ORANGE PARK – The Town continued to wrestle with some residents about Rob Bradley Park at Nelson Point, which focuses on two key issues: how the park got its name and whether Orange Park or the county should control it.

An email correspondence dated June 23 from former state Sen. Rob Bradley to Pat Meeks, former part-owner of the pristine, 10-acre waterfront property, and husband Gary Meeks, former Orange Park mayor, paints a larger picture.

Several years ago, Bradley said he received a phone call “out of the blue,” where he was told that the park would be named after him. He and his family were proud.
“As a fifth-generation Clay County resident, it meant so much to my family,” he said.
Bradley said when all five town council members joined County Commissioners for a resolution naming the park, it was his crowning achievement, especially considering his legislative career, where environmental issues were a primary focus.

“It was like a dream. My Dad, who taught me to love the land and the environment, was beaming that day. It was the perfect capstone to my time in public service,” he said.
The park opening ceremony, where he was accompanied by many old friends and family, which included the Meekses, was a special day for Bradley. Soon, that sunshine event was surrounded by dark clouds.
“We all spoke with excitement and warmth toward the community and one another. Then something changed. And I don’t know what happened. My family’s name is now disparaged periodically because of the park,” he said.

Bradley said he’s not sure what he did wrong.

“If I had committed a crime or something that would cause the community to consider taking off the family name, I would understand. But nothing like that has happened. Therefore, we are left with a continuing attempt to tear down my family’s name and reputation in order to convince people that naming was unjustified in the first place. It’s not right,” he said.
The senator closed the letter with a plea to the Meeks.

“I’ve known you both for years. If I’ve done something to offend you since we exchanged the (late) warm emails below, where you both congratulated me on the park naming, please let me know. Let’s get coffee to discuss it! If not, please ask this to stop. You both have the power to do this,” he said.

Bradley said he’s used to pushback, but this issue hurts his family.
“My family never got used to it, which is very upsetting. It’s just not right,” he said.
Meeks said she received the email after receiving medical treatment, which surprised her.
She offered a different perspective.

“I would like to share the other side of this coin,” Meeks said.
Meeks said she and her family sometimes regret taking the property since there were two other offers on the table.

“We elected to go this route even though we sold for substantially less than the other offers and still had to donate ($250,000) back to the state at the time of the closing, but did so since because it was our parents’ dream,” she said.

Ever since the naming of the park, Meeks said residents often stop at the grocery store, church, town events and other public places, who ask what her family did wrong to cause the park not to be named after her parents, especially considering the significant legacy that they carried in the Town since moving to the property in 1948.
Financial donations for events, volunteer work and hot meals are just the beginning of a long list of contributions made by her parents, who helped start the Town Skate Park, Boy Scout Troop 25 and more.

“I am asked, ‘Why did the County Commissioners get to name the park when it is a town park, and the county provides no funding to establishing it or maintaining it?’” she asked.
“I tell them that it was named after you because you were one of the ones responsible for the funding of the purchase,” Meeks wrote to Bradley.

Meeks said while she and the former mayor don’t still live in the Town, their hearts are still entrenched in Orange Park. Meanwhile, the former state senator had not committed enough effort in a town with a park named after him, she said.

“You do not live in the Town, your business moved out of the Town. I can only suggest that you start making a presence in the Town. Let the people see and learn who the person the park is named after. Attend events in Town that your park is in. Be seen,” she said.

She reiterated she did not want hard feelings between the Bradley and Nelson families but wanted to give her family’s side of the story.
“We have taken a large amount of criticism for the financial burden we have placed upon the town residents by selling it for a conservation park for them to build out and maintain,” she said.

The Nelson and Hiers families were included in the response alongside the Meekses.
She isn’t the only one that agrees.
During the July 20 town council meeting, Vice Mayor Susana Thompson questioned why the county didn’t request to put “Nelson” at the front of the parcel in honor of John Nelson and his family. Nelson, a military veteran, purchased the parcel after World War II.
Town Manager Sarah Campbell and Town Public Works Director Kyle Croce said there is currently virtually no chance that the park will change hands to ownership from the Town to the county.
“For the foreseeable future, the council has not taken any action to do that. The (Town) would have to have a willing recipient to take it over for them, and I don’t know if they have a willing recipient to take it,” she said.

Campbell said after the Town was finally able to accept the deed from Clay County in Dec. 2019, a debate ensued about whether the Town or county should control the park.

“Ultimately, (they) decided that the Town should have control over the property so they could determine the operating hours and control the level of security and types of activities. If it was left in the county’s hands, we wouldn’t get a say in how the park was developed,” she said.
She said Town Council asked Mayor Randy Anderson to discuss the possibility of an interlocal agreement with the county to share costs.
“You really can’t separate (park users). County residents use Bradley Park, Clarke Park, and Skateboard Park. And town residents use county parks. (Many residents) have used parks in Duval County (as well),” Campbell said.

Croce said another factor is the county already has more than 50 parks to manage and maintain.
Meanwhile, the dilapidated roof structure of the park’s restroom facility could be saved with a $200,000 grant from the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program, according to Campbell.

“One thing to keep in mind is that we have a state grant,” she said.

The grant would go towards the nature trail, kayak launch, and restroom facilities.

The grant would have to be matched by the Town, but most of that would be through labor instead of cash, Campbell said.
The process for the grant is ongoing.

“We are still waiting on the notice to proceed from the state. We do not have (the grant) in our hands yet. It’s a little premature, but once we have it, we will start doing the grant work,” she said.

The Town would then return to the council and ask whether they would prefer to build a new roof or a simply rebuild the restroom.

Anderson said he may be a proponent of tearing down the building. He proposed a motion to demolish the house on park property to save long-term funds, but council members decided not to take a vote.

Croce said the structure is not ideal for the park’s setting and having a restroom facility closer to the park’s exit would be more efficient.

“It makes it difficult to run all of the new electrical, wiring and plumbing,” he said.
The work’s director also said should pursue funding avenues from nonprofits and state agencies such as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida State Parks or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“We could try to develop a relationship (with an entity) to work on a project,” Croce said.