By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green residents love their parks – so much, they had no trouble rattling off three pages of positive comments gushing about the gardens, trails, playgrounds, pool and more.
But when the time came to identify weaknesses, they listed off plenty of problems, or opportunities for improvement, depending on the point of view.
Citizens were asked Wednesday evening to list strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department during the fifth and final focus group. The ideas presented will be considered during the formation of the parks department’s five-year plan.
The most glaring weakness seemed to be the “park poor” east side of the city. Children from a large chunk of the southeast corner of the city have to cross major streets or the railroad tracks to get to a park some distance away.
Resident Tom Kleine suggested that the city look into buying the former South Main School playground property. “Children could use that space,” he said. But instead, “children are left to the streets and the alleys.”
Swingsets and open space by closed South Main School.
The old schoolyard has playground equipment, a basketball court and a place to play kickball, all surrounded by fences. But neighborhood children have not been able to resist the chance to play. “Kids are jumping the fence,” to get into the playground, resident Jon Herald said.
Another resident pointed out that while community support has been strong over the years, nearly all the funds raised have gone toward parks on the west side of town.
Another “weakness” identified is the city’s rental of more than 60 acres to the county club for a golf course. Resident John Calderonello estimated the golf course is used by about 60 people, while the six acres of the neighboring City Park is used by thousands.
“I think there’s a great opportunity for the city,” to expand the park and offer programs such as boating in the quarry and archery with the greater acreage. “I say that with some trepidation because I play golf there every Monday,” Calderonello added.
Approximately 40 people attended the forum, and listed off these strengths of the parks:
- The staff at Wintergarden Park is great. “They are amazing, always very helpful,” Gaynelle Predmore said.
- “There’s opportunity for volunteers to get their hands dirty,” doing work like planting at Simpson Garden Park, Kleine said.
- Strong public financial support.
- A variety of woodsy, garden and sports parks.
- Public can participate in the budget and make suggestions.
- Website has thorough listing of programs.
- Lunch in the park program, brown bag concert luncheons, summer concerts and movies in the park.
- “The variety of programs offered to adults as well as children,” Nadine Edwards said.
- Memorial opportunities, with trees, benches or bricks.
- Maintenance is good. “They are well cared for,” Joan Callecod said.
- The fundraisers are actually fun.
- Plenty of opportunity for athletic events.
- Parks are beautiful, accessible, and provide a place to bring visitors. “A wonderful place to show off to people when they come into town,” Edwards said.
- Availability of space to rent for events.
- Improvements to the city pool.
- Reasonable prices for programs and community center use.
- Summer programming for kids, swimming lessons, Frisbee golf, playgrounds, ballfields, walking trails, community center and more.
About 40 people attended final focus group on parks.
The group then went on to list weaknesses for the park and recreation programs. In addition to the concerns about a lack of East Side parks, other items included the lack of an indoor pool, the need for drainage to some ball diamonds that flood at Carter Park, the lack of accessibility to the Eli Joyce softball field for the girls softball teams, trails that often flood in Wintergarden Park, and little involvement by youth in the decision-making process. Other concerns included the lack of handicapped accessible playgrounds and the lack of “Silver Sneakers” programs.
Roger Mozzarella pointed out that in the past, the parks partnered more with the city schools. He suggested that the city take advantage of open space next to Crim Elementary School to put a basketball court or other playground options.
“Why go out and buy space. Let’s work with the schools,” Mozzarella said.
So that led to the next topic of “opportunities” for the parks department. Following are some of those ideas presented by citizens:
- More integration with art and the parks, such as music, theater, dancing, poetry and sculptures. “We have a wealth of performing artists of all sorts,” Alyce Calderonello said.
- Form more partnerships with the city schools, BGSU and Wood County Park District for programming and facilities, John Wasinski suggested.
- Put more native plants in the Black Swamp Preserve.
- Look into using Carter Park water tower which was engineered to have a meeting room in the bottom portion, Bill Herald suggested.
- Consider “naming rights” to raise money.
Last on the agenda was discussing “threats” to the parks and recreation goals. Wasinski mentioned the changing trends in American culture, resulting in kids spending more time inside in front of screens, rather than outside playing.
Other threats included crime, possible failure of the park levy, reduction in state funding, loss of available green space, falling real estate values, decline in fitness levels of the population, litter, pollution, invasive species, failure of Bowling Green to attract new residents, and both political and institutional silos which keep entities from working together.
Anyone wanting to submit other comments about the five-year plan for the parks may email them to Shannon Orr, the facilitator of the forums, at skorr@bgsu.edu.
Kristin Otley, director of the parks and recreation department, said she hopes to present a report from the forums sometime in August.
