Council members voted 4-1 Tuesday night to move forward with a proposal by design firm Kimley-Horn on New Port Richey’s downtown Sims Park. Each council member had reservations about the plan and promised to work to update it to their expectations before final approval.

The motion by the Council also approved a 5% payment on the total construction costs to the contractor, an estimated $110,000 of the estimated $2.2 million to be spent on the project. The upgrades include a splash park and a playground although officials have disagreed about the placement of the new playground. Four years ago Council members had decided that the existing wooden playground built in 1994 was degraded beyond repair and must be torn down.

Kimley-Horn planners had wanted to place the playground near to the river, which had alarmed some councilors because of the proximity to water. Others have looked to place the playground near the middle of the park, but that has drawbacks, according to planners, in possibly affecting event planning and the efficient use of the space.

In other news, the Council backed away from a staff proposal to limit parking on grassy front lawns, limit boat and RV parking, and limit the length of time in which it can occur. A spotting of river residents showed up at a workshop held earlier in the day to oppose it, saying the measure went again the “culture of the town,” according to one resident.

New Port Richey has sought stronger code enforcement measures in light of blighted areas in the city which have caused quality of life issues for many residents. City Manager Debbie Manns said that the process of creating the ordinance was still underway and they would look to improve the suggestions for a later time.