Bloomington is expected to lay out a 15-year strategy for improving city parks and recreation.
The city council votes Monday night on a master plan that consultant Tom Diehl of Colorado-based GreenPlay developed.
He told aldermen during a presentation at a Committee of the Whole meeting last week the city should tailor its parks and recreation programs to offer what's trending, things like dog parks, skateboarding, nature in its parks, and more hiking and biking trails.
“Walking is one of the No. 1 activities nationally we are seeing as far as fitness and exercise and recreation, so that’s a very important component,” Diehl said.
The master plan doesn't address specific facility needs or costs. The city is also exploring the future of its aging O’Neil Pool and possibly creating a new aquatics center.
Diehl said much of the city's parks needs deal with proper planning and maintenance, and some amenities need to be rehabbed or replaced.
“A lot of your benches are starting to show their age and you should come up with a specific standard to have them replaced and then actually develop the standard but also a replacement schedule,” Diehl said.
The study calls for the city to seek more sponsors and community partners to make improvements more feasible. Diehl said the city must market its parks and recreation programs more aggressively and to dispel the perception that the west-side neighborhoods have fewer parks and recreation opportunities.
“Our study shows the west side does have many facilities, and I think you need to help get that across to the community so there’s not a perception that they are not being taken care of in the west,” Diehl said.
The city paid $115,000 for the study.
WGLT depends on financial support from users to bring you stories and interviews like this one. As someone who values experienced, knowledgeable, and award-winning journalists covering meaningful stories in Central Illinois, please consider making a contribution.
