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The county owns Everglades Holiday Park park but has leased it to the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has leased it to the Bridges family, aka Bridges Enterprises Inc., since 1965. The lease runs out in June 2012 -- and now the county has decided to take over the park, modernize it, put in an "education center," and make people pay the standard $1.50 fee to access it on the weekends.
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That means that the community of people who live and work there will lose their homes, the bikers who congregate (peacefully) there on the weekends will almost surely find another spot, and the bass fishing tournaments will be affected as well. The county plan also doesn't include the popular alligator wrestling shows.
On the other hand, the park is surely run down and needs some upkeep. The Bridges family -- which has apparently profited well from running the park -- has offered to put $1 million into upgrading the park over ten years if it is allowed to keep the lease. The county is not receptive to the idea, says Commissioner Lois Wexler, whose district includes the park and has taken the lead on the effort.
The county plan is to remake the park in phases at a cost of nearly $10 million. Phase 1 is the building of a new bridge to the park, which is located at the end of Griffin Road west of U.S. 27. That's $750,000, which the county has. The county doesn't have the money for the rest of the plan, though it hopes to get grants and somehow find the funds. The plan involves renovating the boat dock and weigh station, elevating the existing parking lot, demolishing and rebuilding the main building on the property that now includes the store, and the building of a large parking lot, an education center, and possible "resort-style camping" where folks now live or stay overnight in their RVs.
A public meeting -- where people can voice their concerns and/or support for the plan directly to county officials -- will be held on the fate of the park on October 5 at the Long Key Nature Center in Davie at 6 p.m.