Little Orange Creek Nature Park encompasses 1,300 acres of land, straddling the county line between Putnam and Alachua counties. Owned by the City of Hawthorne, it is managed by the Putnam Land Conservancy and the Friends of Little Orange Creek.
HAWTHORNE – Just past Highway 301 on Hawthorne Road, a white picket fence lines the road. A turquoise gate breaks up the fence. The Little Orange Creek Nature Park lies beyond the gate, but until the land use is changed on the property, further development on the park is at a stand still.The 1,300 acre piece of land straddles the county line between Putnam and Alachua counties. It is owned by the City of Hawthorne, but managed by the Putnam Land Conservancy and the Friends of Little Orange Creek.
Property Manager Mike Stallings walks around the park and sees visions of what the park could be. He plans to make it an educational property. The house on the site needs to be renovated and ADA approved so it can be used to host events. He already has money for a pavilion to be installed.
The problem, Stallings said, is that the land use on the property needs to be changed before any construction can take place. On the Putnam County side of the property, the land use taken care of for about a year. The side of the property that is in Alachua County remains to be approved.
The park, Stallings said, is a historic part of Hawthorne. In the 1850s, Morrison’s Mills used to operate at the location.
The site also has a historic cemetery with graves that date back as far as 1883. The cemetery was hidden by vegetation until he cleared the area. Now stone markings poke out of the ground bearing the name of the deceased.
The park could be the site of archeological classes, he said. Stallings looks around the park and envisions teachers taking their students out to the park to learn about wildlife.
“Our vision was education,” he said.
Obtaining the land for the park was no simple task. Stallings said that a group with the Putnam Land Conservancy wrote several grants before they were finally able to get the money needed to buy the property six years ago. One of the key members of this group, Kathy Cantwell, who is now deceased, left money for the group to use for the park.
Stallings said that though the park is still being developed, Cantwell was able to see them buy the property.
“She got to see our dream come true,” he said.
To finance these programs, the park still needs more funds. Stallings said he thinks some of the programs he talks about may not come immediately. He said he hopes the park is a development that is constantly evolving. He also wants the park to be self-sustainable and not a burden on taxpayers.
With all the changes needed to be done to the property and house, it could cost an estimated $200,000.
While the delay in land use change has stalled development, he said he wants to keep the vision alive.
“I believe in this,” Stallings said. “I want it to move.”
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Email mharvard@alachuatoday.com
Little Orange Creek Nature Park encompasses 1,300 acres of land, straddling the county line between Putnam and Alachua counties. Owned by the City of Hawthorne, it is managed by the Putnam Land Conservancy and the Friends of Little Orange Creek.
HAWTHORNE – Just past Highway 301 on Hawthorne Road, a white picket fence lines the road. A turquoise gate breaks up the fence. The Little Orange Creek Nature Park lies beyond the gate, but until the land use is changed on the property, further development on the park is at a stand still.The 1,300 acre piece of land straddles the county line between Putnam and Alachua counties. It is owned by the City of Hawthorne, but managed by the Putnam Land Conservancy and the Friends of Little Orange Creek.
Property Manager Mike Stallings walks around the park and sees visions of what the park could be. He plans to make it an educational property. The house on the site needs to be renovated and ADA approved so it can be used to host events. He already has money for a pavilion to be installed.
The problem, Stallings said, is that the land use on the property needs to be changed before any construction can take place. On the Putnam County side of the property, the land use taken care of for about a year. The side of the property that is in Alachua County remains to be approved.
The park, Stallings said, is a historic part of Hawthorne. In the 1850s, Morrison’s Mills used to operate at the location.
The site also has a historic cemetery with graves that date back as far as 1883. The cemetery was hidden by vegetation until he cleared the area. Now stone markings poke out of the ground bearing the name of the deceased.
The park could be the site of archeological classes, he said. Stallings looks around the park and envisions teachers taking their students out to the park to learn about wildlife.
“Our vision was education,” he said.
Obtaining the land for the park was no simple task. Stallings said that a group with the Putnam Land Conservancy wrote several grants before they were finally able to get the money needed to buy the property six years ago. One of the key members of this group, Kathy Cantwell, who is now deceased, left money for the group to use for the park.
Stallings said that though the park is still being developed, Cantwell was able to see them buy the property.
“She got to see our dream come true,” he said.
To finance these programs, the park still needs more funds. Stallings said he thinks some of the programs he talks about may not come immediately. He said he hopes the park is a development that is constantly evolving. He also wants the park to be self-sustainable and not a burden on taxpayers.
With all the changes needed to be done to the property and house, it could cost an estimated $200,000.
While the delay in land use change has stalled development, he said he wants to keep the vision alive.
“I believe in this,” Stallings said. “I want it to move.”
# # #
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