Monday’s vote by the Gonzales City Council to put on hold plans for the  Heritage Park Plaza project and  instead put the funds toward road projects may seem like just a responsible financial decision, but it’s much more than that.

The vote also shows that not only the common man is strapped for money in such hard financial times. So are some governments.

Planned to be placed on Cornerview Road near the former public swimming pool location, Heritage Park Plaza is a multi-purpose destination park facility that the city was banking on creating in an effort to boost tourism value. City officials had planned to have the park open by next year, but more pressing needs have arisen.

However, those plans seem to now sit on the back burner, after city engineering consultant Glenn Shaheen reported to the council Monday that the 2008-09 capital road improvement project for turn lanes and road work faced a shortfall of more than $400,000.

Councilman Alvin “Bully” Dragg commented that the city would “get more bang for out buck” by putting the funds toward necessary road projects such as turning lanes and overlays instead of the park. We agree with that observation.

While a project such as Heritage Park Plaza would indeed be a feather in the cap for Gonzales, we agree that infrastructure must be looked after first. It’s just a fact that more people will drive on city streets than visit a park.

We feel that delaying the project is in the best interest of Gonzales residents. Hopefully, when current financial woes begin to rectify themselves, the park can become more of a reality.