Fairhope, Al.
WITH CITIZEN INPUT
I
The mayor and city council are discussing how to move forward to rebuild the aging community park and make it handicapped-accessible instead of just relying on the two competing citizens' groups to come up with a plan (CLICK).
(The non-profit corporation, Play by the Bay, no longer exists according to a spokesman for the group.)
Council President Burrell said he thought the first step should be for the city to hire an architect to re-desgin the facility: "There are two competing groups ... we don't have to have competition among citizens ... we can look at concepts ... make decisions ... present it to them ... get feedback ... ."
Burrell said there has been enough talk: "We've been talking about this for a while ... its time to start making some decisions ... let the public have some input .... but its ultimately the council's decision ... ."
ELIMINATE TEEN AREA
Mayor Kant said he recommended removing the teen section at the SW end of the property, since that is where most of the vandalism and other crimes occur.
Kant agreed an architect is needed: "... architect could go to the groups, recreation board ... see what they want ..."
Kant: "An architect will make it look nice, then give it to the engineer to make it safe ... ."
LONG TERM PLAN REQUIRED
As a condition for renewing the land lease to the city for the property, the Board of Education is requiring a long-range plan to upgrade the facility and make it more secure.
The land is currently being leased on a month-to-month basis.
Security cameras monitored at the police station have already been installed.
Money for reconstructing the park could be included in next year's budget. The mayor has said the cost could reach over $200,000 ($400,000 if a splash pad is included).
Strict open-bid laws apply for anything costing over $20,000, excepting professional services.
WITH CITIZEN INPUT
IThe mayor and city council are discussing how to move forward to rebuild the aging community park and make it handicapped-accessible instead of just relying on the two competing citizens' groups to come up with a plan (CLICK).
(The non-profit corporation, Play by the Bay, no longer exists according to a spokesman for the group.)
Council President Burrell said he thought the first step should be for the city to hire an architect to re-desgin the facility: "There are two competing groups ... we don't have to have competition among citizens ... we can look at concepts ... make decisions ... present it to them ... get feedback ... ."Burrell said there has been enough talk: "We've been talking about this for a while ... its time to start making some decisions ... let the public have some input .... but its ultimately the council's decision ... ."
ELIMINATE TEEN AREA
Mayor Kant said he recommended removing the teen section at the SW end of the property, since that is where most of the vandalism and other crimes occur.Kant agreed an architect is needed: "... architect could go to the groups, recreation board ... see what they want ..."
Kant: "An architect will make it look nice, then give it to the engineer to make it safe ... ."
LONG TERM PLAN REQUIRED
As a condition for renewing the land lease to the city for the property, the Board of Education is requiring a long-range plan to upgrade the facility and make it more secure.
The land is currently being leased on a month-to-month basis.
Security cameras monitored at the police station have already been installed.Money for reconstructing the park could be included in next year's budget. The mayor has said the cost could reach over $200,000 ($400,000 if a splash pad is included).
Strict open-bid laws apply for anything costing over $20,000, excepting professional services.
Comments
A splash park, on the other hand, is a bad idea. My kids love the things, and it would be popular, no doubt, but that space is wrong for it. For starters there's already a huge parking problem in that area. The grassy lot is one of the last in the area where kids can gather for ball games, tag or just to run free. We don't need more pavement. We need more activities.
The toddler park is in terrible shape just blocks away, the toddler section in this park is under developed. We have very little for older kids anywhere. And, as someone else mentioned, we all love to have parties there, but that single gazebo and the lack of tables, shady areas etc. make that harder and harder.
In the end, I can think of a thousand improvements that could be made. Not one of them include more pavement or the introduction of a major new attraction. We have other, more appropriate places for both. (Municipal park comes to mind, where we already go to play in the water and enjoy the skate park!)