Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
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Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Additional seating and other improvements are planned for Smalley Park along the Wolf River. It is one of the parks that could be affected by an advisory referendum on the ballot in Shawano on April 4.
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Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Located on the site of a former school in Shawano, Franklin Park is starting to take shape. The continued development of the park could depend on how residents vote in an advisory referendum April 4.
As the April 4 referendum on borrowing for city park improvements in Shawano gets closer, interest appears to be growing and questions about the proposal are getting more specific, according to Shawano Park and Recreation Director Matt Hendricks.
The city saw its largest turnout yet for a series of informational meetings on the referendum Tuesday when 15 people showed up. Only three attended the last one.
Hendricks has also been meeting with community groups and civic organizations to make presentations and reach more people.
There has also been a lot of chatter online where the city has posted informational videos about what’s included in the proposal.
Hendricks’ efforts have also been assisted by groups that have put out fliers encouraging a yes vote.
There will be one more public hearing on the proposal at 6 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 127 S. Sawyer St.
The advisory referendum on the April 4 ballot will ask whether the city should borrow additional money for development of the Franklin and Smalley parks and a splash pad to replace the kiddie pool at Memorial Park.
The referendum question will ask residents whether the city should borrow up to $1.85 million for the projects.
The 20-year loan would mean an estimated annual tax increase of 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $25 for a $100,000 home.
At Franklin Park, the improvements would include an amphitheater for music, movies and community events; public restrooms, and pavilion space available for public rental; a water fountain with benches and trees for visual interest; parking, electrical, landscaping and infrastructure to accommodate community events; walkways, picnic tables and benches; and space for a future playground.
At Smalley Park, plans call for a park pavilion with restroom facilities and a rentable picnic shelter; a canoe and kayak launch; boat landings and boat slips; improved parking, lighting and security; walking trails that connect all of the major park features; trees and other native plantings, including native plantings along the waterway to deter geese; and continued revitalization of the beach and the improvement of beach amenities.
Hendricks said questions early in the process were mostly about the general outlines of the proposal, but have since shifted to more detailed queries into specific aspects of the plan, such as the extent of parking at Franklin Park, where the city proposes adding stalls.
Hendricks said he has heard no objections to what’s being proposed, but there have been reservations from residents who don’t want to see their taxes go up.
The parks and recreation department typically has a capital improvements budget of $250,000 a year, meaning it could take about eight years to accomplish the proposed projects if none of that money were to be spent on any other park improvements.
The additional borrowing would allow the improvements to be made within about two years, though the actual work would probably not get underway until next year, Hendricks said.
Even if the referendum is approved by voters, it will be up to the Shawano Common Council to approve the borrowing.
The parks and recreation department would also continue to pursue grant money, Hendricks said, to cut some of the costs.