Outdoor recreation plan goes to council

The Shawano Common Council next week will consider approving a new five-year plan for improving city parks and outdoor recreation areas.

The Plan Commission gave its approval Wednesday of the first update of the city’s Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan since 2001.

The city received a grant from the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to assist in updating the plan, which gives an assessment of city parks and future needs. Work on the update started in the spring of last year.

In order to be eligible for Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grants, a community must have a plan on file.

Some of the projects proposed in the plan are already slated to get under way. The Park and Recreation Commission, for example, expects to open bids Feb. 26 for improvements to the facilities at Memorial Park.

Park and Recreation Director Judy Judd said the new facilities will look like those already in place at Martzke and Eberlein parks, including storage for teams using the facility, upgraded restrooms and a shelter facing the ball diamond.

The Plan Commission did make one amendment to the plan, identifying Smalley Park as a city park for the first time.

Though referred to as Smalley Park, “it’s never been identified to the best of my knowledge in any five-year plan,” Judd said.

The property originally intended as park space is occupied by the Shawano Medical Center, which will be moving to a new location next year.

There was also some discussion Wednesday about the possibility of selling off some of the city’s designated parks, either because they are not used much or they have been made redundant because of larger park facilities nearby.

“We have discussed the closing of some of the parks that aren’t used very much anymore,” said Common Council President Woody Davis, who sits on the Park and Recreation Commission. “That’s a possibility.”

The plan calls for consideration of selling a 1.88 parcel of the Alpine Shores park and the western portion of Pearl Court Park, and “deeding back to residents” the 0.67-acre Hartman Park, which is near the elementary and middle schools.

Judd said those options have been on the table for years, but no action has been taken on them.

Any sales would offset the costs of future park projects.

The plan also considers the possibility of new park land in the River Pines area.

Some of the items included in the five-year plan were the result of a community survey conducted online last year.

According to the survey, 80 percent of respondents said they were either somewhat or very satisfied with the city’s parks, with baseball diamonds, soccer fields and park access getting the highest marks.

Trails, restrooms and playgrounds were the most used, but also the most in need of improvement, the survey found.

Judd said there was also a “wish list” that residents had, such as an outdoor pool, that is not included in the five-year plan.