COCOA BEACH, Fla. – The developer of two hotels next to Lori Wilson Park says he wants to clear the air about Driftwood Capital’s proposal to have exclusive use of the popular park at the beach up to 100 days a year.
Protestors gathered on the A1A sidewalk in front of the park Tuesday a week after negative public reaction at a Brevard County Commission meeting preceded commissioners not taking action on the proposal.
CEO Carlos Rodriguez addressed Brevard County residents in a letter Monday afternoon that announced he was discontinuing pursuing that agreement with Brevard County.
Instead of renting the park for all those days, Rodriguez told News 6 reporter James Sparvero that now he only wants to build a new and improved dog park at Lori Wilson.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
“We basically don’t need to have any rights above and beyond what your rights are or anybody else’s, and we do wanna contribute to the park,” Rodriguez said. “A park that, quite frankly, needs some tender, love, and care.”
Rodriguez said Driftwood never intended to take the park away from the public. “Do we eventually want to rent it once in a blue moon for some event? Sure, we may,” he said. “But just like anybody else can in Brevard County.”
Another criticism of the plan was a proposed golf cart path through the park and conservation area that would connect the Hilton and Westin.
Rodriguez said the path was meant to reduce traffic on A1A when events are being held.
“That’s another one that, you know, was exaggerated why it was being used,” he reacted.
Rodriguez said he believed Driftwood’s relationship with the community did suffer because of the proposal.
“I’ve learned my lesson, and we should’ve done some things a little bit better,” he said. “So yes, we do wanna mend relationships because, frankly, I see that it was definitely misunderstood.”
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: