One cheer for the remodeled Bayfront Park

The long-awaited, renovated Bayfront Park is open.

Celebrate.

Dog-lovers rejoice. You have your park.

There’s a launch for your kayak, or you can rent one from the private vendor.

And there is … 

Sorry, we can’t help it. We’d like to be effusive, and we’d like to be a town cheerleader, but we also must be honest. The new Bayfront Park has more flaws than flair. 

If you have driven and walked through the park, no doubt you saw the concrete walkway rimming the park and winding asphalt drive that meanders throughout what was once gorgeous bayfront acreage. The two pathways overwhelm the site and make you wonder: For a subtropical beach town that is so environmentally conscious, the obvious and more environmentally friendly choice would have been crushed shell, a common covering on the Key.

Asphalt and concrete won’t need the repaving as much as it takes to refresh crushed shell. Nevertheless, the concrete and asphalt strike you as out of place for this natural park.

This, too, was a mini-miscue: Before renovation, the children’s play equipment was shielded from the sun. The new, attractive playground equipment sits under a canopy of majestic, albeit scraggly, oak trees. We’ll see how this exposure to the sun draws the toddler crowd.

Change is hard. And when changes are made, the inclination is to look for the flaws and overlook the good. Let’s reserve final judgment to see how Longboaters respond. 

Here’s consolation: The concrete and asphalt are much easier to replace than a building.