Improvements Slated for Three City Parks:

Pence, Oceanfront, Jaycee

Exciting Renovations Planned For City's Oldest Park

Pence Park is the oldest park in the Boynton Beach parks system. Neighborhood residents use the basketball courts and new play equipment frequently, but the softball field is rarely used for area softball games.

The Recreation and Parks Dept. has found that the outlying grass areas of the park are most often used for pick-up soccer games. The need for open play space for soccer has risen dramatically in the last three years and many open spaces in Boynton area parks are used for soccer, although the open space is not technically efficient for the sport.

The Recreation and Parks Dept. has planned for that need and will be converting the ball field at Pence Park to a multi-purpose field featuring Bermuda grass. This type of open space grass has many benefits, including a high traffic tolerance, good disease resistance, soil salinity tolerance and drought tolerance. Bermuda grass recovers rapidly from damage caused by high use so the play-ability is enhanced for soccer lovers.

Conversion of the softball field to a multipurpose field is scheduled for late 2009. For more information about renovations to Pence Park, please call 561-742-6226.

Expectations High For Renovation of Oceanfront Park Boardwalk

From the 1920's to today, Oceanfront Park has been popular with residents and visitors alike. Many renovations have occurred over the years at Oceanfront Park. In 1986, the park underwent a major renovation during which the boardwalk was rebuilt out of recycled plastic. Today, 23 years later, the City will be renovating the boardwalk again, replacing the plastic with Ipe (pronounced ee-pay) Wood.

Ipe is known by many names, including Ironwood and Brazilian Walnut. It typically grows in South-central America in a wide variety of sites and is similar to teak wood. It is purchased from Brazilian growers who harvest under strict guidelines of sustainable forestry management and is an environmentally responsible choice over pressure-treated lumber, which contains a variety of toxins and chemicals. It naturally resists rot, decay, insects, and mold. Additionally, Ipe is an incredibly strong, dense wood, with very high wear durability in daily use, and is resistant to splintering and checking. It's also beautiful. Weather has little to no effect upon the structural integrity of Ipe wood. The sun will eventually transform the wood from its original reddish-brown to a beautiful silver patina.

The boardwalk plans are in the permitting stage through the State. The Boynton Beach Recreation and Parks Department expects construction to begin in the summer of 2009. During boardwalk construction, the park will remain open to the public with the construction completed in phases to allow patrons beach access. The new boardwalk will be a welcome addition for both beach goers and the active beach cleanup group, The Sand Sifters.

For more information about renovations to the Oceanfront Park boardwalk and about construction dates, please call 561-742-6226.

Coming This Summer … Second Phase of Jaycee Park Improvements

Access to the water for all citizens is important to our quality of life as South Florida residents and Boynton Beach is at the forefront of providing open space and water access for all to enjoy.

Jaycee Park was renovated and opened in 2008; in 2009, the City will be working towards completing the second phase of the project. Phase 2 will include the addition of an observation deck/boardwalk that will allow park visitors access to the beautiful Intracoastal Waterway. The deck, located at the far east end of the park, will be a place from which to observe the scenery and wildlife that live in and adjacent to the waterway. Phase 2 will also include access to the water for canoe and kayak enthusiasts for launching non-motorized water craft.

Construction is slated to begin in the summer of 2009. Completion of the project is expected to be early 2010.