It was 18 months ago that the School Board signed a design build contract to upgrade the baseball field at Founders Park where the Coral Shores High School team plays ball. The Village is a party to that contract but has not agreed to it. But the design work based on the unsigned contract has been underway for over a year.  

As owners of the property, which has been leased, free of charge, to the School Board for over 2 decades, the Village Council wants a say in the design - to assure the kids in the Upper Keys get the best and safest place to play… including the field surface (artificial turf), ADA facilities, etc.  All compatible with a Village park.

At the School Board meeting last week, the School Board indicated that they want   total control over the design. They believe any changes requested by the Village should be at Village expense.

While the School Board indicated the Founders Park location is their first choice, they did suggest the possibility of moving ahead with their backup plan to put the field in the Coral Shores school “backyard” or use land available from the County.

Are the two groups at an impasse? Which will win - the Village as property owner (property bought with Village tax funds) or the School Board who is funding the upgrades (also tax funds from Upper Keys taxpayers.)