Resident urges repairs, cleaner landscaping and lighting at Coachman Park

Bill Johnson, a Clearwater resident, told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on July 22 that several features at Coachman Park need attention, including broken uplights, sparse landscaping, trash in planting beds and a dirty waterfall, and that at least one restroom fixture is without working lighting.
The park’s condition “gives you a very bad impression about the maintenance of our gemstone,” Johnson said, reading from photos he supplied to the board and noting worn doors and areas of mulch and bare dirt near the library and along Cleveland Street. He provided his address to the clerk and offered to mail copies of the photos to board members.
Board chairman Patrick Rafting said the park is a highlight for visitors and residents and asked staff for a status update. A Parks and Recreation staff member, Mike, said the city has been replacing vulnerable uplights with underground fixtures and that the lighting project began on the west side of the park and is progressing up the promenade toward the fountain. “We started that several about a month ago or so…we’re getting close to the end of that project,” Mike said, adding the work should take about six weeks from when it began.
Mike also acknowledged the restroom light and door issues Johnson raised and said he would pass them to the city’s building maintenance division, noting that many lights are sensor driven and may not be triggering correctly. He said staff will scan and circulate Johnson’s photographs and will follow up with the advisory board on the project timeline.
Discussion vs. decision: Board members discussed the concerns during the public-comment portion of the meeting. No formal motion or council action on Coachman Park repair or maintenance was made at the July 22 advisory board meeting. Staff committed to follow up with building maintenance and to provide timeline updates to the board as the lighting project finishes.
Ending: The board requested an update at a future meeting; Mike said staff would provide timeline and budgetary details as they become available.