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Parks board leans to update existing master plan rather than start a new one
Summary
Board members discussed timing for a new parks, recreation and trails master plan and indicated preference to continue implementing and reviewing the current plan because less than half of it is complete and a new planning process would cost tens of thousands of dollars.
The Mitchell Park and Recreation Board debated whether to begin a new parks, recreation and trails master plan or continue implementing the current plan and concluded the board should continue work on the existing plan rather than spend $60,000–$70,000 on a fresh planning process.
Board members reported that less than half of the 2017 master plan has been completed and suggested that staff and future boards should remove or revise unrealistic items rather than expend large planning funds to recreate a plan. Members specifically noted several high-cost recommendations contained in the prior plan, such as a multimillion-dollar pedestrian bridge across railroad tracks, as items that may not be feasible for Mitchell.
Board members also referenced recent student work from South Dakota State University’s architecture and landscape architecture programs that generated ideas for improved connectivity across the railroad and elsewhere in town; staff said some of those suggestions had already been addressed by public works and noted that student projects occasionally reflect idealized concepts that require local cost and feasibility review.
Why it matters: master plans guide capital priorities and grant applications; the board’s choice will affect how city staff allocate limited planning funds versus direct project work. The board asked staff to review the existing plan, identify items unlikely to be pursued, and return recommendations for removal or revision so future planning cycles focus on realistic, fundable projects.
No formal vote to start a new plan was taken; the direction from the meeting was to prioritize refining and implementing the current master plan and to present a recommended scope if board members later decide to initiate a new planning process.
