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Clinton council discusses developing Land X, finishing Pond Park and using $1.5M for parks improvements
Summary
At a March 10 work session Clinton councilmembers signaled support for developing a southwest parcel called Land X, completing long-delayed work at Pond Park (including dredging), and evaluating Civic Center Park upgrades alongside the General Plan update; staff reported about $1.5 million is available and will return with phased concepts.
City Manager Trevor Cahoon opened a March 10 work session asking the Clinton City Council for direction on future park planning, including whether new parks should prioritize neighborhood access or function as regional attractions and whether the city should finish existing parks or build new ones.
Councilmembers identified three near-term priorities: develop a southwest property referred to in the meeting as Land X to address a park-access gap, complete improvements at Pond Park (staff said that will require dredging to address sediment and water-quality concerns), and continue evaluating potential major upgrades to Civic Center Park in coordination with the General Plan update. Several councilmembers supported a phased approach for new park projects, starting with low-cost initial improvements such as grass and irrigation and adding amenities later.
Staff told the Council the city currently has about $1.5 million available for park improvements from the Parks Project Fund and the RAP Tax Fund and noted potential matching opportunities from federal Land and Water Conservation grants. Staff also warned that some park impact fee funds must be used within state-law timelines to avoid noncompliance.
Parks & Recreation Director Brooke Mitchell urged the Council to clarify the overall purpose of parks—whether to focus on recreation programming, community gathering spaces or regional attractions—and stressed that parks should include supporting amenities such as seating, shade structures and restrooms where needed to encourage consistent use. Councilmember Spencer Arave said the RAP Tax Board has identified additional shade structures as a community priority.
No formal vote was taken. Councilmembers asked staff to return with additional concepts and potential phased development options for Land X and other prioritized improvements. The work session ended at approximately 6:50 p.m.
