QUOTE
Improvements in the plans for golf course, neighborhood parks
By Jason Miller, The News-Dispatch
Upgrades at a few of the city's neighborhood parks and improvements at its municipal golf course are the focus of the first year of the Parks Department's five-year plan, introduced Thursday night by Park Superintendent Darrell Garbacik.
“I think (park officials) did a great job with this. It incorporated all the thoughts that came in,” Park Board President Bob McKee said. “Parks and recreation mean a lot of different things to a lot of people. I think this plan addresses all of that.”
The plan - developed in recent months by park officials based, in large part, on public feedback to surveys - listed Washington Park, neighborhood parks, Michigan City Municipal Golf Course, Patriot Park and the greenways/trailways system as the areas receiving the highest amount of interest from respondents.
Park officials said 76 city residents responded to the survey, made available in-house through the department's Web site and through copies available at the office.
Garbacik said Thursday the plan shows where the department has been and where it is now, and gives a guideline of where the department needs to go to improve its overall offering.
Like most plans of this type, Garbacik said, everything in the five-year plan depends on funding, which, when dealing with municipal government, can be tricky.
“Telling you how much of this I think we can get done in five years is out of my control because it's all based on funding,” he said. “Ideally I'd love to get it all done, but in reality, it can be tough. If the funding is there, I think we can get between 80 and 100 percent done.
“But I have a feeling there's only a 20 percent chance the funding will be there.”
The first year of the plan would include everything from purchasing of new vehicles, to security cameras at Gardena Park, to drainage and aesthetic upgrades at the golf course, at an estimated cost of $1.5 million.
Golf course improvements dot each of the plan's five years, with neighborhood parks lined up for refurbishments - like new paint, new fencing and other things - through 2011.
Garbacik said Thursday the department would like to create three “main” parks to represent the city's three sections, including Washington Park to represent the north side, Gardena Park to represent the central city and Adams Park - east of U.S. 421 on Village Road - to represent the city's south side.
“We don't need to build any new neighborhood parks, but all of them are in need of sprucing up. Eventually we'd like to make improvements to equipment, add rules signs,” Garbacik said. “We'd like to use Gardena as a model for all the others.”
Garbacik said a key to meeting the funding goals for all the projects outlined in the plan is to undertake public/private partnerships for improvements to Washington Park.
In a controversial Washington Park plan, released last year, the department felt building a private restaurant on the beach and a hotel/waterpark on Bismark Hill would create enough funding - through tax increment financing - to help pay for all the department's other needs.
The Michigan City Common Council approved the Washington Park plan with one caveat: No restaurant or hotel.
“But often reality sets in when you start looking at the costs,” Garbacik said. “The key element in all this is always the funding.”
Contact reporter Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com
SURVEY SAYS
Michigan City's Most Used Public Parks
Based on percent of survey responses indicating regular use
1. Washington Park (6 on the Lake) (70%)
2. Washington Park Beach-outside guarded area (6 on the Lake) (51%)
3. Washington Park Zoo (115 Lake Shore Drive) (41%)
4. Municipal Golf Course South (4000 E. Michigan Blvd.) (41%)
5. Washington Park Beach-guarded area 6 on the Lake) (34%)
6. Municipal Golf Course North (675 Warnke Road) (30%)
7. Beachwalk (Stop 7 Lake Shore Drive) (24%)
8. Millennium Plaza (Franklin Street and Lake Shore Drive) (21%)
9. Gardena Park (900 Gardena St.) (12%)
10. Patriot Park (2224 N. County Road 950 West) (9%)
Michigan City's Least Used Public Parks
Based on percent of survey responses indicating no use at all
1. Zilla Square Park (behind Marsh School) (80%)
2. West Eighth Street Park (1501 W. 8th St.) (79%)
2. Ridgeland Park (620 Ridgeland Ave.) (79%)
3. Winding Creek Cove (8th and Dickson streets) (78%)
3. Walker Street Park (900 Walker St.) (78%)
3. Tall Timbers Park (3100 Springland Ave.) (78%)
3. Cleveland Park (behind Edgewood School) (78%)
3. Oak Hills Park (716 Martin Luther King Drive) (78%)
3. Henry Lake Area (630 Southwind) (78%)
10. Mott's Woods (2000 Johnrue) (74%)
By Jason Miller, The News-Dispatch
Upgrades at a few of the city's neighborhood parks and improvements at its municipal golf course are the focus of the first year of the Parks Department's five-year plan, introduced Thursday night by Park Superintendent Darrell Garbacik.
