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City planner outlines parkland options, cemetery restoration and a lakeside passive-recreation project
Summary
City planner Sam presented an inventory of city‑owned parcels for potential parks or pocket parks, described a multi-acre lakeside property with trails and a historic cemetery that could be restored, and outlined grant opportunities and collaboration with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife for stocking and recreation programs.
A city planner presented a multi-site review of city-owned properties and proposals for parks, pocket parks, passive-recreation areas, and a historic cemetery restoration program.
The planner described several parcels, including a small lot off Arrowhead Lane (0.06–0.1 acre) suitable for a pocket park, a 3.27-acre property off Goldford Road, an Hoot Al Road site in the floodplain that the planner recommended leaving natural, and a larger property behind Fire Station 2—about 35 acres with two lakes, roughly a four-mile trail and a small historic cemetery containing an estimated 23–27 graves, some without headstones and with the earliest burial dated to 1814.
Why it matters: the presentation identified opportunities for neighborhood amenities (pocket parks), passive-recreation (walking, fishing, birding) and historic-preservation work (cemetery restoration). The planner flagged grant opportunities (recreation-trails and conservation funds) and potential collaboration with Kentucky Fish & Wildlife’s Fishing in Neighborhoods (FINS) stocking program and a “hook-and-cook” educational program that teaches fishing and fish preparation.
Key points from the presentation - Parcel sizes and uses: the planner provided acreage estimates for several parcels and recommended different treatments based on topography and floodplain constraints; a floodplain parcel was recommended as a low-maintenance micro-forest or no-mow zone rather than a developed park. - Historic cemetery restoration: the burial ground contains two rows of graves that experts say reflect segregated historic burial practices; the planner has contacted a University of Louisville specialist on cemetery restoration to pursue plaque, fencing and signage options and to explore funding. - Passive-recreation lakes property: the planner proposed initial upgrades (road gravel, trail mulch, signage, possible restrooms), and said Kentucky Fish & Wildlife staff had offered to inspect the site to assess stocking potential through the FINS program and related educational programming. - Funding and donations: the planner reported several funding commitments mentioned during council remarks: a $100,000 pledge from University of Louisville Hospital (in process), a $165,000 commitment from the conference center, and a $250,000 downtown grant. (Council staff said city staff will reconcile and confirm these donation and grant amounts and commitments with accounting records.)
Next steps and conditions: the planner recommended an assessment of access, parking and floodplain constraints, engagement with the neighborhood within a one-mile radius for needs assessment on smaller parcels, and coordination with public-works and the fire department for safety and maintenance planning. Council members said they would pursue grant applications and donor coordination as the planning work continues.
