Improved path for community park in Lakewood Ranch

Summerfield resident Betsy Hall walks the path from her home on Clubhouse Drive to Greenbrook Adventure Park every morning at 7:30 a.m.

But every time she gets past Paw Park, the dog park located at the back of Greenbrook Adventure Park, she gets tense. Walking along the multipurpose path between the Paw Park and Adventure Park pavilion, she has witnessed vehicles nearly hitting pedestrians. Cars often honk at her for walking too slowly or for not getting out of the way.

“I worry somebody’s going to get hurt,” Hall told Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 4 supervisors.

On Feb. 19, CDD supervisors voted 4-0 on what they hope will be a solution.

The district plans to spend $17,364 on improving safety along the pathway by separating vehicles and pedestrians onto their own pathways. The plan converts the existing paved multipurpose path into one for pedestrians and bicyclists only. The district will add a shell driveway north and west of the existing concrete path traveling to and from the parking area adjacent to Paw Park.

Traffic delineator posts will be used to separate the pathways, and the entrance to the path from Adventure Park’s pavilion will also be modified, so drivers know where to go.

Hall said she was grateful the board was taking action to improve safety and was happy to see it was already working on a plan to address the issue.

“I’m happy we accomplished this,” said CDD Supervisor Bonnie Sidiski, who has been seeking some sort of safety improvement for about a year. “I think Adventure Park is a gem, and we should do what we can to keep it a gem.”

Operations Director Paul Chetlain said he hopes to have the improvements completed by the end of April or May — before the rainy season starts.