A coalition of homeowner associations and civic groups in Town ’N Country is pushing Hillsborough County to turn a vacant parcel at the corner of Sheldon Road and Waters Avenue into a park connected to the Upper Tampa Bay Trail.
County Commissioner Harry Cohen, whose District 1 includes the site, told a packed room at the Town ’N Country Regional Library on April 8 that he supports the idea and will work with county departments to determine what it would cost.
“We really do have an opportunity to make use of it for a recreational space,” Cohen said. “It sits on Rocky Creek, so it really has a nice, sort of riverbank feel for a great deal of it. And with the Upper Tampa Bay Trail right there, it really can lend itself to some type of recreational activity.”
The property sits across the street from Northwest Dog Park and the Northwest Bus Transfer Center and down the road from Channel Pavilion Park, an entrance and parking area for the trail. It was once set aside for affordable housing, but the county commission voted Feb. 18 to remove it from the county’s inventory of land earmarked for that purpose.
Cohen, who was not present for the Feb. 18 vote, told residents the site is not viable for housing. He said he would rather see it become recreational space.
Scott Gunsaullus of the Town ’N Country Park Civic Association, which organized the meeting, said five or six local HOAs and civic associations have banded together behind the proposal — and to make sure the land does not become more housing or commercial development. A large contingent of Run Tampa members also attended in support, since they frequently use the trail.
Residents submitted a long list of amenities they want, including a splash pad, pickleball courts, a lighted running track, pavilions with picnic tables, a boat ramp for kayaks and canoes into Rocky Creek, a playground, restrooms, bicycle parking and a connection to the trail. Several said they want the park to rival Carrollwood Village Park, the $6.5 million facility that opened in 2019 on a former wastewater treatment plant and draws more than a million visitors a year.
Cohen said his first step would be getting the county’s Environmental Protection Commission to conduct a study on the land, which would come at an unspecified cost. From there, he wants to open the property — currently fenced off — as green space at a minimum.
He addressed several other resident concerns. Wells have been drilled on the property, but Cohen said they do not affect how the land can be used. He said the site has no contamination. The parcel is in a flood zone, but Cohen said any park would be designed to handle flooding, including runoff to adjacent homes.
Expenses, Cohen said, will be the main obstacle.
“You could do any of these,” he said of the proposed amenities. “But with recurring expenses, such as a staff that has to clean restrooms, then it becomes more complicated. We have our budget allocation meeting on July 29, and then would be the time to email and be there and speak up about getting a park.
“But at the very least, I want to get this land cleaned up and into a green space, which, in fact, is very inexpensive.”
