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City advances West End park and Old Town pool planning; council asks for teen‑space and safety‑first phasing
Summary
Recreation staff highlighted Johnny Wood Park improvements and Old Town Pool replacement planning; councilmembers asked staff to explore activating the park with sight‑line improvements, a small indoor teen space and phased safety measures, and to include those options in a follow‑up memo.
Recreation and parks staff presented two projects for the West End and Old Town, describing safety, access and amenity improvements and asking council to consider outside grants to augment available funding.
"Part of the process that we have here is to basically improve safety of the site," Jack Burwind, interim director for the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, told council about Johnny Wood Park. Staff described two concepts that move active areas forward, improve accessibility and consider lighting and entry points to address community safety concerns.
Councilmembers urged staff to study activating the site — including a modest indoor teen space or small multipurpose room — and to phase work so preparatory utility and grading work is timed with larger improvements. Staff said such changes can raise preparatory costs but committed to a memo showing phasing, probable costs and grant opportunities.
On pools, staff said Old Town Pool is the city's oldest facility and likely beyond its useful life but can remain operational for another two seasons while the city completes a needs assessment. Funding in the CIP would replace the pools and deliver a modernized bathhouse, with design adjustments based on the needs assessment results.
