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April 18 2008 [[ Spring Cleaning ]]
GARDENING: Sprucing up 5 city parks
Residents can expect to see renovations — and water features
Lancaster New Era | Published: Jul 17, 2008 | 12:04 EST
By LINDA KING BROWN / New Era Correspondent
Jeff McLain and his neighbors regularly weed, mulch, plant and clean up trash in Crystal Park.
But they can't do much about safety concerns, poor drainage, inadequate lighting and broken bottles in the grass where children play soccer.
"We know the city's busy, and they do what they can, but for a long time, this park has been let go," McLain says.
He and his fellow Friends of Crystal Park are excited about plans to renovate the park, built in 1957 on the site of the demolished Frank A. Rieker Star Brewery, in Lancaster City's west end.
Following on the heels of improvements to Binns and Musser parks, five more city parks — Crystal, Rodney, Brandon, Reservoir and Sixth Ward — will be transformed as early as fall 2009.
"Our community is very excited about this," McLain says.
" ... Our hope is that this brings the community together — that as we take ownership of the park, the community will band together."
The renovations to the five parks — some of which date to the 1920s — are part of a long-range plan to enrich the lives of people who live, work and play in the city's eclectic neighborhoods.
City public works director Charlotte Katzenmoyer says the plan marks the first major upgrades to city parks. Lack of funds confined the city's past efforts to making minor repairs at the parks, she says.
Katzenmoyer anticipates that improvements will eventually be made to most of the city's 26 parks and open spaces.
Landscape architect John Hershey, of Thomas Comitta Associates Inc., who also designed Binns Park, has drafted detailed master plans of proposed improvements, based on site-use considerations and resident surveys.
By next week, the proposals will be posted at each of the five parks, along with forms to encourage additional public input.
Robert Hunsicker, a Sixth Ward resident for 27 years and a member of the Northeast Revitalization Committee, is thrilled that improvements are in the works.
"Except for the children's play area and the basketball court, there really has never been very much to draw people to the (Sixth Ward) park," he says.
"I think the plans are excellent."
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The parks chosen for the first round of renovations are generally more heavily used and serve larger geographic areas, Katzenmoyer says.
The parks, which are spread throughout the city, also have strong neighborhood groups interested in improvements, she says. Like Binns and Musser parks, funding for the projects will come from both the city and private donors, Katzenmoyer says.
Once funding for the first five parks — estimated at over $4 million — is in place, she expects work to be completed gradually over several years. Hershey is working closely with city officials and residents to carefully design open spaces that work now and for generations to come. "These parks were built when things were developed very densely in the core of the city, in a frugal manner," he says. "We'd like to keep components that the city residents feel are necessary, but we always have to work from both a practical and aesthetic standpoint." Hershey's plans consider everything from safety and security to circulation patterns, historical content and aesthetics.Landscaping, he says, often comes last. "We have to anticipate how the public will use these spaces, because they are used for everything from individual refuge to large public events," he says. For example, plans might call for clustering together more "active" areas, to allow for quieter spaces for residents looking to relax in the parks.
Public art is featured prominently in the new designs, including sculptures that reflect historical uses, such as the old brewery site at Crystal Park. It's critical, Katzenmoyer says, that area residents and businesses take ownership of the parks. "If there is an active neighborhood group, they will police the park after the investment has been made into the park and will help to deter criminal activity and vandalism," she says.
City officials hope the success of the first five projects will inspire other residents to rally for redesign of their own neighborhood parks and open spaces.
City Neighborhood Revitalization director Carol McCoy, a member of the park renovations steering committee, is confident the results will be a boon to all.
"The planned improvements to these once-thriving city parks will positively impact the social fabric and health of neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for all residents, business owners and visitors," she says.
CITY PARKS PLANS
• Rodney Park, currently a triangular plot of mostly blacktop wedged between Crystal, Third and Rodney streets, will feature open lawn areas intersected by meandering pathways and cozy seating options. A small playset will be reinstalled on a rubber surface, while modified parking for the adjacent Lancaster Senior Center will include angled spaces and a semicircular dropoff area. An interactive water-spray feature will replace the existing pool, reflecting a national trend in urban park planning.
• At Crystal Park, plans call for modern play structures installed on rubber surfaces, adjacent to a new basketball court. A sloped lawn that could be used as an informal amphitheater, a plaza/stage area and more accessible entryways will replace steep stairs and brick retaining walls. Improved pathways, open lawn areas and fresh landscaping will beautify and make the park safer.
• Reservoir Park, once the site of an active reservoir, will retain an old pump station and water tower that remain standing. The pump station may become a community center, while the water tower and an existing hockey rink will be repainted. Many old trees that line the perimeter will be retained, while new landscaping, lighted pathways, improved picnic and seating areas, and enhanced entrances will spruce up the park's overall look. The current pavilion may be expanded, and the basketball court and play equipment will be relocated. Public art suggestive of the reservoir will complement the Blanche Nevin lion fountain completed in 1905. An interactive water-spray area will replace the existing wading pool.
• In Grant D. Brandon Park, situated in the city's southwest quadrant, behind Wabank Road, Hazel Street and Fairview Avenue, residents can expect new and resurfaced walkways, driveways and parking areas; enhanced entrances; a new green space featuring public art; and a refurbished basketball court with a partial fence enclosure and colorful bleachers. A skateboard park and overlook are proposed, while play structures will be installed on rubber surfaces. Existing restrooms near the basketball court will be replaced, and a pavilion near the Lancaster Recreation Center will feature handicap-accessible restrooms. Park vistas will be improved via selective removal of vegetation.
• In the city's northeast quadrant, the Sixth Ward Memorial Park sits between Ross, North Reservoir, Frederick and Hamilton streets. An interactive water-spray area will replace the existing pool. The basketball court will be replaced, and pathways will be improved with pedestrian-scaled lighting. A street and sidewalk connection with 13 parking spaces will link entrances on Frederick and Ross streets.
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