City of Ashland presents preliminary master park plan

By: Tara Blue

The Planning Design Studio (PDS) is a landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm that has been collaborating with the City of Ashland Park Board to develop a Preliminary Master Plan for the future of City Park, 399 N College Street.  The plan was presented to the public on Monday, Feb 24th. PDS prepared the design after assessing the community survey results from Oct. 2024, taking resident input during last year’s Fall Festival, and following discussions with city staff and the Parks and Recreation Board.

The future city park design makes improvements to existing amenities and adds new features. The preliminary plan noted below is an initial concept subject to change.

Highlights of the plan include:

• Removal of the existing lake and constructing a playground, splash pad, and pavilions in its place.
• Improvements to the electrical system, lighting, and drainage of the existing ballfield. PDS took the electrical needs of the Fall Festival into consideration, as it takes place in the area surrounding the ballfield and recommended more hook-ups and possible solar lighting on the trail.
• Enhanced dog park area with new fencing, agility features for the dogs, and a spray-off area to give dogs a quick rinse before exiting.
• Addition of nature walkway area in the NE area of the park, including a new walkway entrance to connect the park to the surrounding neighborhood.
• Construction of two tennis courts, and a multi-purpose court directly to the northeast of the existing ballfield; replacing existing tennis court area with parking lot.
• Improve the stormwater runoff mitigation through a detention area.
• Create a turn-around area on N. College St. for easier drop-off/entry/exit.

Cost & Description

The preliminary design breaks the plan into smaller projects, which are shown below.

The prices associated with each project are as follows:

~$1.1 million: Multi-Purpose field with ADA parking and access to park. Also includes concrete work, trail and ADA parking adjustments, renovations to the electrical system of the field, lighting improvements.

~$1.4 million: Multi-Purpose Courts- two tennis courts, one multi-purpose court (basketball, volleyball, futsal) with lighting, concrete courts instead of asphalt, which costs more up front but have less cracking and maintenance. This project also adds two pavilions with drinking fountains and sidewalk connections. Survey results showed strong support for a multi-purpose court, as opposed to one devoted solely to basketball or volleyball.

~800k: Detention area to help mitigate stormwater- makes improvements to existing stream, integrates natural vegetation, and creates a forebay to capture sediment from parking lot.

~300k: Dog park- larger fenced-in area with small entrance, drinking fountain, dog agility equipment, and a dog rinse-off feature.

~400k: Northside nature area- native plantings, extended paved trail with pedestrian bridge, nature trails in wooded area, streambank improvements to stabilize the banks and control erosion, and adds walkway entrance which connects to neighborhood.

~2.9 million: Playground/Comfort Station- removes existing lake, adds new restroom, new playground, splash pad, and new pavilions. Veteran’s Memorial remains the same with the addition of a water feature. Existing playground would remain in place during construction until construction needs require its removal. Improved playground intended to be multi-level with features and facilities suitable for all ages and abilities. ADA considerations being a top concern raised during the public survey and input process.

~900k: Parking Lot/ Entry Road- new parking lot where the tennis court currently exists, and roadway improvements (turn-around, curbs, drainage, sidewalks).

The overall cost of the entire park master plan as presented is ~8.5 million.

Timeline

City Administrator Kyle Michel says the city will first develop engineering plans over the next year for phase one, which he identified as the playground station and the stormwater detention improvements, within a 3–5-year window. Engineering plans will help the city determine actual costs of construction and how to best approach these projects. PDS also commented that the entirety of the project could easily take 10 years.

Public comments from attendees

Cost: one attendee questioned where the city will find the money to fund the project. Michel responded that these changes take time and that in addition to the normal revenue structure, the city is looking at primarily grants such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and potentially voter-approved long-term debt. He adds that the existing Park/Stormwater Sales Tax can support roughly $1 million in long-term debt without overburdening operational costs. Michel also says this would not be a tax increase, but a voter approval to use the revenues for debt like the school bond issues that are no-tax increases.

Michel says the city will also look at alternate funding sources, such as fundraisers, corporate/community giving program, foundations & family trust donations, banner sponsorship and advertising enhancements at the ball field, grants, and says the city may begin charging the public for using the ballfield and renting the pavilions.

Michel also stated that the city can reduce costs by completing some of the work themselves instead of contracting out, such as removing the existing playground equipment. He says the city has also had great support from the community, such as the Ashland FFA, church groups, Boy Scouts, and the Ashland Garden Club, who all help with various park improvement projects such as assisting with landscaping and installing more recent features such as the gaga ball court. Parks & Rec Chair Elizabeth Sobczak emphasized that the board wants to be thoughtful of taxpayer money and is open to community input on ways to save.

Maintenance: one resident remarked that the new design seems like it will be difficult to maintain. Michel says that the park staff currently consists of employees from Streets, a department which he admitted has been difficult to keep fully staffed but noted that the city has made salary improvements to help retain workers.

PDS also commented that the desire to keep maintenance minimal was considered in the plans, such as the decision to use concrete instead of asphalt for the tennis and multi-purpose courts. Michel also states that some of the current maintenance needs will be eliminated after the new facilities are constructed, such as the playground mulch that is consistently washed away by rainwater.

Mixed feelings about lake removal: one attendee expressed discontent about the removal of the lake. PDS says that out of the three design concepts presented to the public in the community survey, concept number three was preferred with 67% support. Concept three’s design included the removal of the existing lake and relocating it to where the playgrounds currently are.

Michel says that to put a lake in that area, the city would have to dig deeper than the depth of the existing creek.

“It is an impractical project and adds a lot of cost with no benefit. Engineered plans will address stormwater considerations to help determine how to address needs and provide for stormwater protections. It is a better use of taxpayer dollars to focus water improvements on the lake we own across the highway.”

The city owns the lake just north of Ranken Tech.

PDS stated that due to maintenance reasons, liability issues, and sustainability challenges (not enough water being naturally replenished to keep aquatic habitats healthy), the decision was made to remove the lake from the future plan. Michel says it’s cheaper to remove the existing lake while certain pieces of the project are being completed, but the city may bring it back later.

Noise pollution: One attendee voiced concerns about noise from the future playground and splashpad area, as she lives in the neighborhood next to the park. She stated that she already hears noises from the current playground and high school. Another attendee suggested that noise-reduction berms or barriers be built to reduce noise pollution.

Current priority needs of existing park: One attendee stated that there are pressing needs to the existing park, such as safety concerns about cracked and uneven ground on the walking trail. She stated that she has witnessed walkers fall and get hurt.

Why focus on the city park? Michel says that after the 2023 Drury University Master Planning effort for all parks, the Park Board met and discussed where the priority for improvements should be.

“They evaluated investing in Ashland Ridge Park to add amenities and parking… but ultimately decided that the best use of resources was to focus on the City Park. The reasoning being it is the most used park, the largest park, and needs immediate attention to improve existing amenities.”

Man-made features v. natural features: one resident emphasized the need for green spaces that do not have man-made features, such as sports amenities and buildings, but rather natural habitats for wildlife.

Gratitude: those attending the presentation thanked the city staff, the Parks Board, and the PDS for their hard work and dedication into the improvements of the city park.

Sobczak says the Parks & Rec Board meetings are open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend. They are held every 2^nd Monday of each month at 6pm in the community room at city hall. Review the preliminary park plan for yourself here.

Kyle Michel contributed to the accuracy of this article.