Letter: No real participation at Gainesville workshop
Letter to the editor
Attending the City of Gainesville workshop on the Thelma Boltin Site Trailhead and Sweetwater Loop Trail Alignment Development on June 30, 2026, at the Thomas Center felt far from true involvement.
There was no opportunity for those outside the room to participate by Zoom or other means. The digital survey using a QR code gave preset choices to choose from, giving the impression of citizen support. The survey was done at lightning speed, with shapes rapidly coalescing on a screen above captions too small to read. I did not hear any NV5 or City of Gainesville employees recusing themselves from voting in the survey.
Instead of the City of Gainesville using their own planners, NV5, which is “embedded” in the planning department and has a contract with this project, ran the meeting, including presenting the Powerpoint. NV5, a global company that does engineering, consulting, and other work, acquired CHW (Casseaux, Hewitt and Walpole). NV5 had already surveyed the corridor and done GIS and data-gathering.There are Scopes 3 and 4.
No explanation was given as to why the former director of Wild Spaces Public Places, Betsy Waite, did almost nothing to renovate the Thelma Boltin Center for nearly two years before asking for a vote to demolish it. Demolishing the outdoor fireplace and shuffleboard courts erased what was left of the ties to the WWII soldiers, which was why the City built the Center in 1942.
Already, $2 million has been allocated, covering only part of the project. What will be the final cost?
This wasn’t a workshop. It was moving crumbs around on a plate.
Karen Arrington
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The whole Thelma Boltin project has been a prescribed burn from the beginning about a decade ago. It’s silly to think something different will happen now. The decisions have been made long ago by the decision makers, now you just need to behave and sit back and let nature take its course.
What happened to Betsy Waite?
When I first read of the demolition of the Thema Bolton center I was in disbelief they were doing that. Then to find out how long it sat without any matainance was even worse. It was a wonderful older building with a nice stage and dance floor. It was run down simply because the city refused to keep it operational. Now they want everything to go digital. You sure can’t meet in an older lovely community center like the TBC. Now it seems the Boulware Springs building might have the same fate. Sometimes managers at the C of G along with the City Commission just don’t have any common sense.
Good observations, Karen, thank you. This is the imperial government of Gainesville, with four more years ahead to rule over its subjects.