As the city prepares for the master plan for the Starkville Parks and Recreation system, planning officials hosted three public forums culminating in a final meeting at City Hall on Thursday.
Public suggestions ranged from adding more multi-use sporting fields to more walking pathways and improved maintenance of the current parks system.
Throughout the week planning officials from Dalhoff Thomas design studio fielded public input from residents to feel out ideas to improve green spaces and recreational facilities across the city. Around 40 community leaders and residents attended the Wednesday and Thursday meetings each night.
"Public input for this process is very valuable," said Saunders Ramsey, professional engineer for Neel-Schaffer. "We need people to stay passionate about these issues facing our city."
Following the input sessions, Dalhoff Thomas will determine projected growth models and publicly release a preliminary document within the next four months to the Starkville Board of Aldermen, Dean Thomas, principal landscape architect for Dalhoff Thomas said on Wednesday.
"This is a long-range plan," Thomas said. "This is something that will be a working model for Starkville's future."
In September, aldermen tapped Dalhoff Thomas to compile a master plan to supplement for the next 10 to 20 years worth of parks system improvements and modification recommendations. Neel-Schaffer design will provide local consulting for the expansive document, Ramsey said Thursday.
Current Parks Issues
A final presentation of the comprehensive plan will include recommendations for implementation in the future as Starkville grows, he said.
Starkville currently has eight parks ranging from the multi-use Sportsplex facility on Lynn Lane to green spaces like Moncrief Park and J.L. King Park. At the meetings, residents provided feedback through a digital survey response system with 15 multiple choice questions, followed by an open discussion session.
"We will conduct a parkland projection map to include projected growth patterns and use that information to coincide with a comprehensive land use plan," said Sam Henry, a senior associate with Dalhoff Thomas during the presentation Thursday.
All concerns, ideas and comments were noted by Dalhoff Thomas and will be used in compiling the final document, Thomas said.
Over the three meetings, residents brought up issues with the maintenance of Moncrieff Park—with one resident noting rusted, potentially dangerous playground equipment—and hygiene issues with the parks systems' restrooms.
While noting the upkeep issues, residents said maintaining the current soccer fields at the Sportsplex was key in allowing multiple teams to use the facilities. Drainage issues plagued the site last year forcing teams to miss out of six weeks of practice and game time, residents said Thursday.
"Without a sustainable way to support our parks system financially and environmentally, we are wasting time and money," said Tricia Daniel, Pilot Club president at Thursday's meeting.
Tournament Facility
Overcrowding of the available fields was a concern that prompted strong support for a new, well-kept tournament-ready field system to be used for baseball, soccer and other sports.
"The majority of the fields right now are used for soccer," said Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker on Wednesday. "I believe there is a demand for more open spaces for those with a passion for other types of recreation."
Dalhoff Thomas helped coordinate the Snowden Grove sports complex near Memphis that includes 17 baseball fields. In the past the complex hosted the Global Sports Baseball World Series for 10 to 14 year-old divisions.
A competitive complex would allow for continued economic growth by hosting tournaments and charging slight entry fees during tournaments to go towards maintenance, officials said. Forty percent of the 2 percent food and beverage tax goes to the parks department.
When the large facilities aren't hosting tournaments, the land would be open for recreational use, Thomas said. Residents echoed support for a new field system and a large facility could alleviate potential congestion and scheduling issues at current facilities.
Accessibility and Walkability
At the meeting, residents urged the planning team to consider developing new sites or redesign current parks to include more points of access for disabled individuals. Residents stated the city's parks simply didn't cater to the needs of those in wheelchairs.
To complement the tournament-style field system, residents said a walking path either around the Sportsplex or within the vicinity of downtown would provide safer ways for joggers and walkers to exercise without being forced to walk on busy roadways like Montgomery Street and Louisville Street.
"If there was a focus on connectivity in this plan, it could potentially provide walking paths for the young to the elderly," said Ward 3 David Little on Wednesday. "This would greatly benefit our city."
The need for connected walkways around the city scored highly at both Wednesday's and Thursday's meetings.
Railroad Use
During Thursday's meeting, Community Development Director Buddy Sanders informed the audience that to go along with the city's master plan—a separate document from the parks plan—there has been discussion of including walking trails along with a functional rail system on the inactive thoroughfare.
Currently, the railroad is owned by Kansas City Southern Railroad. Trains haven't run in Starkville since around when the Borden Milk plant shuttered in 2005.
Alternative Recreation
From the three meetings, the need for an alternative park facility—like a bike or skate park—surfaced as a highly desired addition to Starkville.
At Wednesday's meeting, MSU students said most students wait to skate later at night and don't have a place to safely skate across the city.
Residents at Thursday's meeting said although Starkville has multiple facilities, a skate park would be a brand new addition to fill a vacant recreation option for those looking to bike or skate.