live near a train crossing, you’re going to experience startling train horns. If you live near the ocean, your car may experience salt corrosion quicker than others. If you live near a golf course, you may find yourself on the receiving end of a wayward slice every now and then.
If you live near the largest park in your area, you may sometimes have to deal with traffic or noise. You get the picture.
That’s life.
It’s a reasonable expectation. If the above-mentioned consequences seem too much to bear then don’t choose to live near a park, airport, ocean, etc.
It’s simple, really. Unless, of course, you live in Brevard County where the county commissioners would rather placate residents — who chose to live near the county’s largest park — complaining of traffic and noise so close to home.
More: Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey wants the city to take control of Wickham Park
Late last year I went online to buy tickets for Lightfest. I had never gone and heard it was pretty cool. I was surprised it was no longer a Wickham Park annual event. Then I read the county commission had changed rules to ban events in the park that last more than two weekends. Say goodbye to the Renaissance Fair.
What?
Take away the events and the park becomes a large, quiet green space — you know, sort of like a cemetery. Parks are not meant to be dead spaces. Parks are where people come together to celebrate events like concerts, festivals, fairs and community.
Thankfully, Melbourne Mayor Paul Alfrey feels the same way. He wants the county to turn the park over to the city of Melbourne (where it's situated). This is not unprecedented. The county has transferred several parks to Melbourne, including Riverview Park and Lipscomb Park. They also ceded control of Fred Poppe Park to the city of Palm Bay.
Alfrey told me that he would recommend bringing Lightfest back to the park as well as reversing the decision to ban events lasting more than two weekends.
"This is a clear attempt to keep the Renaissance Fair out of Wickham Park," Alfrey said.
Of course, once Alfrey voiced interest in taking over the park, the County Commission voted — with no public input as the item was not on the agenda — to send a formal letter to Melbourne outlining its commitment to maintaining the park.
Why vote to do that without public input? Because this is about keeping the people who chose to live near a park happy. One of those residents happens to be District 4 County Commissioner Rob Feltner, who proposed the restrictions late last year.
"Wickham Park has turned into a venue for festivals," Feltner said at the time.
Um ... yes. Festivals take place in parks.
In addition to noise and traffic, the commission said, events lasting more than two weekends disrupted "normal" use of the park like dog walking, disc golf or any of its other uses.
This past week, Feltner urged fellow commissioners to oppose letting Melbourne take over the park and presented the letter for commission approval. Only Commissioner John Tobia voted against the letter. Feltner has floated the idea that it might be time for the county to look for an event space that isn't Wickham Park.
"Wickham Park — our county's 'Central Park' — holds a special place in the hearts of our community members, and we are committed to preserving its status as a Brevard County park for generations to come," the letter reads.
As one of the 500,000 people who attended the Simon and Garfunkel reunion concert in the real Central Park, I can tell you noise and traffic would never prevent an event from taking place there.
More: Brevard County restricts special events at Wickham Park after complaints from neighbors
Undeterred, Alfrey said he still plans on bringing the issue up at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
"It makes no sense to not even have a discussion," Alfrey said about the commission's letter.
Let's get some public input on this and put some pressure on the commission. If the overwhelming sentiment is to make the park a quiet place to walk your dog, then so be it. But let's hear from everyone and not just those who chose to live near a park.
Contact Torres at jtorres@floridatoday.com. You can follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @johnalbertorres.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Let Melbourne take over Wickham Park | Torres
