Soon your neighborhood park could see some improvements. Starting Monday, the Little Rock Parks and Recreation Department will hold several meetings where you can help decide what you would like to see happen. This weekend, Little Rock City Director Doris Wright takes a look at one of her neighborhood parks.
“It's not handicap accessible. The playground equipment is old. I know it hasn't been upgraded since 1993. It's just inadequate. We have a great portion of this park that's not even developed. If you look at the tree lined area over there, it's not even used,” says Wright. Wright is showing us what improvements she would like to see to Union Park, just blocks from her home. "It's a well used park and it's in pretty bad shape."
However, improvement suggestions won't just be up the city. You can also help decide. The Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a series of public meetings around the city which start Monday and go through October. Wright hopes people will show up for input on their parks. “Because these are tax dollars and we want to see we are being good stewards with their money and we want to put that money where they say they want it to be spent," says Wright.
Park bonds will pay for the improvements, and will include at least one park from each city ward. "It speaks to the visibility of a community when you see people out in designated green space. I think it's so important that you see young men in a safe area playing ball, where kids can get on the playground equipment in their community. They don't have to go outside their community, if they have the neighborhood parks. This can be the health of the community and if you don't have it, your community is kind of barren," says Wright.
Public meetings are scheduled as follows:Ward 1 Mon., Sept 21, 2009 Dunbar Community Center
1001 W. 16th Street
Ward 2 Thur., Oct. 15, 2009 Willie Hinton Resource Center
3805 W. 12th Street
Ward 3 Wed, Sept. 23, 2009 Holy Souls Church, Allen Center
1003 N. Tyler
Ward 4 Thur., Oct. 8, 2009 Second Presbyterian Church
600 Pleasant Valley Dr., 2nd Hall
Ward 5 Mon., Sept. 28, 2009 Thompson Library
38 Rahling Circle
Ward 6 Mon., Oct. 5, 2009 Adult Leisure Center
6401 W. 12th Street
Ward 7 Mon., Oct. 12, 2009 Southwest Community Center
6401 Baseline Rd., Ste., A
All meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., or until, ALL comments have been heard. We encourage all citizens to participate in this process. For more information please contact Little Rock Parks and Recreation 371-4770.
