City Resolution, Council Rename Parks to Honor Veterans, Enable Memorial

Dade City commissioners unanimously approved renaming the park at Church Avenue and 10th Street to Veterans Park, and City Manager Marieke vanErven will implement the new name. The property has been city-owned since 2019, and the move followed a student vote during City Government Week on Oct. 24, 2025 when 58 students selected "Veterans Park" over "Patriots Park," which received 20 votes.

The Church Avenue and 10th Street site already includes an Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible playground, a splash pad and picnic tables, and design and construction are underway to add an amphitheater and park pavilions. The park also connects to the Hardy Trail, providing pedestrian and bicycle access and enhancing regional trail integration as the city expands recreational capacity.

In Paso Robles, the City Council voted unanimously on March 18 to rename two parks: the new Olson-Chandler Ranch park formerly called Turtle Creek Park is now Creekside Park, and Oak Creek Park was renamed Paso Robles Veterans Park. The Oak Creek Park renaming was requested by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10965 to recognize veterans in Paso Robles and to allow the post to fundraise and develop a veterans memorial public art installation at a city-owned site adjacent to the Veterans Memorial Building.

VFW Post 10965 Commander Leo Castillo told the council the post intends to select an artist and seek private funds for a memorial and is not asking the city for money at this time. City staff noted a currently vacant circular sandbox area behind the Veterans Memorial Building could be considered as a site for a memorial if funding and a concept are developed. The Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee recommended both renamings, and the council’s action included support for the VFW’s efforts while requiring that any formal design or public art installation return to the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee and the City Council for review under the city’s Arts and Public Places policy.

A separate city resolution approved Feb. 17, 2026 will rename a community park to "Veterans Park"; city officials described the action as reflecting strong student support and the community’s desire to honor men and women who served in the U.S. military. Calling it Veterans Park, officials said, "reflects strong student support and a desire to honor the men and women who have served the United States of America."

Outside the region, Appleton’s Parks & Recreation Committee voted 3-2 to pass a resolution to rename Appleton Memorial Park - a 143-acre park at 1620 E. Witzke Blvd. - to Veterans Memorial Park, with council members Patrick Hayden, Katie Van Zeeland and Alex Schultz submitting the resolution; Parks Director Dean Gazza noted the city’s existing Veterans Park at 1208 S. Memorial Drive is about 2 acres and lacks parking and space for future memorials, saying, "In the future, as people are thinking of where to place these memorials, it would be nice to have that dedicated spot." The Common Council was scheduled to vote on the resolution June 18.

Fort Myers Beach adopted Resolution 24-10 on Jan. 8, 2024 to rename Bayside Park to Bayside Veterans Park after an online public survey in December 2023; the resolution’s roll call shows Mayor Dan Allers, Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt, Council Member John R. King and Council Member Karen Woodson voting Aye. Together these actions show cities are pairing name changes with fundraising, artist selection and formal committee and council reviews to site veterans memorials and public art.