Lake Worth Beach scraps plan for $245,000 fitness court in Bryant Park
Commissioners, responding to public concern, shift focus on 'improving and revitalizing what we have' at the downtown waterfront park.
Lake Worth Beach city commissioners have scrapped plans for a $245,000 outdoor fitness court in Bryant Park.
“We’ve talked to the people enough to know that they want fitness, they just don’t want a monstrosity,’’ Vice Mayor Mimi May said this morning at a pre-agenda review workshop.
Although commissioners in February approved the National Fitness Campaign fitness court, they balked earlier this month at approving the invoice because concerns from residents that the court’s main wall — 8 feet high and 38 feet wide — would block views of the Lake Worth Lagoon.
As reported by the Lake Worth Beach Independent on April 13, the fitness court was scheduled to be reconsidered on April 21. But it was pulled from the agenda on April 16 after the Leisure Services department received comments from residents, said Teanna McKay, the department’s director.
In response, McKay proposed conducting a residents survey on fitness needs at Bryant Park, including the fitness court and existing exercise equipment, and returning the commission later this year with potential options.
That idea was rejected by the three commissioners who participated in the discussion today — May, Mayor Betty Resch and Commissioner Anthony Segrich.
They instructed McKay to scrap the fitness court proposal but to come back with options for improving the park’s existing fitness equipment.
“I don’t want to waste staff time on doing a study on something that’s not going to pass,’’ said Segrich, who’d already said he planned to vote against the new fitness court because of concerns about the costs and maintenance.
On April 7, May, Segrich and Commissioner Chris McVoy voted against approving the invoice, with Resch and Commissioner Sarah Malega voting to approve it.
This morning, Resch said she had changed her mind.
“I would rather have us talk about where we should put that kind of money in Bryant Park into improving and revitalizing what we have down there which needs work,’’ she said, repeating what residents have been saying on social media this week.
When May voted against the National Fitness Campaign invoice on April 7, she left open the possibility she might approve it April 21. But after touring the site with staff and conducting her own research, she said today that she was planning to vote no.
May said she drove to a National Fitness Campaign fitness court in Deerfield Beach on April 11. That court, the closest one to Lake Worth Beach, opened to the public in February 2023.
“It’s kind of cool except the first (workout station) says lay down on the thing and do core work, but you can’t because it’s too hot. And the mural they put on has peeled off and the connections are rusting,’’ she said.
“Then I decided to get bold and went and knocked on doors of the people who lived around there and asked them: Do people use this?’’
She said she was told that it was mostly used by men in their 20s and 30s. “One woman I spoke to said more people would use it if it was shaded,’’ May said.
Malega did not attend today’s workshop. McVoy attended the workshop late, after the fitness court discussion.
The mayor left no room for ambiguity when instructing McKay to scrap the fitness court proposal: “I think it needs to just be gone,’’ she said.
Thank you very much .
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