Park Advisory Committee discusses possible amenities

GENTRY -- Among items mentioned when the city's Park Advisory Committee met on June 21 to begin work on a master plan for city parks was a long list of possible amenities which might be considered when formulating a plan for the best use of city park lands.

On that list as options but, according to Mayor Johnston, not a list of all the things the city is planning to include were: baseball/softball/T-ball/machine-pitch fields, soccer fields, topspin fields, basketball courts, volleyball courts, skate spot, splash pad/spray ground with expand ability, dog park, disc golf, mountain bike course, cross country training, pocket orchards, restroom facilities, large event pavilion, large pavilion, medium pavilion, small pavilion, playground equipment, parking, lighting, electrical outlets for events/vendors, walking and bicycling trails, connectivity to neighborhoods, connectivity between facilities, tennis courts, horseshoe pits, bean-bag toss, bike work stations, water/irrigation, limited vehicular access points, shade trees, visual screening to adjacent properties, concession/vending, security cameras, air rifle/BB-gun range, handball court, storage, open space and benches.

The list above and other suggestions may form the basis of surveys and public information-gathering meetings to determine the wishes of Gentry residents for park amenities. And, with a more definitive list of amenities to be included in city park lands, a plan will be developed to determine the best location on city lands for those amenities and ways to pay for the work.

Johnston said the meeting and resulting list were just a first step in determining what the residents of Gentry would like to see be available in its city park system.

The council at its June 5 meeting unanimously approved spending $22,000 on a first work order with McClellend Consulting Engineers to develop a master plan for Gentry's park lands, including land proposed for purchase. According to the work order, "the intent of this master planning project is to identify the highest and best use for the parcels based on the city stakeholders' and citizens' visions, needs and desires for the Gentry public park system." Total land area included in the study is approximately 78.66 acres.

More information on community meetings and surveys will be published in the Eagle Observer as soon as it becomes available.

General News on 07/05/2017