Zephyr Park Price Tag Jumps to $19.3 Million, Council Orders Cuts Before Moving Forward

Zephyrhills City Council learned Aug. 10 that construction on Zephyr Park now carries an estimated price tag of about $19.3 million, roughly $3.3 million above the $16 million the city had budgeted. Staff walked council through a funding plan that leans on bonds, state money and city reserves, and warned that a stormwater permitting decision still weeks away could change the number again.

The overrun matters to anyone who has watched the park take shape near 4th Street, where the city's splash pad already draws families on hot afternoons. The revised master plan calls for an event lawn, a band shell, a pavilion, a playground and a boardwalk over the lake, built on higher ground after flooding from Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Milton forced a redesign. Those are taxpayer dollars, and council members made clear Monday they are not ready to sign off on a budget that keeps climbing.

Where the money would come from

Staff laid out a patchwork of funding sources meant to cover the $19.3 million estimate:

• About $9 million from 2025 bonds
• $1 million from the city's Community Redevelopment Agency
• $2.65 million in state appropriation
• $935,000 in interest earned on ARPA funds
• About $1.6 million from park impact fees
• Roughly $4.1 million from the city's recreation reserve, described in the meeting as nursing-home reserve money

Even with all of that stacked together, the total still falls short of the latest estimate. That gap is part of why a separate $5 million already set aside in bond dollars for rehabilitating Alice Hall came up for discussion. Staff and council members debated whether that money could be redirected to the park instead, though no decision was made.

Council pushes back on design

Several council members criticized the scope of the design and pressed staff to find savings rather than simply absorb the higher cost. One member told staff to avoid building a "Champagne budget" park and suggested the city start with the unglamorous work first: stormwater and drainage. That approach would let the city get the ground ready and under control before committing to pricier amenities like the band shell or boardwalk, and would let officials phase in the playground and other finishes once the core work is paid for and built.

Design documents are about 65% complete, staff said. That means the plans are far enough along to estimate real construction costs, but not so far along that major elements can't still be trimmed or redrawn.

What happens next

Council asked staff to schedule a workshop with Kimley-Horn, the city's engineering consultant, and the park's designer. That workshop is set for Sept. 14, where council members and the public are expected to see revised plans and a menu of proposed cuts before any funding decision is finalized. No vote was taken Aug. 10. The city has not said whether the Sept. 14 session will be open for public comment or strictly a presentation, and residents who want to weigh in on what gets trimmed from the park, whether that's the band shell, the boardwalk, or something else, will want to watch for how that meeting is noticed.

Stay connected with everything happening in Zephyrhills at the Zephyrhills Community Website, and join the conversation about Zephyr Park's budget and design in our Community Forum. For more coverage of city spending and council decisions, visit our government and politics section, and for other local park and community news, check out our community page.