Concepts for new city park revealed

by Marianne Gasaway

Clear Lake City Council members got their first look at concepts for a new city park Monday.

Kristy Sagdalen King, of Bergland + Cram, Mason City, presented ideas a local committee has developed for an all-inclusive playground which will be constructed at 109 S. 15th St. where Cerro Gordo County once housed machinery.  The City purchased the property earlier this year for $250,000 with the intention of expanding its Aquatic Center and creating an Everybody Plays Playground.

Inclusive playgrounds are designed to provide children and families of all physical, mental and social abilities and ages an opportunity to play together in an integrated, sensory-rich environment without the barriers that traditionally exist on a playground. The nearest similar playgrounds are located in Cedar Falls and Ames.

Sagdalen King said a steering committee of approximately 15 persons have been participating in a variety of planning activities for the new city park.  Their ideas were translated into schematic drawings for Council review.

“We started to talk about what is the best a park can be,” explained Sagdalen King.  “Aside from just some playground equipment added onto a site, (we thought about) what else it can be and how can we think about a park adding value to Clear Lake... Really, the way a park can serve the community best is to be specific.”

She discussed the goal of making the park a safe place, given its proximity to a road and intersection, while also feeling part of the pool campus.

The design shared with the Council featured a parking lot which would be accessed off of South 15th Street.  

A splash pad and shelter building would be situated immediately east of the existing Aquatic Center building.   The playground, surrounded by green space, trees and a trail around its exterior, would be located north of the swimming pool.

Sagdalen King noted the separation between the playground and splash pad would help parents direct children to specific park amenities, keeping water features separate from playground activities. 

“We kept the splash pad far enough away, so that if parents don’t want their kids wet, they can keep them away from that area,” she said.

The new playground area would include restrooms separate from

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those in the Aquatic Center building.

“The park would operate separate, but in tandem with the pool,” explained Sagdalen King.  

Council members indicated they were pleased with the concept presented and approved of City Administrator Scott Flory proceeding with gathering numbers for budgeting purposes.  

“When you are trying to add an amenity to a community, from a Councilman’s perspective, you are sometimes looking for the wow factor and I think this has it in a big way,” said Councilman Mike Callanan.  

“It’s not every day you get to take an area in the community that is pretty much blighted and transform it into something that is beautiful and spectacular that children and families will be able to utilize right in the heart of our community,” said City Administrator Scott Flory.

Demolition of the former county shed is expected to take place in the spring, followed by site development.  

The project is adding to the transformation of the South 15th Street neighborhood.

A housing project is underway on the east side of the street where a former city shed once stood.  At one time the area also included other storage buildings, as well as a stockyard.  Those gave way to construction of the city’s swimming pool and Public Works facility.

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