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Central Winds master plan recommends improved circulation, wayfinding, lighting and possible event venue
Summary
City staff presented a master plan for Central Winds Park that prioritizes circulation and wayfinding, proposes expanded lighting for lower athletic fields, an amphitheater lighting upgrade, a destination playground, improved trails and a possible event venue that could host more than 300 people.
City parks staff presented the Central Winds Park master plan, which identifies circulation and wayfinding as the plan’s top priorities and recommends phased upgrades including new sidewalks, directional signage, improved pedestrian access, upgraded lighting in high-traffic zones and regrading around the amphitheater to create a safer event lawn.
Parks Manager Michael Crist outlined a phased approach: Phase 1 focuses on upper-field circulation and signage; Phase 2 emphasizes lower-field lighting for baseball, soccer and multiuse fields; Phase 3 addresses a fenced plaza, improved event lawn and enhanced access to the amphitheater. The plan also proposes enhanced nature-trail surfacing, widened trails, and a possible disc-golf course in the park’s wooded western edge.
On funding and priorities, Mayor Kevin McCann told the committee the city bought Central Winds Park decades ago and that the site is a long-term asset. “The commission went into debt and bought Central Winds Park,” McCann said, framing the park as a generational investment. He cautioned that major items—particularly lights for the lower athletic fields—carry high price tags, and recommended the committee help set spending priorities. He said lighting the lower fields would likely require substantial engineering and utility work and that staff will pursue grants, matching funds and long-range phasing.
Committee members asked about accessibility, shade, parking and the park’s west-edge waterfront improvements. Staff said the plan is a guideline for future work and that detailed designs, budgets and timelines will come in future presentations. The proposal does not yet include final decisions on the event venue’s capacity or a firm construction timeline.
