More improvements slated for Sutton Park

City officials have made Palmetto’s Sutton Park a destination for major events and improve community use, but they aren’t finished yet. The city will begin seeking public input for prioritizing improvements in the next few months.

“We’ve been working on Sutton Park for five years and we’ve had major improvements and major attractions,” said Community Redevelopment Agency Director Jeff Burton. “It’s a good time to stop, take a breath and ask the community if we need to make adjustments. I think the answer would be, ‘Yes.’”

Cinthia Diaz agrees with Burton. Diaz moved near Sutton Park three years ago. While thrilled to be able to walk her children to the park, the playground area and park as a whole could use some attention.

“The sand around the playground is OK, but I would prefer mulch,” said Diaz. “The playground equipment is old and it’s not toddler-friendly. The rest of it is too boring for the older kids so they usually end up just climbing the tree.”

Burton said there is a list of planned improvements that were drawn up in 2011 the city has already approved. Public input will prioritize a list that includes a walking path, more lighting, a rose garden, a butterfly garden, additional pavilions, more shade cover, benches and an upgrade to the athletic facilities, as well as upgrading the playground equipment.

For Jenny Paul and her children, she would like to see the park be more handicap accessible, which also is part of the planned improvements. Paul said a water fountain closer to the playground would make her feel better because if one child goes to the backside of the restroom area, she can’t see that child and the ones still on the playground at the same time.

Paul also said it would be great if the city could add some type of splash pad or water activity. Burton said public meetings will be scheduled soon and funds will be put aside in the 2017-18 budget for design of whatever lands on top of the priority list.

Burton agreed that the playground needs attention, citing a staff review that said it needed to be upgraded. But Burton’s philosophy on eying his next project is not only to improve it, but make it the best. He is currently reviewing a list of the best named parks in Florida to determine what exactly makes them the best.

“Sutton Park is the prime park,” said Burton. “It’s in the center of where everything happens, so it needs to be addressed in a very special way. Kids have a very powerful way to get parents to do things. If the parents know their kids like that park, then they’ll come back. That, in turn, could lead to someone moving into the community.”

Schools, parks, cost of housing and other essential needs is what draws young families into a city. Burton said kids are a very important component of parents making the decision where to live.

“It might just sound like a parks improvement project, but it’s always more than that,” said Burton. “You always have to have a bigger and better reason why you do something and our goal is to make Sutton Park one of the best in the state that will draw people in.”

This story was originally published August 5, 2016 at 1:48 PM with the headline "More improvements slated for Sutton Park."