Consultant presents master-plan concepts for Tift Park, flags accessibility and historic concerns

Ron Huffman, a consultant with WSP, presented a draft assessment and concept plan for Tift Park on April 7, 2025, laying out site history, current conditions and a menu of possible improvements including pickleball and tennis courts, a consolidated inclusive playground, a splash pad, upgraded trail loops and a potential fire-station footprint in the northwest corner of the park.

Huffman opened the presentation with historical material, noting that “in 1993, the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places,” and showed National Register nomination text and old postcard images to illustrate original features and past layouts. He said the park has suffered storm damage and tree loss in recent decades and that many existing park features are not accessible. “For all intents and purposes, parks not accessible. Period,” Huffman said, explaining that many pavilions and restrooms are set in grass without paved, accessible routes from parking.

The consultant displayed a base map…