Parks committee urges council to pursue master plan for Pepper Pike Park, recommends talking with MKS

The Parks & Beautification Committee reported Nov. 20 that it plans to pursue a long-range master plan for Pepper Pike Park and recommended beginning preliminary discussions with MKS, the firm that designed the Gates Mills linear park. The committee said a cohesive plan would help the city avoid piecemeal park improvements and provide a consistent aesthetic across park amenities.

Committee members described the proposed first step as exploratory: MKS would present a scope of services and a budget for initial planning and community engagement, and council would later consider a formal contract or request for proposals. Council members who spoke during the item voiced support, said they were impressed with MKS’s prior work on the Gates Mills project and asked staff to circulate the MKS proposal that had previously been provided to council.

The committee requested the council’s support to engage in preliminary conversations and to have staff seek a proposal outlining deliverables and estimated costs. Council indicated general support; staff said budget timing might move the formal contract into next year's budget cycle and that engagement now would focus on scoping and visioning.

Why it matters: a master plan could guide future investments, establish consistent design standards (benches, signage, planting palettes) and coordinate capital requests in future budgets. The council asked the committee and staff to proceed with outreach and return with a proposal and budget request.

Provenance: committee report and council discussion from the parks-and-beautification item at the meeting.