New Port Richey may soon see a new outdoor interactive geology exhibit that aims to engage more youth.
At its April 7 meeting, council members endorsed Investigation Station to move forward with creating plans to design, construct and donate 12 interactive stations — each representing a different time period that focuses on geologic development in Florida.
The request submitted for this project homed in on Cotee River Park as the potential location, with the exhibit beginning at Indiana Avenue and ending at Massachusetts Avenue. However, the city only approved a motion that would direct staff to work with the organization to develop more details, including possible best locations.
Lisa Campos, director of Investigation Station, says the organization creates interactive exhibits for kids and their caregivers to experience for free in Pasco County. Investigation Station created the 1-mile scaled model of the solar system that is along the bicycle trail in Starkey Wilderness Park, as well as the splash pad at Veterans Memorial Park in Hudson that teaches children about the water cycle.
“We have been working with local artists and businesses to come up with a plan to create this exhibit so that it would be in the sidewalk,” she said. “We would pull up the existing sidewalk, put down new sidewalk with the artwork in it, so that as little disruption as possible would happen to the park.”
Because of potential flooding concerns in that area of the park, Campos says the organization has worked with designers to create interactive exhibits that can be removed before a potential flood-causing storm.
The city’s Development Review Committee initially reviewed a concept for this exhibit in 2023, but city officials didn’t approve the application at the time because of potential issues like flooding that weren’t addressed in the plans.
There was some concern among council members about how the project’s financial sponsorships would be recognized since the displays will be on city property, as well as the location and whether another site would reach more children.
“We do need to have more things for kids to be interactive,” council member Brian Jonas said. “Now what I would maybe consider is that we start it in the park, because with Chasco, you see tons of youth there … if we were to maybe create a starting point there, to go further down and venture out, I think that might be an idea for a concept.”
Jonas also identified ongoing maintenance that the city would be responsible for in the future as a concern, stating that he wanted to ensure the interactive exhibits would remain in working condition for years to come.
“I want to be conscientious of those residents on the river,” he said. “So we don’t want to make it something that’s very intrusive because they’re looking out their home at the river. I don’t want to make it to where they’re like, ‘this doesn’t look good.’”
In other news
The city also approved the first reading of an ordinance that centers around a request of the Villa del Sol project developer, which asked for the city to legally remove the public rights-of-way of a section on the east side of Grand Boulevard that extends both north and south of High Street, as well as a portion of High Street from Grand Boulevard to Aspen Street.
The property will be incorporated into the planned residential project that has been in the works for a few years, with council members at the meeting stressing the importance of keeping the development moving forward. As part of the ordinance, the city will acquire a parcel of property just south of new fire station No. 2.
“This is already moving and I think this an appropriate action to take,” council member Peter Altman said. “If our city begins to backpedal on projects that have taken two and three years to move forward, it kind of works against the argument that we aren’t moving fast enough to get things done.”
The City Council also authorized an appropriation of about $44,796 from the Public Art Fund to purchase outdoor musical instruments that will be installed in Grand Boulevard Park. The interactive instruments, which would also serve as art sculptures, will be sourced from Freenotes Harmony Park, which produces weather-resistant outdoor instruments, New Port Richey library director Andrea Figart told council members.