Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Big Spring topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Big Spring Park revitalization on schedule and under budget, parks director says
Summary
Parks Director Rich Pickter told the Woodford County Fiscal Court that Big Spring Park construction is on schedule and under budget; features include a new plaza, Great Lawn, etched historical pavers, poured‑in‑place rubber playground surfacing, 24‑hour video surveillance and free summer "Play 120" programming.
Rich Pickter, Woodford County's Parks and Recreation director, gave the fiscal court a detailed update on the Big Spring Park revitalization, saying the project is on schedule and under budget and describing features now in place or coming online.
Pickter said the project includes a new plaza adjacent to the large pavilion, walkways and stair access to the park, a Great Lawn designed for events, two new pavilions with restroom facilities, and a playground area with poured‑in‑place rubber surfacing. He said the playground surfacing requires temperatures above 50—6F for installation and that he expects the vendor on site within one to two weeks, with completion within a week to ten days depending on weather.
"We are on schedule. We are under budget," Pickter told the court. He added that the plaza will include pavers sandblasted with business names from a 1908 Sanborn map to reflect the area's history. Pickter said the park will have dusk‑to‑dawn lighting, the pavilions will be first‑come, first‑served, and the county will install recycled picnic tables made from Kentucky crumb rubber tire material.
Security and operations details: Pickter said the site will be under 24‑hour video surveillance with police and parks staff access to the footage; lighting can be remotely controlled for special events. He said the park will remain closed from dusk to dawn but that remote control of lights will allow exceptions for programmed events.
Programming: Pickter outlined free summer programming called "Play 120," created by Director of Programming Aaron Stover. The series will include kickball on the Great Lawn, flag football, tennis, wiffle ball, capture the flag, and arts classes at the pavilions; registrations will be free through the parks website and app.
Timing: Pickter estimated the overall park area will be ready when new grass establishes; he said weather will determine exact timing but projected late May as the likely window for public use of the Great Lawn and some park spaces.
