Charles City Parks & Rec Board has hands on draft master park plan

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Charles City’s Parks and Recreation Board is reviewing a draft of a comprehensive master parks plan that lays out a long-term vision for the city’s parks, trails and recreational spaces.

The document, developed with MSA Professional Services, suggests wide-ranging improvements intended to elevate quality of life and support future development.

The plan, which was sent electronically to Parks & Rec Board members and others last week, as well as to the Press, includes recommendations for every city-owned park and emphasizes systemwide goals such as improved accessibility, inclusive play features, updated facilities and stronger connections between parks via trail expansion.

Among the suggested upgrades are renovated restrooms, enhanced lighting, expanded trail access, splash pads, new pickleball courts and modernization of aging facilities such as the Wildwood Golf Course clubhouse and the area around the Lions Field swimming pool.

Specifically, according to an introduction to the proposed plan, the document provides:

• Information regarding demographic trends.
• An inventory of existing park and recreational facilities.
• An analysis of parkland and recreational needs and demands.
• General policy direction regarding park, recreation, open space, bicycle and pedestrian facility planning and maintenance.
• Recommendations for new and improving existing park, bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
• Implementation strategies.

The introduction also says, “This plan identifies conceptual locations and recommendations for different types of parks, trails, natural areas and recreational facilities.

“In nearly every case, more detailed planning, engineering, study, budgeting and discussions will be necessary before decisions are made to actually acquire land or construct recreational facilities.”

The draft plan also ties quality parks, recreation and trails to community health, economic prosperity and ecological sustainability, saying these systems are more than just amenities — they are essential infrastructure for a thriving city.

Beyond individual benefits, the plan emphasizes the ecological and economic advantages of a strong parks system. Environmentally, city parks often overlap with wetlands, floodplains and woodlands, offering natural habitat for wildlife and contributing to stormwater management, it says.

Economically, well-designed parks and recreation spaces attract and retain residents, support local businesses and enhance tourism. The plan notes that a majority of cities use parks in their economic development strategies, aligning with state and regional efforts to promote outdoor recreation as a driver of growth.

The master parks plan process could represent a turning point for the Parks & Rec Board, with members having previously said they have struggled to build long-term momentum on projects.

“We’ve been talking about this process for a long time,” board member Dana Sullivan said earlier this year. “I want my time to be valuable not only for myself but for community members.”

Board President Jeff Otto has said the board has struggled with direction in the past and he hopes a new plan will bring focus.

The board voted this spring to hire MSA for $10,000 to create the plan, after years of on-and-off internal work.

The plan builds on more than a year of board discussions, park tours and setting priorities, as well as recent input from representatives of the Mayor’s Youth Council.

A lengthy list of nearly 60 park improvement ideas was narrowed and prioritized through board member rankings last fall and winter and was incorporated into the proposed master park plan priorities.

Top Parks & Rec Board member priorities included:

• Renovating the pickleball courts and adding more courts at Sportsmen’s Park.
• Expanding the Charley Western recreational trail system.
• Converting public restrooms to more accessible family facilities.
• Addressing the deteriorating condition of the Wildwood Golf Course clubhouse.
• Building a splash pad or splash pads in the community, potentially at Lions Field and/or Riverfront Park.
• Revitalizing aging shelters, restrooms and playgrounds in several parks.

Members of the Mayor’s Youth Council echoed many of these ideas in May, advocating for safety improvements at Sportsmen’s Park, better restrooms and parking at Lions Field and upgrades to the Waverly Hill playground.

Each of the city’s parks was reviewed in detail as part of the proposed master park plan. Notable proposals include:

• Central Park: Replant removed trees, consider a stage or permanent amphitheater, update overall look and feel.
• Sportsmen’s Park: New ADA-compliant restrooms, resurfaced courts, parking improvements, a trail connection through the park and additional pickleball courts. A new inclusive playground is already completed and will be officially dedicated July 25.
• Riverfront Park: Flood mitigation, an amphitheater renovation, landscaping repairs, and a small splash pad along the trail.
• Wildwood Golf Course: Replacement of the aging clubhouse is under discussion, with youth and adult users alike calling it outdated. Other recommendations include pedestrian bridge repairs, irrigation improvements and cart shed upgrades.
• Lions Field Park: Updated restrooms, playground improvements, splash pad installation, new use for the old skate park space and addressing sledding hill safety and parking concerns.
• Waverly Hill Park: Upgraded playground, restrooms, shelter and parking, improved lighting and relocation of the dog park small dog area.
• Westwood Park: Playground and restroom upgrades, trail extensions and potential development of mountain bike trails.

The plan also points out areas of Charles City that are ”underserved” by recreational facilities, mostly in the eastern and southern parts of the city, and makes suggestions for potential new park locations.

The master plan includes an “action plan matrix” to help the board and city leaders prioritize, estimate costs and identify potential grants or matching funds.

Parks and Recreation Director Tyler Mitchell has said the plan will support annual budget planning and grant applications.

“We have more parks than money,” board member Diane Meyer had said, hoping that the plan can help focus that money where it can do the most good.

Potential funding sources identified in the draft plan are:

• General municipal funding – “It is assumed that some general municipal funds/borrowing will be required to assist with the completion of projects or as a matching source for state or federal grants (e.g. wayfinding, signage, or park land acquisition).”
• Special assessments – “Particular projects that benefit individual properties (e.g. sidewalk/trail installations) could be funded through special assessments whereby the city recoups initial design and construction costs through increased real estate taxes on those properties for a set period of time.”
• Private donations – “Some of the projects could be partially or fully funded through private donations or public fundraising.”
• State and federal grants – “There are many different state or federal grants that may be able to offset the costs of some of the identified projects.”
• Tax Increment Financing – “TIF is a program where the additional taxes generated from development in a TIF district would go toward specified public improvements in a community. This program helps waylay the impacts of new development on a community while improving the attractiveness of the city.”

Board members are currently reviewing the draft plan and providing feedback to MSA electronically, and will look at a closer-to-final version at the next monthly board meeting July 16. It is possible the final version could be approved then.