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Plan Commission recommends special-exception for Walker Park restroom, pavilion and playground upgrades
Summary
The Elkhart Plan Commission voted to recommend approval to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a special exception to expand amenities at Walker Park, including an ADA restroom, new pavilion, expanded parking and recontouring for a multipurpose hill; the recommendation passed with seven votes and one abstention.
The Elkhart Plan Commission voted to recommend that the Board of Zoning Appeals approve a special exception to expand amenities at Walker Park, 3419 E. Bristol St., including an ADA-compliant restroom building, a new pavilion, an expanded playground area, additional native landscaping and memorial tree plantings, expanded parking, and recontouring of a hillside for multipurpose use.
A staff presentation said the request, filed by the Elkhart Park Foundation, seeks an amendment to the original site-plan approval (98 XO 6) under section 430 for parks and playgrounds so the parks department can update the Walker Park master plan in coordination with consultants from DLZ. The staff report recommended approval on the grounds that the improvements would protect public health and safety, would not reduce nearby property values and would conform to regulations in the zoning district.
Jameson Czarnecki, superintendent for Elkhart City Parks, told the commission the restroom building is intended to be opened in the morning by buildings-and-grounds staff and closed by park rangers, and will include security cameras, internal motion detectors and heating for year-round use. “We are generally closing up the restrooms no earlier than 9 p.m.; we try to do it between 9 and 10, and sometimes it’s a little bit later,” Czarnecki said. He described the restroom layout as separate ADA-compliant men’s and women’s restrooms, a family restroom with changing stations, storage for park programming, and a drinking fountain with a water-bottle filling capability.
Commissioners asked several operational questions. One commissioner asked how many additional parking spaces were proposed; staff said the site plan indicated roughly a half-dozen spaces on both the Bristol and Marguerite sides, “give or take a few,” but that final counts had not been fully determined. Commissioners also asked about hours; staff cited the city ordinance on park hours, noting a default time of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., with rental variances available for later use.
Czarnecki gave a tentative timeline: restrooms planned for this spring, a fitness court in the summer, and memorial-tree planting in the fall, with other elements dependent on funding. He described the fitness court as a “Thrive 900” unit by GameTime with multiple workout stations intended for programming and group use.
After discussion, Commissioner Aaron Mishler moved and Commissioner Davis seconded a motion to forward a recommendation of approval to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Carla conducted a roll-call vote. The motion carried with seven yes votes and one abstention (Chris Baker recused himself because of his role as park board president). The commission noted the item will proceed to a public hearing at the BZA.
The commission’s action was a recommendation only; the final decision will be made by the Board of Zoning Appeals at a separate public hearing. Staff and the petitioner indicated they will continue technical coordination and finalize parking counts and construction details before the BZA hearing.
