Electric City sees plans for two parks

Electric City officials got a look at what their two new proposed parks might look like at meetings Monday and Tuesday.

The parks, one at McNett Avenue and the other at Grand Avenue, are high on the city's agenda to bring change to Electric City.

Robert Droll, landscape architect from Lacey, Washington, was in the area Monday to meet with a citizens' group, and Tuesday to show his park drawings to the city council.

City Clerk Russell Powers said the city would submit a grant request early next year to build the park at McNett Avenue, with the city providing a 50-percent match using lodging tax funds collected to support tourism. The estimate for the McNett Avenue park is $590,000.

One feature of the park, which is designed as a neighborhood family destination, is a splash pond with a number of jets that stream up water for smaller children to splash through. The underlying base of the splash pond carries a large outline of a giant mammoth, which helps cement the theme of the park - Ice Age Floods.

The park has restrooms, plenty of shade trees, and a walkway that gets you to the various features that fill the space.

The city purchased the park site from the Banks Lake Bible Church a couple of years ago for $25,000.

Powers said the design of the two parks is about 30-percent complete, and Droll's presentation this week was called "phase one" of the project.

Droll, who won the nod of the city council to do the design, will now proceed with design and engineering so the project will be "shovel ready" by the time the city submits its grant request.

The park is located right behind the city's fire station. A name for the park has not been established.

A couple sets of playground equipment, restrooms, and picnic tables located under a canopy are all conveniently located for easy access.

Handicapped-accessible parking and picnic tables will make the park both accessible and handy for those using it.

A number of benches will make it possible for families to sit and watch their children play. Toward the north end of the park there will be a columnar basalt entry area.

Powers stated that the timetable is for grant application in 2018, with construction in 2019 if the city gets the grant.

At the Grant Avenue park site, about two blocks south of city hall, the main feature will be a full-size outdoor basketball court.

The site is located next to the city's arsenic treatment plant. One tree has been removed from the site to allow room for the basketball layout.

The plan suggests that the court area can also be used for a farmer's market site and for other types of community events.

The center of the court will feature a large drawing of a mammoth, helping to create an Ice Age Floods theme for the park.

The park will have a one-stall unisex restroom and a large covered picnic area.

Towards the north end of the park, a 10-foot masonry mural climbing wall is featured. ADA parking is convenient so the entire park is easily accessible.

The city owns this site, and the estimated cost of the park is right at $300,000.

Powers said that this park will be developed after the McNett Avenue park is completed.