Kokomo Parks master plan calls for continued improvements

May 13—More pickleball courts. Better security. Public Wi-Fi. Improving accessibility. More splash pads.

Those are just some of the requests made by the public for city-owned parks in the future that are included in the Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department's master plan for 2024-2029.

The plan, crafted over the last year by HWC Engineering, was recently finalized and approved last month by the Kokomo Park Board. In addition, HWC Engineering included 11 recommendations based on public feedback.

The 274-page document includes feedback from city residents gleaned from surveys and public input meetings, a survey of local teens and interviews with Parks Department staff. The document is meant to be a "decision-making framework" for park improvements over the next five years.

PUBLIC INPUT

A total of 1,515 responses were received from a 22-question survey created for the master plan. More than half of those who filled out the survey were between the ages of 25 and 44.

The survey asked respondents how often they used the park system, what parks they go to, how they would rate the play equipment and courts and what they would like to see improved.

Highland Park and Jackson Morrow Park are the most used parks, with 79.2% and 76.8% of respondents saying they use those parks. Those were followed by Foster Park (60.9%) and Kokomo Beach Family Aquatic Center (41.8%).

Responses to suggested improvements were varied, but three main areas the city could work on improving rose to the top. They include:

* Increasing safety and security

* 63% of respondents say the county should focus on improving safety at its parks. When asked why they don't use the park system, 46% answered "safety."

* To tackle this issue, HWC Engineering recommends installing a "vandal proof" restroom in one of the parks, expanding the security camera system to "high vandal areas," continuing partnership with the Kokomo Police Department and continuing to increase lighting along trails and in parks.

* Improve the quality of parks

* 60% of respondents would like to see the city further improve its parks. That included many things, from adding new restrooms and improving existing ones to adding more pickleball courts and improving tennis courts, upgrading playground equipment, creating more "nature areas" for hiking or picnicking, adding additional splash pads to major parks and adding more shade areas.

* Respondents not only wanted to see capital improvement but also more programs put on by the city. That includes more community events, hobby/interest classes and fitness classes.

* Improving neighborhood parks

* The city of Kokomo has more than three dozen parks, many of which are small neighborhood parks with nothing more than a basketball court and swing set and slide. Around 42% of respondents said they would like to see the city focus more on improving the smaller parks, such as Northwest Park, Mendota Park and Mohawk Park.

That said, respondents were generally happy with the Kokomo parks system, with "several" of the older respondents saying they were "generally, very pleased" with the amenities and continual improvements made.

"It was stressed that without high quality parks system amenities, they would find it difficult to persuade their grown children to establish a life in Kokomo," the master plan states.

TEEN SURVEY

One aspect new to this master plan was a teen survey.

A separate survey was created and distributed online on city Facebook pages and at local schools. A total of 174 responses were received, with those ages 14 years old (57.5%) and 15 years old (14.9%) being the largest age cohorts responding.

Torrey Roe, Kokomo parks superintendent, said the survey was so the city could have a better idea on how to cater programs or improvements for an age group often overlooked by municipal parks departments.

"We want those teens to stay here," Roe said. "There are so many of them, and if you can start putting positive things into their life through the teenage years it's just going to promote them to come back to their hometown and want to stay here, live here and better our community."

Top desired teen amenities or activities included:

* Game tables, such as ping pong, pool, air hockey, etc.

* Wi-Fi access throughout parks.

* Teen hangout spaces.

* A mini golf course

* Exercise equipment, such as a ninja warrior or fitness courses.

* Dedicated space for food trucks

* Teen social events and activities, such as roller skating night, game night and summer water fights.

* Archery, hiking and fishing programs.

* Yard game tournaments, such as cornhole, giant Jenga and sand volleyball.

City responds

The results of the monthslong master plan process were not a surprise to either Roe or Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore.

"I feel like we do a good job listening to the public outside of these planning periods so I feel like we have a pretty good pulse of what the community wants," Roe said. "I wasn't overly surprised by the findings."

Some of the desires of the public are already in the works.

A restroom and splash pad are going to be built at Jackson Morrow Park.

Roe said he anticipates bids for the two amenities to be bid out this year and available for the public to use sometime next year.

In early 2022, the city removed the fencing from its youth ballfields and took over maintenance duties from the youth leagues, who now play at Championship Park. Last year, the city repurposed a former ballpark in Northside Park into a pump track.

Moore said the city is pondering similar actions at the city's other youth ballparks. That includes potentially adding a pickleball complex to Cutler Park.

Repairs to Foster Park's tennis courts are tricky since the park and its courts are in the floodplain.

One of the most notable recommendations by HWC Engineering was for the city to hire 10 additional full-time staff members to the Parks and Recreation Department.

According to the firm, Kokomo's 21 full-time employees (as of last fall) is significantly lower than the "typical" parks department serving cities of similar size. According to HWC, jurisdictions serving 50,000 to 99,999 in population, have a median of 75.8 full-time employees. Jurisdictions serving 20,000 to 49,999 in population have a median of 32.3 full-time employees.

Such a large increase in staff for the Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department is unlikely in the near future, Moore said, but the city has added an additional programs manager to bolster its recreational programs.

The city is also considering hiring a horticulturist to beautify its parks. That was another recommendation by HWC Engineering.

"A lot of what the (master) plan reported, fortunately, was a lot of things we've been wanting to do, a few things we've been doing and a number of things that are in the process," Moore said.

Tyler Juranovich can be reached at 765-454-8577, at tyler.juranovich@kokomotribune.com or at @tylerjuranovich.