Part 2 of the Proposed Lamar Parks, Trails and Recreation Master Plan, Reviewed June 24

 

Willow Creek North Proposal

Willow Creek North Proposal

 

Bicentennial Park is easily the most visible open space area in the City of Lamar, due to its proximity to Main Street, just south of the Municipal Building.  Except for some special occasions, the park is seldom used.  Last year, a locally produced mural was erected on the property as part of the Pedal the Plains event which was hosted by the Lamar community.  A lot of the local recommendations came from the youngest members of the community, to incorporate a cutting-edge skate park into the acreage.  Plans call for the skate park and redeveloped space includes a detached sidewalk, a trellis shade structure, ornamental planting and pedestrian scaled lighting.  A planted berm was designed to run parallel to the eastern alley behind the park to help shield light and noise from residents in the neighborhood.   Plans call for the mural to be moved and a water feature will be incorporated front and center of the park, closest to the highway.  Crosswalks will be painted to highlight pedestrians for traffic safety.

Willow Creek South

Willow Creek South

Willow Creek plans are divided into eastern and western improvements.  Overall, the study indicated that maintenance of the historic structures, such as the scout house, kiva area and Pike Tower will be costly.  The lack of signage for trails and historic features reduces the understanding of the historical significance of the structures.  Some new Willow Creek Drainage improvements have the potential to diminish the quality of the park.  Some potential opportunities and advantages already exist, such as the park’s proximity to numerous streets to the east and west sides, plus the location of the pool and Parkview School.  The park is used as a starting point for community oriented walking or running races and is used year round by exercise walkers.  More use could be made of Pike’s Tower as a tourist attraction and the blank walls of the restrooms could be used for murals and signage.  Disc Golf could also be improved at the park.

Sports Hub

Sports Hub

Some changes call for improvements to the parking area on the south by Pike’s Tower.  The current volleyball courts would be relocated and new trail connections would be found throughout the entire park, connecting it to the LCC birding trail as well as a part of the seven mile loop.  The sharp decline from the western berm to the creek bridge would be modified for easier access and to reduce the steep angle.  More parking spaces would be added on the east side of the creek, south of the bridge.  The kiva would be retrofitted into a new performance area, accommodating an area to hold more people for special events.  The circular driving area south of the pool would create a nature-themed playground for younger kids and the main attraction would feature a covered stage and performance space in what is the circular gravel roadway leading in and out of the park.

Beech Street Park

Beech Street Park

Finally, the Sports Hub was assessed for strengths and weaknesses.  The report indicated much of the public feels that ‘A Lot of Money Has Been Spent Here’ and there’s a general lack of enthusiasm to spend any more.  The cost of irrigating all the fields adds up and the open dirt areas create constant blowing dust into neighborhoods north of Savage Avenue.  There isn’t a lot of signage that explains where the teams are playing at any given day or where you can park, and the other observation is that there isn’t a lot for a family to do while perhaps just one child is on the baseball field except watch or keep track of youngsters running on the roadways.

Bicentennial Park

Bicentennial Park

Suggestions include creating a walkable pathway system throughout the site, improving the crosswalk areas on Savage Avenue and the Main highway.  Some parking areas could be paved, more signage would be set up and for kids, a splash pad play area and a seating area could be constructed.  Additional picnic benches and tables could be set up near Merchant’s Park in the tree grove nearest the highway and more paved walkways and parking areas could reduce the amount of blowing dust.  Shaded seating areas could be set up along the park’s pathways in the interior of the hub.

Escondido Park

Escondido Park

This is a preliminary design draft, submitted from citizen comments made to Britina Design Group during their interview periods earlier this past year.  Representatives from Britina will meet periodically with local officials and will host future community meeting to report on the progress being made for the proposals.  Their study has been funded with a $1M grant for the Healthy Places Initiative over three years, and is now entering its second year.  As has been expressed at the outset, these modifications are all contingent on sufficient funding from numerous sources.

By Russ Baldwin

Filed Under: ArtBusinessChamber/Local BusinessCollegecommunityCountyEducationEnergyEntertainmentEnvironmentFeaturedLamarPublic SafetyRecreationSchoolSportsTourismTransportationUtilitiesYouth

Tags:

About the Author:

RSSComments (0)

Trackback URL

Comments are closed.