Mary Esther unveils park master plan

In Brief:

🐾 Top community priorities include dog parks, pickleball courts, and a central space for events and farmers markets.
🌳 Five major parks will be redesigned for accessibility, multi-use features, and public gathering spaces.
💰 $28 million phased plan aims for long-term sustainability, with scalable projects and potential for regional partnerships.

MARY ESTHER — City officials on June 16 presented a detailed update on Mary Esther’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, outlining a 10-year roadmap for revitalizing parks with a focus on pickleball courts, dog parks, trails, and inclusive community spaces.

The proposed improvements were shaped by months of public engagement, surveys, and in-person meetings. A slideshow presented by Barge Design Solutions summarized the city’s top recreational priorities and showed concept designs for five of Mary Esther’s most visited parks.

“This is your plan — your parks,” said Ron Yearwood, senior planner with Barge Design Solutions. “We’re still refining the concepts, but this gives us a working vision based on what the community wants.”

Public-Driven Priorities

Through surveys and interactive exercises, residents consistently ranked the following features as most important: dog parks, a community garden, disc golf, and pickleball courts.

Safety, accessibility, and connectivity also emerged as key themes.

A word cloud from the survey highlighted popular responses like splash pads, public restrooms, and outdoor events.

“People want places to gather,” Yearwood said. “Things like outdoor concerts, farmers markets, and greenways were mentioned repeatedly.”

Park Concepts

The plan focuses on five key properties, each slated for multi-use features and accessibility improvements:

Springdale Park: The concept envisions consolidated courts for pickleball, tennis, and basketball, age-separated playgrounds, new restrooms, and a greenway trail along an existing easement. The existing community garden may be relocated.
Elliott Park: May host the relocated community garden, dual dog parks, a disc golf putting area, and a fitness court. Parking remains a concern.
Bryn Mawr Park: Envisions upgraded ballfields, added multipurpose fields, a nature trail loop, batting cages, and a small fitness trail. Dog parks and shelters are also included.
Doolittle-Hollywood Corner Green: Located near the library, this space is envisioned as a town center featuring an event lawn, band shell, educational garden, and a farmers’ market-style plaza.
Jason Rogers Cemetery: The only non-recreational site, the cemetery plan includes new burial plots, cremation walls (columbarium), a scatter garden, and a chapel-like pavilion overlooking Santa Rosa Sound.

Other smaller parks or city-owned spaces, such as the Oak Tree Nature Preserve and South Bryn Mawr Park, could benefit from improved trail signage, pavilion upgrades, and new pedestrian connections.

One proposal includes a new north-south greenway connection between Hollywood Boulevard and Highway 98 near the water tower.

Funding and Phasing

The total cost of all proposed upgrades is estimated at $28 million. The plan will be implemented in phases over a decade or longer, with projects grouped by priority and potential for outside funding.

“Everything’s scalable,” Yearwood said. “You can start small and grow based on need.”

The plan also identifies potential capital improvement line items, total cost of ownership projections, and operational staffing needs. City staff and council members emphasized the importance of not overburdening city resources.

“We don’t want to build something we can’t maintain,” said Councilmember April Sutton

Others echoed concerns about staffing, safety, and ensuring any upgrades deliver measurable results before expanding.

Council members also floated ideas for regional collaborations, including hosting county-wide pickleball tournaments, dog agility courses, or overflow athletic events in partnership with Okaloosa County, Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field.

What’s Next

Consultants will revise the draft plan based on feedback and return for a final presentation. If adopted, the plan will guide the city’s capital planning, grant applications, and long-term park development.

“This is about more than amenities,” Yearwood said. “It’s about building a resilient, healthy, connected future for Mary Esther.”