By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – A master plan almost two years in the making for Bloomington parks will be presented to the city council Monday night for a final vote. However, the blueprint to aid city planning for park space over the next 15 years does not commit the council to spend public money for potential park projects.
The plan itself did cost taxpayer money, about $115,000 paid to parks consultant GreenPlay. The firm assessed the city’s existing recreational facilities and also conducted public meetings in the summer of 2017 for residents to provide input.
“I’ve always believed that parks are kind of a gathering place,” said Alderman Mboka Mwilambwe.
“It’s almost like a living room of a neighborhood or community where everybody kind of comes together,” Mwilambwe added.
The plan emphasizes quality over quantity, suggesting the council consider re-purposing some parks, adding walking trails with mile markers and fitness stations, integrating nature into the parks, installing new types of playground equipment, and creating gathering areas for farmers’ markets, movies, and festivals.
Alderman Amelia Buragas noted the plan reveals Bloomington ranks below average in acres of parkland per person.
“That surprised me because I think that’s contrary to many residents’ perceptions of our city, and also our aspirations for what the city is,” Buragas said.
Buragas appreciated the consultants took a more pragmatic approach by not recommending the city add new parks.
“Instead of expansion, just adhere to the notion what you do have is going to have to work harder, and it’s going to have to work smarter,” Buragas said.
The park plan also recommends working more closely with Normal and local school districts to share recreational facilities.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
