Ralph Carter Park sits in Palm Coast's “R” section and has quickly grown to become one of the city's most-used parks.

It's not uncommon to find kids playing on the playground, or soccer and football teams practicing on the fields.

But just beyond the fence, the fence homeowners who live next to the park demanded, there's a problem.

They say more and more people are cutting through their neighborhood, actually pulling down the fence and causing problems.

Senior Commander Mark Carman with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office has heard the complaints. “There's been some frustration but we're working on it. We're trying to handle the issues. Like I said, we've put in a tremendous amount of community policing, that's our new approach.”

That means being visible, getting out of the cruisers and talking with people.

Yet what the people who live along Richardson Drive would rather see is a larger fence, perhaps 10 feet tall with an angled top to prevent people from climbing over it.

The city manager had another idea though. Instead of building up the fence, tear it down. At least a part of it. He proposed the city buyone of the vacant lots and open up the fence, creating another entry way into the park.

“That's like giving the fox the key to the hen house,” said Marion Petruzzi, who heads up the Neighborhood Watch program.

Marion Petruzzi heads up the Neighborhood Watch program here.

She doesn't agree with that idea. “This is a funnel here so do we want all the non-law abiding citizens funneled into our area so they can curse at people and threaten people?”

An idea of a block party has even been put forth by city leaders, but those on Richardson Drive said they all get along just fine. It's people from outside the neighborhood who are cutting through property and creating the problem.

The mayor instructed city staff to look into the costs and feasibility of the taller fence but warns nothing can be done until the next budget year.