Work underway for new park in NW Marion; will feature hiking, horse trails, playground

The first phase of developing 104 donated acres in northwest Marion County into a county park that will feature hiking, horse riding trails and family picnic and playground areas is well underway.

Trail clearing for Norm Westbrook Park began in Fall 2021 and bids on paving the parking areas will soon begin.

A second phase will add a playground and barbecue and restroom facilities, with full completion of the park expected in about three years, according to Jim Couillard, director of Marion County Parks and Recreation.

Goodbye, pyramid: Ocala pyramid building, home to car dealership, will soon be history

'A lot of screaming going on': Ocala farm cheered as horse it broke won the Kentucky Derby

Ocala/Marion development: 50K residential units OK’d in past 5 years, most in southwest

No specific date has been provided for the opening of the trails. The park will be near the intersection of Northwest 60th Avenue and Northwest 100th Street.

The gift of 'a very generous man'

Judi Shaak, Westbrook’s soulmate for 28 years, said in a phone interview the family is pleased to see the progress on the park.

“We’re excited; it’s wonderful. Norm was a good man, a very generous man,” Shaak said.

Shaak said some funds from the sale of a part of the property were used to help save a historic building in Gainesville.

Norm Westbrook died on Nov. 30, 2019, at age 88, according to his obituary, which was posted online by Milam Funeral and Cremation Services of Gainesville.

The property donation stipulated that conversion of the land into a park was to begin after Westbrook's death.

Couillard explained the two phases involved in the development of the park in an email.

"The deed came with specific timelines to complete two separate phases of park development. We have approved site plans and are going out to bid to have the park entry and day-use parking areas paved and to have an area for equine trail users to park their horse trailers,” Couillard wrote.

“Staff has been working on cutting walking and equine trails on the site, which would wrap up Phase 1. Phase 2 consists of the construction of a bathroom, a playground, picnic pavilion, benches, BBQ grills, etc. and will be completed within the next three years," he stated.

County government originally planned to spend $100,000 on Phase 1. But earlier this month the county commission agreed to add $200,000 more.

"The original budget did not take into account for the recent price increase for construction materials, site clearing, grubbing, and amenities," according to backup material included with the county commission meeting agenda.

A park is 'better than houses'

Maurice Grafe is looking forward to welcoming his new neighbor.

Grafe and his wife, Carola, live in one of the several homesites and horse farms on the north side of the 6000 block of Northwest 100th Street, which are directly across from the incoming park.

"(A park is) better than houses," Grafe said.

He said his wife is a dressage rider with her horse Precisio, and she will be sure to use the trails. He said he knew of several nearby residents who also would likely use the horse riding trails.

A special event was held on Sept. 3, 2014

The donation of 104 of 160 acres and the desire to convert the parcel into a park following Westbrook’s passing was announced at an event on Sept. 3, 2014, at the property, according to a Star-Banner article.

Shaak and Shaak's daughter and son-in-law, Angela and Gregory Bauer, and their five children were on hand for the park naming ceremony with Westbrook, the article indicates.

A “Norm Westbrook Park" sign was unveiled during the event.

Westbrook is quoted in the article as saying he "wanted to give something back" and he was "happy to donate the property to the people of Marion County.”

The article states Gina Peebles, then director of Marion County Parks and Recreation, thanked Westbrook for the donation and said the site would "fill a gap" in Marion County parks coverage in the area. Peebles said the nearest county park was in Flemington, about 10 miles away, the article indicates.

Marion County Parks and Recreation operates 44 facilities, according to a map at parks.marionfl.org.

Westbrook, a native Canadian with U.S. citizenship, was involved in construction equipment sales in south and west Florida and operated Everglades Equipment Company in Miami before he moved to the Ocala area in the 1960s, according to the article.

Westbrook, who was involved in hunter and jumper horse training, purchased the acreage in 1969 and kept the property mowed "like a park." Westbrook said he had “contractual offers as high as “$35,000 an acre in 2008” according to the article.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Marion County, Florida transforms donated land into park for NW region