Cute Park Needs Nicer Name

…at Ashby Park!

So there’s this little pocket park in Atlantic Beach at Dewees Avenue and Coquina Place, a sort of triangular spit of land owned by the city and had been patrolled many years ago by a sometimes-ornery (as legend has it) dog called Marvin. Eventually the area became known as ‘Marvin’s Garden’ and later it received a nice City of Atlantic Beach park sign and the name became official. However,  many area neighbors object to the name and would prefer that its name honor earlier residents who contributed much to the area, Garnett and Eleanor Ashby. Garnett designed Kona Skate Park and Eleanor was with Leadership Jax for 20 years; they lived on Dewees for fifty years! Certainly that trumps the qualifications for recognition than that of the disliked dog?

‘But we invested in the nice sign!’ and indeed you did, COAB. How about a nice compromise? You could call it Marvin’s Garden at Ashby Park – just add Ashby Park to the sign, and install a nice, comfortable memorial bench honoring the Ashbys and their service to this community, instead of recognizing the memorable but menacing, mean old Marvin.

Romancing Johansen

It’s a 12-acre passive park that straddles land between two roads – Park Terrace East and Park Terrace West, bordered by Seminole Road to the east. You can walk along one of the Park Terrace streets until you encounter this lovely green space which is where Johansen park begins. Its tall native Sabals and Live Oaks, with thoughtfully planted Bald cypress trees at various locations along its 12 acres. You know it’s a park because there’s nice garbage bin, and dog-business bags there for the taking and can we just say that in all our park walking we’ve never once seen (or stepped in) some other animal’s poo. That’s how nicely we treat our parks here in Atlantic Beach. There is a picnic table there for rest or refreshment. But coming into the park from either of the Park Terrace locations, you’ll find it in its natural state, with no benches, just a lovely, rather woodsy area to tromp around in and enjoy the sounds of nature at whatever time you’re there. There are charming bridges placed at intervals, allowing us to cross over the sometimes-stream, which definitely depends on the rainfall. But it’s helpful, and picturesque, and really makes it seem like you’re out in the woods when actually you’re just playing in the neighborhood as the street lights come on.

As you continue your hike with your dog (or just yourself) east through the park, it’s easy to imagine how it might’ve been there in the Selva area before the various developers came through and created what is a mostly-stunning neighborhood by the sea. Then you’ll come to Country Club Lane and cross over to the other, more populated side of the park. There you’ll find a drinking fountain (as if anyone would dare, these days…you know, it’s like the hose – IYKYK) for humans and dogs, and a host of lovely memorial benches throughout the park. We think this is such a nice tribute to those who loved nature, and a gift to those of us who enjoy a moment or several to just enjoy this life from the vantage point of a park bench under an ancient tree canopy. It all doesn’t have to be about your heart rate.

But most of all it’s the romance of leaving the asphalt of a city street and stepping onto the land that’s owned by all – or by no one, just the people of the planet of Earth, or maybe just the citizens of Atlantic Beach, we don’t know, but whatever it is, if you think we’re walking through your backyard just remember that you were the one who wanted to have the exquisite Johansen Park behind your house, but other hikers love it too and yeah, that part of the park is public property.

Life Under the Trees

It’s a lot of work, living under the trees. They spew flotsam and jetsam on the daily: Sabal palm seeds, tiny acorns from various old oaks, the spiky ball of the Sweetgum, and the dreaded fruits from the majestic Queen palms that flank the garage. (It’s not native, I know. Don’t come for me. There are other out-of-zone plantings in the landscape here, but I know better, now.)

If you’re not out there blowing off your deck seven days a week your place will look unkempt with environmental litter  as though the residents have died inside, so be prepared for a neighborly wellness check.

In other words, you can’t take your foot off the gas when it comes to outdoor maintenance if you want to live in Atlantic Beach. You must be committed to living under the trees. Not only will there be sweeping or blowing, these beauties often lose limbs in windy conditions. It’s a good idea to establish a relationship with a reputable tree-trimming service, too, because you’ll need that. Forget about hiring a friend’s friend from college. They might be great in the early days, but tree care is hard work and you don’t need someone who dips out and is suddenly unreachable when you need work done. Quotes from aborists and tree-trimmers can vary, with many offering the “Atlantic Beach discount” which is really a surcharge because you live in Atlantic Beach and therefore should pay more. Um, no. Keep looking. You’ll find an honest resource, and when you do, nurture that relationship.

It’s going to cost you, being an environmental steward. You should consider that when looking at real estate in Atlantic Beach. Set aside funds for tree care and, if you can, put aside extra in case you ever have to remove a tree (God forbid) because you’ll be paying into the Atlantic Beach tree mitigation fund to the tune of about $1,800 per mature Sabal palm, roughly. Hopefully your realtor is advising you of these facts before you fantasize about putting in a pool or adding on to your residence. It might be your property, but you don’t exactly own the trees. You just get to take care of them and make damn sure nothing happens to them on your watch. Those are the kind of neighbors we want here in Atlantic Beach.

And for all this effort, you will reside together with the wise old Bard owls who will call in the night to their owl community sometimes creating a beautiful chorus of asking and answering that reverberates through the neighborhood overhead, as has been done for all time. We are just small people passing beneath them, who occasionally look up in wonder at these majestic creatures and sometimes their cute owlets, whose baby owl faces show such wide-eyed curiosity. The gorgeous hawks who perch on trees and mailboxes and playground equipment, staying still long enough to snap a good pic while you pass by, looking up,  as you enjoy an evening walk through the twisted oaks of Atlantic Beach.

If you’re in the park you might glimpse a small fox dashing by as you trudge along with your (leashed) dog.

The trees offer so much shade and therefore relief from the hot Florida sun that you just know why God made these southern Live oaks and how crucial they must have been for people who had to live here before air conditioning.

All the trees and native plants are so important to the overall ecosystem that each new homeowner should be made to complete an as-yet-to-be-designed course in Native Plantings for Your Area that offer ideas for creating a living, natural landscape that contributes to the community while providing an opportunity for individual creativity/preferences. (And know the fines for removing native trees, even if they do have 38 other mature native trees on the property.)