89-suggestions for Carwash Park and we were not in the running

Historic City News readers liked the idea that the pocket park located at the southeast corner of Ponce de Leon Boulevard and King Street, once the home of Norbert Tuceo’s Seabreeze Carwash, would get a moniker reminiscent of the day when the property was still on the tax rolls.

Within a few weeks after the purchase in February of 2010, the carwash was demolished and the space was given minimal landscaping. Over the years, the city has continually added landscape and streetscape elements that have increased both the attractiveness and accessibility of the area.

And now, almost as a “finishing touch”, the space has a recommended name: San Sebastian Park.

Using, for the first time, a newly approved process for naming public spaces and facilities, a committee appointed by City Manager John Regan reviewed 83 suggestions submitted by 73 respondents, and, following the new process, made the recommendation to the City Manager who will present it to the City Commission for its consideration.

The committee, again following the new process, includes staff representatives from the Planning and Building, Public Works and Public Affairs Departments.

According to the new process, in reviewing names for a park or other facility, considerations should include:

• neighborhood or geographical identification
• natural or geological features
• a place or event of historical or cultural significance
• the articulated preference of residents of the neighborhood surrounding the park or facility
• a deceased person or persons who has made significant and outstanding contributions of public service to the community

In making the recommendation, the committee reported to Regan that San Sebastian Park:

• meets the consideration that the name may reflect a geographical location
• offers the opportunity to tell the story that is not often told of the industrial history of the area which included the shrimping industry, railroad yards, and cigar manufacturing facilities that once populated the area along the San Sebastian River and King St
• creates an identity for the vicinity that will include not just the riverfront as it becomes developed, but the entire area comprising the river community.

The other “losers” although we found some quite clever:

Albert Lewis	Miss Carrie Park
Beautiful Historic St. Augustine	Neil Perry Park
Our City Park for residents and visitors	no name, welcome sign
Bienvenido	Oldest City Gateway
Bienvenido Park	Palica Park
Billboard Park	Parque de la Paz
Buttercup Park	Peace Park
Butterfield Park	Peanut Park
Calle Rey Park	Ray Charles
Carriage Park	River Park
Carrie Johnson Park	Riverview Park
Corridor Park	Ronald L. Bailey
Douglas Hartley Park	Ronald L. Bailey
Estrada Floridana or Paseo Floridana	Salvador Park
Eyesore Overlook Park	San Augustin Park
Father Rene Robert Park	San Sebastian Gateway Park or San
Festival Park	Sebastian Park
Freedom Park	San Sebastian River Park
Freedom Park	San Sebastian River Park or The River Park
Gateway Park	Southwest Gateway Park
Gateway to Ancient City	Spring Vacation 1964 and Mrs. Mary Peabody
Gridlock Entry Way	St. Augustine Midway Park or Midway Park
Harmony Park	Sunshine Park
Harmony Park	Teresa Garris Memorial Park
Hayling Park	Timucua Park
Heritage Gateway Park	Unity Park
Heritage Park or Heritage Landing	Unity Park
Hico Park	Unity Park
Historic King Street Entrance	Waste of Time Park
Jerome G. Kass Memorial Park	Welcome Park
Keith Fuller	Welcome Park
King Felipe VI	Westgate Park
King Street Corridor	Zora Neale Hurston
King Street Gateway	Zora Neale Hurston
King’s Corner Park	Zora Neale Hurston
King’s Road Park	Zora Neale Hurston Memorial Park
La Florida	Zora Neale Hurston Park
Lack of Parking Park	Zora Neale Hurston Park
Libertad Park	Zora Neale Hurston Park
Maude E. Reddick	Zora Neale Hurston Park
Maude E. Reddick	Zora Neale Hurston Park
Minorcan Park	Zora Neale Hurston Park
	Zora Neale Hurston Park