After much controversy and confusion, the Charlotte County Commission on Tuesday rejected a proposal to convert portions of a public park into retention ponds, and instead directed staff to purchase property from a nearby church to accommodate drainage issues associated with the widening of Midway Boulevard.

In a unanimous decision, the County Commission decided that purchasing property from First Presbyterian Church of Port Charlotte on Hariet Street, in the Parkside section of Port Charlotte, for the purpose of creating stormwater retention ponds in Phase 2 of the Midway expansion project was a better alternative than ­using portions of Lake Betty Park. The latter was a proposal that created a stir among citizens concerned that they would be losing much-needed park and recreation space.