Plan for green space at Guerin Rec Center needs community support again
In 2014, two plans were presented to create a green space in the parking lot at Guerin Recreation Center. At that meeting, the 50 attendees almost unanimously voted for this plan, which would use a portion of the parking lot at 2201 S. 16th St. to create this green space thanks to the Water Department and funding from the Green Cities, Clean Waters program.
A year later, the project needs the support of the community again due to complaints over the loss of parking spaces and potential contamination under the parking lot, which has reportedly not been tested.
When the plans were originally presented, the larger of the two options was chosen by the community, which would still retain 24 of the parking spaces in the large lot of the facility. This plan would then allow for the removal of asphalt to create this green space, along with helping with storm water drainage.
The Parks and Recreation Department is now looking to change the plans to a much smaller green space, or simply not follow through with the park at all, due to these concerns about parking and potential contamination under the lot, which according to the Newbold Civic Association’s President Levana Layendecker, has not been tested.
In order for this project to move forward, it needs the backing of the community, along with Councilman Kenyatta Johnson to step forward and show support.
If you’d like to express your opinion on this project, a new community meeting is being held on Monday, October 26 at 7 p.m. at Guerin Recreation Center. In addition to the community, the meeting will be attended by Parks and Recreation and the Water Department. To show your support for this green space, a petition to save the original plan has been created here.
A complaint about parking? Who would have guessed that?
One of the complainers must be my neighbor. He doesn’t want me to plant a tree out in front of my house because birds will shit on his car.
I hope you got your tree anyway — your neighbor can’t do anything to stop you!
Gates locked most of the time
I’m so tired of things like this being held up because of a few negative people in the community. We couldn’t even play with our son in the lot with his bike because people were driving in there and parking way too close to us. It is not even supposed to be a parking lot.
This is the saddest playground. Kids are never there so my son always plays alone. The parking look is disgusting and ugly.
why is that opened on sundays anyhow….only rec center opened on sundays
30-40 years ago this was the place to go to play great basketball. There was tons of kids & adults run the leagues. Several outdoor basketball courts always had people playing. Now it is indeed a sad sight.
If the city makes a green area, they will never care for it after 6-12 months. They did the same thing on 2nd & reed. They reduced the play area and put in a fenced in green area — which now looks like weeds.