Presenting concept maps with suggested changes to each park, she said they wanted to update the parking lot north of Little Ike Park to be more useful during events. Having smaller scale or personalized seating scattered around the park is becoming preferred and a way to expand the user base, she said. While there are still people who will gather for large family picnics and barbecues at the park, there are a growing number who just want to take their morning coffee, walk the dog, or brown bag at lunchtime. People use parks differently today than they used to, she said. It keeps people's interest level up and keeps them more likely to continue exercising." "There are some advantages to exercising outdoors. That way they become a social phenomenon where people of all generations can get together and exercise outdoors," Foster said. "It's been discovered that they actually work better when they're clustered together. When these pieces of equipment first started gaining popularity, they were installed along a trail so people could take a break from running or walking and get a quick upper body workout. One popular draw to parks is an on-demand exercise component. A lot of parks and playgrounds are now shaded to help protect the kids who are out there playing from being sunburned, which can lead to skin cancer."Įxamining park usage and who is drawn to the parks and why they go was the next part of Foster's presentation. Ultraviolet light, especially on young kids is becoming a safety issue. It's becoming more and more of a liability issue to not have it. "You're going to need to invest in some ADA access and some safety surfacing under playground equipment. some ideas we'd like you to keep in mind that over the next 20 years," she said. Foster said schools also appeared as a priority, but they did not focus on that priority in their draft plan because the city is limited in what they can do with schools.Īfter the housing discussion, Foster turned her attention to the parks, starting by giving an inventory of what the city already has in place. Sidewalks and bike paths, downtown, and housing were highlighted as what respondents to the questionnaire identified as priorities for the city to work on. About 30 Abilene residents attended and were part of the conversation. 128 people participated in the questionnaire.ĭebra Foster of Foster Design Associates presented ideas generated from the results of the survey during the public meeting. Results of the questionnaire can be found on the city's community engagement dashboard on their website. The story covers the discussion of parks and sidewalks.Ĭomments submitted through a community questionnaire helped Foster Design Associates begin drafting a 20-year comprehensive plan and parks master plan for Abilene. 10-Editor's Note: This story is part two of two about the comprehensive plan public meeting Tuesday Nov.
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