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| 7/23/2010 4:22:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Priority
is on
existing
parks
Master plan puts current facilities ahead of new ones
Jennifer Eisenbart
STAFF WRITER
Better maintenance of existing parks, including making them safer and more accessible, is the major thrust of a new master plan for City of Burlington parks.
The plan was reviewed jointly by the city's Park Board and Common Council Tuesday before officials gave preliminary approval to the plan as prepared by Schreiber Anderson Associates.
While minor changes will be made - in particular, the council asked that at least one area be designated as a mini-park, and there were several typos in the plan - the combined governmental groups gave the program a thumbs-up.
"We spent a lot of time in all the parks," said SAA representative Blake Theisen. "We got a lot of great input. Then we started to sit down and really look at all of the recommendations."
In general, SAA made a number of recommendations for the entire park system. Those included:
• Retrofit all parks and park facilities to be ADA-compliant, including shelters and restrooms.
• Cover surfaces directly under play equipment and create a safe zone around the equipment.
• Conduct a safety audit/inspection of all existing play structures.
• Acquire additional park space as appropriate.
• Improve existing playlots and playgrounds as neighborhood gathering places for all ages.
• Develop a citywide, barrier-free, multi-purpose trail system that connects city, county and state parks.
• Actively generate funds for park and recreation programs and park development.
• Perform systematic routine maintenance.
Council members pointed out that the playground located at Nettie Karcher Middle School be classified as a mini-park, and that the priority should be maintaining existing parks, before acquiring any new lands.
"Have you addressed staffing levels?" asked Alderman Tom Vos. Theisen admitted he had not, and Vos wanted to make sure the council got his message.
"All the parks in the world won't do you any good if you don't maintain them," Vos said.
Vos added that he hoped the Park Board would consider maintenance ahead of buying land and possibly not maintaining it.
The next step will be to see the plan approved by the City Council and then submitting it to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. If the DNR gives its approval, the city will be able to begin applying for grants that would cover any number of needs.
Right now, the city has been granted interim funding approval, and has already applied for a grant to address erosion in Riverside Park.
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