Lamar Parks, Trails & Recreation Master Plan Displayed

Northside Park

The Lamar Parks, Trails & Recreation Master Plan was discussed Tuesday, June 24 in a public meeting at the Lamar Community Building and hosted in part by Britina Design and members of the Healthy Places Initiative.  The initial design draft was described as a mixture of challenges and opportunities, and much of the development is contingent on grant funding for the alterations that are being considered.  The design has been funded through the $1million grant that was awarded the Healthy Places Coalition last year.  Lamar is one of three Colorado communities that were awarded the grant and the only rural community that received funding.  The project for Lamar is being studied on a national scale as a means of improving and adding to a healthy lifestyle for local residents.

Lot Between Shore Arts Center and Daylight Donut

Aspects of each of the different sections of the Lamar Community were highlighted for potential improvement opportunities.  They are The Northern Neighborhood, consisting of Escondido Park and the Tree Farm Park; The Civic Center Area, consisting of Bicentennial Park, Beech Street Park and the Enchanted Forest; Willow Creek, consisting of Willow Creek East & West; and the Sports Hub which encompasses the city’s sports plex, bordered on the east and north by Main Street and Savage Avenue.

Each segment of the Plan lists the plusses and negatives of a portion of the Lamar community such as those for the Northern Neighborhood.  The existing conditions/challenges show that there is a physical disconnect from the rest of the community by its separation of the railroad tracks and on the northwestern edge of the city.  Other concerns included unrestrained animals make walking feel unsafe, incomplete or missing sidewalks also discourage walking and vacant and vandalized buildings diminish the neighborhood character and are unsafe.  Opportunities for improvement include continued use of the North Side Park following the KaBoom makeover; resource areas include Project HOPE at Lincoln School, McCorkle Field, KaBoom Park and Escondido Park.  The Lamar City Nursery could be an additional community park and there is a potential to connect some of these areas into the proposed 7 mile Lamar Loop.

Escodido Park off North 14th Street

The Civic Center Area, from Bicentennial Park to East Beech Street has challenges that include heavy truck traffic along Main Street, difficult crossings and the highway serves as a community divider, vacant storefronts heightens a lack of visitor appeal and impacts the overall image of the community, lack of signage for amenities or tourist interests, streetscape furnishings are out of character with the architecture and sense of place and the state highway needs improvements.  Some of the strengths that can be built on include the newly acquired vacant lot across from the Chamber on East Beech and Fourth Street, open spaces of Bicentennial Park and the Courthouse lawn could be put to use and made more attractive, the movie theater is a unique resource and the Center area encompasses the Main Street Stores, the Train Station and Welcome Center, Savage Stadium and Community Building, Library, Middle School and the Enchanted Forest.

Lamar Sportsplex

What is being termed the Beech Street Park, the vacant lot south of the Chamber of Commerce, is being considered as a performance area, informal gathering place and alley connection to the Main Street vacant lot between the Shore Arts Center and Daylight Donut.  Plans for that lot include potted trees, string lights and a wooden performance stage.  The newly purchased lot can feature a raised and covered performance stage in the northwest corner, an open green featuring several curved concrete seat walls facing the stage, a new parking lot to the south of the park and string lights on poles between the green and parking lot.

The other suggested improvements in the Master Plan will be highlighted in a subsequent edition in the Prowers Journal.

By Russ Baldwin