Action group Take Back Our Park has started an online petition to let people have their say over a maintenance yard being built in the middle of the Botanical Gardens.

Take Back Our Park wants to see work on the yard, which includes two new two-storey buildings, a water tank, and staff parking lot, halted as the site sits on the only piece of land that links both sides of the Gardens.

The petition, which can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s/YSM25FB or can be accessed via the group’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/takebackourpark) says: “Government is building a large maintenance yard and water tower at the centre of the Botanical Gardens to replace a yard that was previously there over a decade ago.

“We feel the Botanical Gardens, one of our treasures and Bermuda’s most important park, belongs to the people of Bermuda and should therefore not be used for industrial purposes such as a maintenance yard.”

And it asks the question: “Do you support asking Government to halt work immediately on the maintenance yard in the Botanical Gardens and to revert this area back to be a usable part of the Gardens, forever linking both sides and enhancing it for future generations?”

The yard is for the Department of Parks Maintenance, which was identified by the Bermuda Government as a candidate for outsourcing in the last Budget.

“Why is the Park’s maintenance yard in the Botanical Gardens still going ahead if Government hasn’t finalised the future of this department?” the spokesman said.

“These large buildings, water tower as well as the view of the heavy trucks, trailers, tractors and equipment parked there in the evenings and weekends will dominate the centre of the Gardens and ruin its integrity.

“About 100 to 120 Parks staff will be driving to this site on a daily basis to collect and/or drop off heavy trucks, trailers, tractors and equipment creating noise and activity within the Gardens. This site will also provide a throughway for heavy trucks going from Berry Hill to South Shore Road and vice versa.

“It will disturb the peacefulness of the Gardens and increase rush-hour congestion and traffic along South Shore Road and the hospital zone,” the spokesman added.

“Since we first brought this redevelopment to people’s attention earlier this year, we have been inundated with support and more than 440 people have already visited our Facebook page. People did not realise what was going on in the Botanical Gardens and are angry to find out this is happening,” the spokesman.

“We are hoping that Government will use this opportunity to listen to the large number of people who are strongly opposed to this unpopular project and will cut their losses and revert this site [zoned as Park] back into part of the Botanical Gardens, forever linking both sides.”

The Royal Gazette reached out to Public Works Minister Craig Cannonier and Public Works Shadow Minister Dennis Lister for comment but received no response by press time.