For more than a year, the City has been working on a park master planning process for Reed Park to address longstanding community concerns about pedestrian safety, park behavior, and driving behaviors of those entering, exiting, and using the park. Addressing these concerns with a new park design was requested in September 2020 by community members who live near the park and deal with these challenges every day. No plan has been adopted yet by the City Council.
Reed Park Master Plan Design Goal: to improve park safety by expanding non-motorized access opportunities to and within the park, while still maintaining existing park elements that make Reed Park unique to the community.
What has been done?
The process has included a community survey, three stakeholder meetings, and two community meetings. A preferred plan was presented to City Council on March 6, 2023, but was not adopted. The City Council referred it back to the Parks and Recreation Commission to consider and mitigate impacts the park plan has on the American Legion.
Based on the feedback since the March 2023 meeting, RWD Landscape Architects—the park design consultant—has been developing a new “hybrid” option for the community to consider. Two upper loop concepts were considered by the Parks & Recreation Commission at their September meeting and will be the basis for this “hybrid” plan, expected to be ready in early October.
A public open house to review Reed Park Master Plan options is scheduled for October 18, 2023. Members of the public are invited to attend this open house from 6:30-8 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers, 501 N. Anderson Street, to review previous versions of the Reed Park Master Plan design options and comment on the new hybrid option as well. Community feedback will be incorporated into a future Master Reed Park Plan which will be considered by the City Council later in the year. There is no requirement to adopt a Master Plan by a specific deadline. Once a plan is adopted by the City Council, no changes will be made until funding is secured.
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