Budget conference: Lawmakers swing $1.5M for Babcock Ranch playground

Playground at Jack Peeples Park. Image via Babcock Ranch.

The Senate is on board with funding an all-abilities playground in Babcock Ranch.

The Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee agreed to budget $1.5 million for the project in its latest offer.

Babcock Ranch is a solar-powered community founded less than a decade ago by Syd Kitson, a politically connected developer in Charlotte County.

The Kitson & Founders CEO has been involved in insurance summits in the past year following Babcock Ranch’s strong resilience in the face of Hurricane Ian. He has served as Chair for the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Governors, and he headed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Re-Open Florida Task Force following a statewide lockdown at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parks have been a central part of the community. The first playground in Babcock opened in 2020 at Jack Peeples Park.

House appropriators had included $1.5 million in funding for a “Babcock Ranch Community Playground for Children of All Abilities” in its Infrastructure and Tourism Appropriations budget. Initially, the Senate only set aside $250,000 for that project. But a Senate offer presented Monday night matches the House plans.

The House and Senate also previously agreed to provide $315,000 for another playground project. The money will go to Coconut Creek as part of improvements to Sunshine Drive Park, where an existing playground will be replaced.

The funding comes from nonrecurring funding out of the General Revenue pot.

Budget conference subcommittees will meet throughout the week to resolve differences in each area. When remaining issues reach an impasse, they will be “bumped” to the full budget conference committee.

Lawmakers must reach an agreement on a final spending plan by May 2 to meet the 72-hour “cooling off” period required by the state constitution before they can vote on the budget to avoid pushing the Regular Session past its scheduled May 5 end date.