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HARLINGEN — A group of residents is calling on city officials to pump money into Vestal Park, arguing the neighborhood park has been neglected for years, while commissioners are pushing a $1.4 million overhaul of Victor Park and its swimming pool.
After years of planning, officials are preparing to apply for a $750,000 grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department while planning to pull money from city coffers to fund upgrades at Victor Park, the home of the city’s pool, Harlingen’s only 50-meter pool used to help draw swimming competitions to town.
Earlier this week, Commissioners Frank Morales and Daniel Lopez, who oversees District 2, called on commissioners to use any grant money to fund upgrades at Vestal Park.
“I would like to see this grant that we’re looking at go straight to Vestal Park and bring Vestal Park up to comparison with Victor Park and Pendleton Park,” Morales told commissioners as residents broke out in applause during a July 19 meeting.
“I’ve realized that Vestal Park needs a lot more work that Victor Park,” he said. “I do realize that Victor Park is a regional park versus Vestal Park, (which) sits right smack in the middle of the neighborhood. Vestal Park has been neglected for years. They have practically nothing. We’ve got to bring it up to speed.”
After more than an hour of debate, commissioners agreed to go ahead with plans to use any grant money to upgrade Victor Park while Lopez requested they push to fund Vestal Park improvements during the upcoming fiscal year.
‘Neglected’ Vestal Park
During the meeting, officials held a public hearing as part of the grant application, drawing District 2 residents who called on commissioners to use any grant money to fund upgrades at Vestal Park.
“We need more money toward Vestal Park,” resident Linda Ramos told commissioners. “Let’s finish it. That concession stand needs fixing. We don’t have basketball courts. We don’t even have a baseball field. Let’s make Vestal Park a priority. I am fighting for the kids. I don’t feel like our children are less than (those in other parts of ) our community. We’re losing a lot of kids. There’s high crime, mental illness, suicidal thoughts. See if you like all the violence there. We need to save our kids.”
From the podium, Noemi Cisneros called on commissioners to upgrade the neighborhood park for the area’s children.
“Our first priority is to save the children and their families,” she said. “We need to invest in the children. You need to invest in this district. That’s the biggest crime area. Any child here in Harlingen is worth more than any money or any money that comes in, so we need to make sure that we give them the facilities and resources to move forward in a positive way. It’s about the kids we need to save.”
At the park, Able Castaneda launched a tackle football league.
“I went out there with a table and made a league happen,” Castaneda, a coach who served on the city’s parks board, told commissioners. “We had a lot of kids out there. It really makes we mad because we’ve got nothing out there — no concessions — and we’re making it happen. We’re the only tackle football league here in Harlingen that are Harlingen kids. I’ve had camp for both high schools here in Harlingen. We want to build Harlingen kids. We’re getting support from schools, but the city, no.”
Last year, city officials pulled plans to fund upgrades to the park’s concession stand, Castaneda said.
“What happened to the money allocated to Vestal Park that was supposed to go for concessions and all that last year?” he asked. “We need help big time.”
Meanwhile, former Commissioner Victor Leal urged commissioners to go ahead with plans to use any grant money to upgrade Victor Park.
“Right now, you’ve got a shovel-ready project,” he said. “What we need to do really is what’s going to get us the biggest bang for our buck. Please don’t miss an opportunity to put your best foot forward.”
Lopez calls for upgrades
During discussion, Lopez requested commissioners consider pumping at least $750,000 to help maintain Vestal Park.
“At the end of the day, we need to put the money where it’s going to do the most good — and Vestal Park is that,” he said. “We’ve been trying to fund Vestal Park for the last six years. It’s always said, we can (put) Vestal Park on the back burner — and we can’t. I think we need to put in — I’m not even asking for anything major — $750,000 just to be able to maintain.”
Last year, officials pulled money earmarked for Vestal Park help fund a fire truck, Lopez said.
After 25 years, they installed lighting at the park, he said.
“It’s pretty sad that they had to wait 25 years just to get light,” he said. “How long have these people been waiting for a concession stand? I think it’s time we stop putting the neighborhoods on the back burner. We need to make them the top priority.”
Money earmarked for Victor Park
Amid debate, Commissioner Rene Perez said officials are now pumping $217,000 into upgrading Vestal Park.
In the last few years, officials have set aside more than $600,000 to upgrade the park, he said.
Now, he said, residents are calling on officials to repair the city’s pool at Victor Park, where they also want a splash pad.
“Some may say Vestal Park has been neglected for years. Yes, it has,” Perez said. “I agree Vestal Park needs some help and that’s why we just recently gave Vestal Park $217,000. I wouldn’t say we’ve disregarded it. We’ve given you over $600,000, and that’s not even including the $200,000 that we’re giving you right now.”
Meanwhile, Perez told Lopez officials have been counting on using any grant money to upgrade Victor Park.
“This money was meant for Victor Park, and you’re trying to steal from Peter to pay Paul. This is probably our last chance to get Victor Park fixed before we lose the funding,” he said. “It’s about being a commissioner for all of Harlingen, and Victor Park needs it. These are things that have been waiting for a long time. We need to have the swimming pool. This is something that’s a necessity, especially with this heat wave. People need to have a pool that they can go to.”
Perez argued repairing the 50-meter pool would help draw swimming competitions back to town.
“That would add to the economic benefit of all these people coming into our town and getting hotels, eating food here in Harlingen,” he said.
50-meter pool
During a presentation, Javier Mendez, the city’s parks director, told commissioners repairs to Victor Park’s 50-meter pool would help draw swimming competitions back to town.
“Victor Pool is the only 50-meter pool in the city,” he said. “That’s the reason a lot of athletes like to use that pool. It’s the only deep-water pool that we have that has lanes. That’s the only one (where) we can have meets if we can improve it. We can have other events — triathlons, duathlons. They all want to use Victor Pool.”
During discussion, Mayor Norma Sepulveda said many residents are calling on officials to repair the city swimming pool.
“A lot of folks in the community have been talking about the condition of the swimming pool,” she said. “I think the biggest concern for me is the pool now because that’s been ongoing. It really is a gem that we have, but it’s deteriorating. We want to ensure that we can maintain it as best as possible, but it really does need these major improvements. To be able to get that done is a big project and it’s costly.”
At City Hall, officials have focused their grant application around Victor Park’s proposed upgrades, Sepulveda said.
“I think this money was already earmarked for Victor Park,” she said.
Like Perez, Sepulveda said she wants to repair the pool to help draw swimming competitions such as triathlons held there in 2018 and 2019.
“I think it’s good for the community to promote health and wellness,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sepulveda also called for upgrades at Vestal Park.
“I do agree that Vestal Park needs a lot of work,” she said. “We do need improvements in that park. It’s in the neighborhood and it serves as recreation for that community. It’s important.”
