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Marshall council approves contract to pursue master park plan with Southwest Regional Development Commission
Summary
City staff and council voted to hire Southwest Regional Development Commission to produce a master park plan using support from the University of Minnesota Design Center; contract not to exceed $40,000, and the plan will inform parkland fee justification, grant applications and future capital decisions.
The Marshall City Council on Tuesday approved a contract with the Southwest Regional Development Commission (SRDC) to develop a comprehensive master park plan, with a contract amount not to exceed $40,000.
City Administrator Sharon Hansen and parks staff described the need for a consolidated plan to guide investments across 13 parks and more than 225 acres of green space, noting rising demand for amenities such as pickleball courts and the need to connect parkland fees to demonstrated needs. “The master park plan is really a foundation for future decision making, program planning, and budgeting,” Hansen said.
Preston Stenzner, who summarized park assets and usage, provided operating metrics from 2024 and said the city maintains 11 playgrounds, 14 ball fields, 28 miles of trails and an 18‑hole disc golf course. Stenzner said facility use and maintenance demands support the timing of the plan; the city had been accepted into the University of Minnesota Design Center program earlier this year and the design‑center partnership reduces the cost compared with typical park plans.
Council members and staff noted the plan will support grant applications and clarify whether major investments—such as improvements at Independence Park or reuse of the existing aquatic center site—should be centralized or distributed. The council moved and approved the SRDC contract after brief remarks of support from several council members.
SRDC will lead the technical work with support from U of M design students; the plan will include condition assessments, maintenance cost estimates, and recommendations to connect parkland fee revenues to identified needs. Staff said larger projects identified in the plan would still require separate, project‑level design and potential fundraising or engineering services.
Council Member Amanda moved and Council Member Craig seconded the motion to approve the contract; the motion passed. Staff will return to council with a project timeline, community engagement milestones and grant matching opportunities.
