PORT RICHEY, Fla. — City council isn't happy with the location of the new playground in Waterfront Park.
"In 10 years somebody's going to go 'who were the idiots that allowed that to go there,'" said Mayor Dale Massad.
Mayor Massad said there's two reasons the current location isn't good for the new playground. The first is it's in an area that isn't shaded.
"It'll bake the kids," he said.
The second reason is that the playground is too close to the pavilion.
"We've discussed having movies and bands out here, but we got Disneyland in front of the stage," said Massad.
The previous council approved the site after receiving a grant from Florida Communities Trust.
The new council wants to move the playground to the shaded area of the park. Massad said he wants it next to the other playground.
The city already spent nearly $30,000 buying the pieces and hiring a contractor to put it together and pour the concrete to hold it in place
"We're determining now the depth of the concrete so we can cost-effectively remove it and salvage it so we won't have to buy it again," said city manager Vince Lupo.
City leaders are hoping this can be done without having to hire another contractor. The mayor said he's going to try to get volunteers. If he can't the playground could end up costing the city close to $70,000 by the time it's completed.
"If it ends up costing $70,000 I'll still do it," said Massad.
