City?s comprehensive plan suggests park improvements

The comprehensive plan that was created by RDG of Des Moines included a number of recommendations for Washington to improve its existing parks. The city council and planning and zoning commission will take those recommendations into consideration as they meet over the coming months and years.

One of the recommendations included in the plan was to develop paved trail loops inside Sunset Park. The plan says that this would make the park more inviting to walkers, joggers, rollerbladers and cyclists. The plan calls for such trails to be located next to existing amenities such as drinking fountains, benches and trash receptacles. It calls for trail distance markers on the internal loops. It also calls for an informational kiosk at the start of the Kewash Nature Trail.

The plan suggests that the city could also make improvements to the Steele Family Aquatic Center.

?While the current amenities provided to users at this facility meet the current needs, future modifications of amenities and/or expansion of the facility should be considered to maintain user interest and parallel with aquatic trends,? the report said.

The plan recommends updating a swimming pool every five to 10 years. Updates could include a new slide or spray feature, which will give previous users a reason to come back.

Water Tower Park was another part of town the report listed as a location for possible enhancements. The plan says that Water Tower Park is not currently connected to city sidewalks or regional trails. The majority of the park is open space in turf grass and is used for field sports practices and other pick-up games. The plan calls for adding sidewalks to Water Tower Park and connecting it to the Kewash Nature Trail. It also calls for off-street parking, a playground, benches, trash receptacles and signage.

Central Park could include a children?s play feature, the report says. This could be playground equipment or a user controlled water spray feature such as a splash pad. The park adjacent to Stewart Elementary School serves the neighborhood well but could use restrooms, drinking fountains, trails and signage.

A few other spots in town, such as Case Field and Sesqui Park, are also mentioned in the report. The report says that Case Field could be connected to other parks or school property through trails. Sesqui Park could have ?passive? recreational amenities such as bird blinds, benches and picnic shelters. It could also have more educational signage to further the public?s understanding of native ecosystems.

The report said that Washington is slightly below average in the amount of land it devotes to parks. The report suggested a few sites to create a park that are within a one-quarter to one-half mile distance of a residential area. It said neighborhood parks should offer informal open play space as well as more structured facilities such as playground equipment.

The north side of Washington is especially in need of a park. The report said the most logical location for a future park would be a portion of the undeveloped land that is currently in agriculture at Fourth Avenue and 11th Street. The report says that this land could easily accommodate a two- to four-acre park.