Anderson making strides to improve city parks
Oct. 23—ANDERSON — During the year the Anderson Parks and Recreation Department have done substantial work to improve city park facilities.
Work has either been completed or is set to be completed by the end of the year at Jackson, Streaty, Pulaski, Mays, Citizen's Plaza, Derby Downs and Shadyside Lake.
"One of my priorities when I took office was to upgrade and improve the quality of life," Anderson Mayor Thomas J. Broderick Jr. said. "I wanted to make the parks attractive for our residents and attract visitors. We have put a lot of resources into the parks over the past six years."
Broderick said it was important to improve and expand the city parks.
"The city used the slogan in the past that parks are for people," he said. "The parks are used by everyone."
Tom Tackett, maintenance supervisor, said work will start on Nov. 1 at both Streaty and Jackson parks with funding from the Anderson Community Development Department.
He said at Streaty Park, work will start to replace the existing 1970-style shelter. There will be a new metal roof on the smaller shelter house.
Tackett said most of the playground equipment will be replaced.
"We will start demolition at Jackson Park to revitalize the shelter with a new roof and new electrical and lighting systems," he said. "The work includes the restrooms done next spring."
Work at the Activity Center at Shadyside Park is complete with six new pickleball courts and all the lighting has been revitalized.
Jama Donovan, superintendent of the Anderson Parks and Recreation Department, said the department has cleaned up all the brush on the east side of the lake with more work planned north of Bobber's Café this year.
Tackett said at Pulaski Park there is a new asphalt surface on the tennis courts and two of them were converted into six pickleball courts.
He said a new shelter to replace the one from the 1970s will also be built this year.
Donovan said new benches will be installed at both Pulaski and at Shadyside parks.
She said the Derby Downs baseball diamonds have been removed along with brush to make it green space with a clear view of the walking trail.
"We installed three murals," she said. "We're trying to bring some art to the parks."
The Park Department performs maintenance at 14 city parks and 10 miles of trails.
"Next year we will continue with the maintenance work and plan to replace the roof on the bridge at Shadyside and add new lighting," Donovan said.
Tackett said all the lighting was in place at Shadyside, but it was vandalized. The plan next year is to put in LED lighting.
Donovan said in 2022 the department will look at improvements to the basketball courts at Pulaski Park as well.
"This year we removed all the existing landscaping at the Terrance Gardens at Shadyside and replaced it with new mulch and plantings," she said.
Donovan said the department gets a lot of support from Broderick and the local Park Board.
"It's a great team effort," she said. "The mayor is focused on improving the quality of life. People love our parks."
The department next year plans to remove the brush along Grand Avenue and to work and to look at the valley at Shadyside Park to repair some drainage issues and around the Veterans Plaza.
"We have a long list of work we want to do that we check them off as we go," Donovan said. "We look at the parks as a citizen and what can we do to make everyone happy with the facilities and utilize them."
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