Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Park Master Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission shifts Stevens park focus to restrooms, modest splash pad and amphitheater cover amid $20M concept
Summary
The Dayton City Parks Commission emphasized phased, lower-cost work for the LC Stevens master plan—prioritizing restrooms, a splash pad kept under $1.5 million and an amphitheater cover—while staff pursues grants and sponsorships to avoid immediate bonding.
Councilman Sonic said Dayton’s council reviewed the LC Stevens master plan, a roughly $20 million concept, and urged the parks commission to pursue a phased approach that focuses first on the improvements residents most want.
"The number one item that residents requested was bathrooms," Councilman Sonic said, and he added there was "overwhelming support for a splash pad" provided the price can be kept down.
The commission discussed possible first-phase elements that could be completed without issuing debt or a referendum. Commissioners and staff said they would prioritize amenities residents repeatedly asked for—public restrooms, a modest splash pad and a cover for the amphitheater—while pursuing grant funding, corporate sponsorships and other partnerships to reduce the city’s share.
Commissioners and staff noted a variety of cost estimates. Council members characterized the full concept as expensive and outside the city’s immediate budget. One participant contrasted a high-end $1.5 million splash-pad estimate with an example of a smaller installation built for about $225,000 five years ago, noting lower-cost models and different recirculation approaches may substantially reduce construction and operating costs.
Staff said MSA (the consultant) will refine phase-one designs and help identify grant opportunities and sponsorship models. Commissioners flagged parking and access as continuing issues and asked staff to return with options that match realistic budgets and available grant cycles.
The commission did not take a formal funding vote on the Stevens plan at the meeting; members directed staff to pursue phased designs and funding options and to report back with revised cost estimates and potential grant timelines.
