HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The Hopkinsville Committee of the Whole discussed a new way to honor former council member Fred Atkins, by moving a dedication to him from the unused pocket park downtown to Second Street Park.
“We are not doing Fred Atkins or his family any justice over here on Main Street with this pocket park that we’ve got locked up, because all we do is clean whiskey bottles and drug needles out of it every day.” said Mayor Knight during the meeting, speaking about the downtown park space next to Coffee Connection that has not been accessible to the public for years.
The pocket park was established after a building was demolished and the empty space was renovated into a courtyard with tables, benches, and chess in October 2014. It was dedicated, and named after a beloved former city council member, Fred Atkins, who served seven terms. For the past few years, a chain has kept the park locked due to excessive loitering and the accumulation of trash.
Future of the pocket park
Hopkinsville Public Works Director Mike Perry suggested that moving the dedication to the park on Second Street would be appropriate, since Atkins only lived about a block away from the location. A family member he spoke with is already on board with the idea. “I think it’s perfect to name it after Fred…I think it will do that park justice,” said Perry.
The future of the pocket park that will be stripped of its dedication is currently up in the air. Mayor Knight said they are looking into putting it up as a surplus, removing the city’s responsibility for it.
“There is no sense in us owning something that we cannot use,” said Knight. Committee members shared concern about what would happen to the vacant space if it was moved into someone else’s hands, saying that if they sold it, they would lose control.
A motion was passed to move the Fred Atkins dedication to Second Street Park, and the matter will be forwarded to city council for a vote.