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Council hears Fancyburg Park master plan; staff asks for resolution of support and sets further readings
Summary
Staff presented the Fancyburg Park master plan (over 1,500 survey responses) recommending updated amenities, separated tennis and pickleball courts, a parking increase shown at about 88 spaces, and a timeline that targets bidding by year-end and construction start in 2027; public comment raised concerns about court counts and tree impacts.
City staff presented the Fancyburg Park master plan and asked the council to adopt a resolution of support setting the direction for future design and budgeting.
Staff said the master-plan process began in 2024 and included two phases of community engagement and more than 1,500 survey responses. Key plan features highlighted during the presentation included improved north–south pedestrian access along Keokuk Avenue, an expanded nature-play area (with careful consideration of wetland-like plantings), a practice wall adjacent to the pickleball courts to mitigate sound, and amenities sized to fit the park and neighborhood character.
Staff described a parking layout shown in the plan that increases capacity—approximately 88 spaces—intended to meet observed demand while avoiding a “sea of parking” in the park. The timeline staff described calls for schematic design and bidding by the end of the year, additional detailed design and community input in spring/summer 2026, and the goal of beginning construction in 2027 with a roughly one‑year construction window if done in a single phase.
During the public‑comment period, Todd Jacobs asked why the plan reduces four tennis courts to three and whether that would create shortages when high-school teams or city programs use courts. He also asked how many trees would be removed and whether desirable trees could be relocated rather than removed. Staff answered that court layout was driven by available space, community input favoring separated tennis and pickleball courts, and that the master-plan level intentionally sited amenities to minimize tree removal; exact impacts will be refined during grading and detailed design work in coordination with the forestry team.
Council members asked about parking, the shelter configuration (noting a desire for flexibility similar to the existing shelter), and tree preservation. Staff said the new shelter will be sized for the summer day‑camp program (~100 children), provide year‑round restrooms to serve the park and shelter, and include an adjacent nature stage area to allow indoor–outdoor overflow. Staff reiterated that tree preservation is a priority and that the plan includes adding trees in buffer and woodland areas.
Council agreed to take a second reading and a vote on Oct. 6; no final action adopting the master plan occurred at this meeting—staff sought a resolution of support and will return with a second reading.
