Eureka officials already are receiving plenty of feedback after announcing proposed improvements to two parks.
The plan includes enhancing or adding 21 features at Legion and Lions parks, which are on opposite sides of Bald Hill Road in the east part of the city near Hwy. 109 and the Old Town area.
Along with announcing the possible improvements to the parks on Feb. 15, the city asked residents to provide feedback by emailing Parks and Recreation Director Kristin Christenson at kchristenson@eureka.mo.us.
Mayor Sean Flower said the Board of Aldermen was scheduled to review the initial suggestions at Tuesday night’s meeting, held after the Leader’s deadline.
Christenson said 60 people emailed or made suggestions on social media about the proposed changes as of Monday.
“It’s really positive so far,” Christenson said. “It’s always nice to hear what the actual residents want.”
The proposed changes include creating 4,660 feet of trails that will surround the parks and connect to existing trails that lead into the parks, replacing existing pavilions with new ones made with powder-coated steel at each park and adjusting the location of one of the crosswalks across Bald Hill Road that connect the parks.
In Legion Park, the city has proposed building new restrooms, adding parking spots in two parking lots, improving bleachers at a baseball field in the park’s northwest corner and creating an athletic practice field near the playground in the northern part of the park.
In Lions Park, the city has proposed replacing portable outfield fences with permanent ones at the four baseball fields, building a structure behind home plate at a field in the park’s northwest corner, installing scoreboards at each of the four fields, improving a turnaround area connected to the L-shaped parking lot and modifying the entrances and exits of the parking lot.
Flower said if the practice field is built in Legion Park, the city would most likely have to either move a caboose in that area to another spot in the park or find another owner for it.
“It was kind of part of my original vision of trying to improve our kids’ athletics and local programs and also just enhance the outdoor nature of the city,” Flower said of the proposal.
Christenson said those commenting on the plan have expressed excitement about the possible trail additions and the crosswalk improvement. She said some have said they don’t believe scoreboards are needed at Lions Park.
Christenson also said people have suggested adding a skate park, splash pad and racquetball courts to the parks.
Flower said the officials will continue to read comments and suggestions made on how to improve the parks.
“At any point if somebody came in with something that made sense, we would still look at it,” he said.
Flower said the projects he would most like to see the city complete are replacing of the pavilions and building the facility in Legion Park.
Christenson said the pavilions were built at least 30 years ago.
“I think those updated pavilions would really look very nice and would be very functional, and be a big improvement to the overall area,” Flower said.
He said the list was developed by Navigate Building Solutions of Crestwood, which also is working on a new municipal building that will house Eureka’s Police Station, Municipal Court and City Hall. He said he told the company to develop the list as if money were not an issue.
The city hired the company in April 2021 to work on several projects.
Flower said there are no estimated costs for any of the proposed projects.
“Before we started going out and costing everything out, we wanted to try and have that public input,” he said.
Flower said the city would likely use money from its dedicated parks and stormwater tax or from its general revenue fund to cover the costs of improvements.
“We just have to look at it in the budget, but that would be to be determined,” he said of how projects would be financed.