Columbia considers $100,000 improvements to Field Park
Alison Patton
COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)
Columbia Parks and Recreation had its first public comment on Wednesday regarding improvements to Field Park, located at 900 Range Line St.
The improvements would include two new pickleball courts, for which Columbia College has reportedly agreed to chip in $40,000, according to the capital improvement project search. That’s along with updates to lighting and landscaping, plus new sidewalks and playground equipment.
The project is budgeted for $100,000, according to the city. The project would be funded through the 2021 park sales tax.
Rebecca Shaw, a Columbia resident, said the city should consider adding permanent bathrooms to the park.
“It’s a place where our unhoused congregate. It’s a small park, there’s a lot of shade in the summertime. Usually, they are left alone. The residents around them don’t bother them. They don’t bother, you know each other,” Shaw said.
Ward 1 Councilwoman Valerie Carroll said public restrooms and water fountains would add to the park.
“We need to be aware of the people who use the park, the people who neighbor the park,” Carroll said. “We can’t design it without being aware of the use.”
Parks and Recreation Director Gabe Huffington said there may not be room in the budget for restrooms, but the park will be renovated so that everyone can enjoy it.
“We’re designing a park to accommodate lots of different folks that may visit there. We know that continuing to have seating in that park is essential for some of the folks that are there now, and so that’s something we’ll continue to have in the park that we’ll show in the plans,” Huffington said.
Huffington said there will be another public comment meeting within the next couple of months, which would be geared toward the people who live near Field Park.
After that hearing, the renovation plan can be submitted to the parks and recreation committee, and then it will go before the City Council for a vote, Huffington said. The earliest people could use the park is the fall.