Future of city parks office still under discussion

The topic of what to do with the caretaker’s house at Maytag Park was once again discussed by the Newton Park Board Wednesday.

Project AWAKE President Sveta Miller presented several benefits and reasons for the parks office to remain at the Krumm Center at Agnes Patterson Park, instead of moving to the Maytag house, which has been proposed.

“One hundred dollars a month rent of the Krumm Center is an unheard of cost for a city office/meeting place. It is a showcase for the City of Newton,” Miller said.

She also spoke about the partnership between the public entity and the civic, nonprofit organization, which she said is one of the best relationships in the community. Between the city using the meeting area on a regular basis and the building being staffed to maintain a presence at the arboretum for park guests, she feels it is in the best interest for both parties to continue on at the Krumm Center

“The cost of converting and maintaining an old residence into a public office is high. There are small rooms and hallways and traffic in and out of the cottage was a problem that triggered the move,” Miller said. “The stream of children walking through the park were endangered with the constant backing up of traffic in the office.”

Former Project AWAKE member Dwight Stanfield spoke about concerns he had about the future of the arboretum if the city no longer has a presence there.

“If the City of Newton does not provide monetary support to Project AWAKE the arboretum will be jeopardized in the near future,” Stanfield said.

Public Works Director Keith Laube explained how the idea of moving the park office to Maytag first became an option. Due to the status of the house, restoration work will need to be completed in the near future to maintain the residence including a new roof, electrical work, heating and plumbing updates and general maintenance.

“The house hasn’t had anything done to it for about 40 years,” Laube said.

If the city does work to restore the property, an option for its use was for the park office, which was formerly at the location. The move would help centralize park employees and give more of a presence at the busy park.

The park board was not ready to make any decisions on moving the office during the meeting but did vote to form a sub-committee to gather information and possible uses for both the Maytag Park building and the Krumm Center. Members of the board acknowledged the importance on keeping some kind of presence at the Krumm Center, even if it isn’t the parks department.

If an organization or business is interested in renting either location for office space or another use, they are encouraged to contact parks administrator Nathan Unsworth at 641-792-1470.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com