“I think (park officials) did a great job with this. It incorporated all the thoughts that came in,” Park Board President Bob McKee said. “Parks and recreation mean a lot of different things to a lot of people. I think this plan addresses all of that.”
The plan - developed in recent months by park officials based, in large part, on public feedback to surveys - listed Washington Park, neighborhood parks, Michigan City Municipal Golf Course, Patriot Park and the greenways/trailways system as the areas receiving the highest amount of interest from respondents.
Park officials said 76 city residents responded to the survey, made available in-house through the department's Web site and through copies available at the office.
Garbacik said Thursday the plan shows where the department has been and where it is now, and gives a guideline of where the department needs to go to improve its overall offering.
Like most plans of this type, Garbacik said, everything in the five-year plan depends on funding, which, when dealing with municipal government, can be tricky.
“Telling you how much of this I think we can get done in five years is out of my control because it's all based on funding,” he said. “Ideally I'd love to get it all done, but in reality, it can be tough. If the funding is there, I think we can get between 80 and 100 percent done.
“But I have a feeling there's only a 20 percent chance the funding will be there.”
The first year of the plan would include everything from purchasing of new vehicles, to security cameras at Gardena Park, to drainage and aesthetic upgrades at the golf course, at an estimated cost of $1.5 million.
Golf course improvements dot each of the plan's five years, with neighborhood parks lined up for refurbishments - like new paint, new fencing and other things - through 2011.
Garbacik said Thursday the department would like to create three “main” parks to represent the city's three sections, including Washington Park to represent the north side, Gardena Park to represent the central city and Adams Park - east of U.S. 421 on Village Road - to represent the city's south side.
“We don't need to build any new neighborhood parks, but all of them are in need of sprucing up. Eventually we'd like to make improvements to equipment, add rules signs,” Garbacik said. “We'd like to use Gardena as a model for all the others.”
Garbacik said a key to meeting the funding goals for all the projects outlined in the plan is to undertake public/private partnerships for improvements to Washington Park.
In a controversial Washington Park plan, released last year, the department felt building a private restaurant on the beach and a hotel/waterpark on Bismark Hill would create enough funding - through tax increment financing - to help pay for all the department's other needs.
The Michigan City Common Council approved the Washington Park plan with one caveat: No restaurant or hotel.
“But often reality sets in when you start looking at the costs,” Garbacik said. “The key element in all this is always the funding.”
Contact reporter Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com
SURVEY SAYS
Michigan City's Most Used Public Parks
Based on percent of survey responses indicating regular use
1. Washington Park (6 on the Lake) (70%)
2. Washington Park Beach-outside guarded area (6 on the Lake) (51%)
3. Washington Park Zoo (115 Lake Shore Drive) (41%)
4. Municipal Golf Course South (4000 E. Michigan Blvd.) (41%)
5. Washington Park Beach-guarded area 6 on the Lake) (34%)
6. Municipal Golf Course North (675 Warnke Road) (30%)
7. Beachwalk (Stop 7 Lake Shore Drive) (24%)
8. Millennium Plaza (Franklin Street and Lake Shore Drive) (21%)
9. Gardena Park (900 Gardena St.) (12%)
10. Patriot Park (2224 N. County Road 950 West) (9%)
Michigan City's Least Used Public Parks
Based on percent of survey responses indicating no use at all
1. Zilla Square Park (behind Marsh School) (80%)
2. West Eighth Street Park (1501 W. 8th St.) (79%)
2. Ridgeland Park (620 Ridgeland Ave.) (79%)
3. Winding Creek Cove (8th and Dickson streets) (78%)
3. Walker Street Park (900 Walker St.) (78%)
3. Tall Timbers Park (3100 Springland Ave.) (78%)
3. Cleveland Park (behind Edgewood School) (78%)
3. Oak Hills Park (716 Martin Luther King Drive) (78%)
3. Henry Lake Area (630 Southwind) (78%)
10. Mott's Woods (2000 Johnrue) (74%)