The Winamac Park Board is working on a list of potential park improvements they’d like to see in the coming years. During Thursday’s meeting, board members began the process of ranking the projects by importance, at the recommendation of board president Courtney Poor. “At the last meeting, I had said I want to do some prioritizing of projects and things of this nature for parks and rec, so that we know we’re not working on six things at once,” Poor explained. “We want to focus, focus, and our focus right now, honestly, is on the restrooms.”
The condition of the Town Park restrooms was residents’ number one concern, when the park board put together its five-year plan. To address that issue, the park board has been working on plans to replace the restrooms with larger facilities with more room for wheelchairs.
After the restrooms, there were a couple projects that board members seemed to agree were important. “Now, number two, it sounds like, is the small children’s playground equipment,” Poor said. Board members agreed that a new splash pad should be the number three priority.
Lower on the list, the park board considered a couple projects that are a bit less urgent. Poor suggested improvements to the Town Park’s suspension bridge, to commemorate its upcoming centennial. Board member and town manager Brad Zellers pointed out that the bridge will likely be up for re-inspection before then.
Park board members were a bit less enthusiastic about upgrading one of the park’s river access points into a higher-quality canoe and kayak launch, as suggested by board member Pat Bawcum. However, Park Manager Dave DeLorenzo said the Indiana Department of Natural Resources might be willing to make the upgrades itself, since that’s the agency that actually maintains it.
The projects that are higher on the list would likely be completed with town funding or outside donations. For those that are less time-sensitive, the park board may consider applying for grants.
