Work has begun on joining Chapman Botanical Garden with Veterans Memorial Plaza and the Orman House, as part of a long-term management agreement, entered into last July by the City of Apalachicola, the Florida Park Service, and the Three Servicemen Statue South, Inc.
Under the three-way agreement, the Florida Park Service will provide operational management over all three sites under the umbrella of the Orman House Historic State Park, with both Chapman Botanical Garden and Veterans Memorial Plaza retaining their existing identities.
The initial work calls for the portion of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Avenue between fifth and Market Street to be closed to vehicular traffic. The existing asphalt road will be removed to accommodate onsite parking, a sidewalk system, and open green space. Vehicular traffic will only be allowed to enter the park from Market Street, while pedestrian traffic will be allowed to enter from either Market or the 5th Street side of the park.
Future plans includes removing invasive plants from the garden and replanting native plants that were name by Dr. Alvin Wentworth Chapman, building a large pavilion for weddings and family picnics, installing restrooms and placing a resident ranger house on site.
This past September, representatives from the Park Service conducted a public hearing at City Hall to gather public input for incorporation into the management plan.
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