Politics & Government
North Kirkwood Park Takes Shape
Representatives from Kirkwood Parks and Recreation presented their initial site plan for the a park in development at Avery Drive and Harrison Avenue.
The is one step closer to completing a park at the intersection of Avery Drive and Harrison Avenue.
Parks and Recreation Director Murray Pounds presented the master plan for the newly planned park to residents at Kirkwood's last week.
when the department asked residents for input on the design of the park.
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The park's master plan shows two seperate playground areas spread across the 3/4 acre lot, one designated for children ages 2 to 5, the other for children 6 to 12.
The proposed playground equipment is sleek, modern and made of steel. Pounds said this was important to keep the park open and spacious.
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"We didn't go for the traditional blocky sort of equipment because we didn't want to just fill the air with bright colorful stuff," Pounds said. "We want this to be about the green space."
The plan also proposes a half basketball court on the east end of the property, a popular idea from the May meeting with residents. Parks and Recreation representatives told the audience the most popular recommendation from the blue sky session was for skate-park equipment.
Pounds told Kirkwood Patch that skate equipment may still be possible, but on a much smaller scale.
"We might get a rail in there, but as we looked into it, we saw how much room was required for the typical equipment, and it wasn't feasible," Pounds said.
A large portion of the park will require grant money, Pounds said. The estimated cost of the park under the current plan is roughly $500,000. The Kirkwood parks department is planning on applying with the Municipal Park Grant Commission (MPGC) of St. Louis County for a large portion of the cost. The MPGC has funded Kirkwood projects in the past and Pounds told Kirkwood Patch they would be applying for the maximum amount of $290,000.
Kirkwood will receive the results of its grant request in early January. The grant amount will largely affect the final stages of park planning, Pounds said.
"Once we can be certain of our budget, we can really move forward with this process and see this park become a reality," Pounds said.
Kirkwood Parks and Recreation will be making its master plan design for Avery Park on the Kirkwood municipal website to encourage more feedback from north Kirkwood residents.