Lawrence City leaders say Community Park master plan due in weeks; paving tied to stormwater work

City officials said a draft master plan for Community Park will return to the park steering committee in the coming weeks, and stormwater repairs must be finished before the park’s main parking lot is paved.

The planning update matters because Community Park is being positioned as a regional gathering space, officials said, and several improvements — trails, parking and programmed recreation areas — depend on sequencing between stormwater work and paving.

At a public meeting, a participant summarized recent staff work to restore pedestrian access between Fall Creek Valley Middle School and nearby park property and described the steering committee’s review of draft designs. City staff said the steering committee expects conceptual plans back in “the next 60 days” and that staff will bring those concepts to the committee before finalizing designs.

Officials told the group that stormwater work is scheduled to precede paving so the newly paved surface will not be torn up for utilities. City staff said the stormwater board has already approved the necessary stormwater work and that paving will follow once those repairs are complete; staff indicated the timeline aims to complete stormwater work before the July 4 holiday so paving can occur afterward.

Funding sources mentioned during the discussion included a grant from the Fort Harrison Reuse Authority, which staff credited with helping underwrite components of the park master plan. Speakers urged careful placement of access points to preserve safety and avoid creating “attractive nuisances.” Participants also flagged parking capacity needs tied to expanded programming, and staff said they are working on options to expand parking to the south of the park.

The meeting also included operational items — staff said some site elements (sand volleyball courts and other amenities) are under cost review and that the parks department is exploring in-house options for smaller upgrades. Steering-committee members will continue to collect public comments and return recommendations to staff before any design is finalized or contracts are awarded.

Officials asked the public to expect steering-committee materials in mid-July and said additional community meetings and outreach will follow as the master-plan process moves from concept toward implementation.