Newton wants to assess long-term needs and uses of all city parks in coming years

Of the 1,033 people who voted in the park bond referendum this past September, 736 were in favor of the public measure, which told Newton City Administrator Matt Muckler that residents do want more parks amenities. As a result, the city council wants to evaluate the long-term needs and uses of all city parks.

In the council’s 2022-2024 goals list that require less than $20,000 in funding, that evaluation shares the No. 1 spot with targeting conference tourism.

When the city finishes its park bond projects — the demolition and construction of a new clubhouse at Westwood Golf Course, improvements to Maytag Pool, installation of pickle ball courts at Aurora Park and construction of a dog park at Sunset Park — staff want to decide what to do next.

“Which are our highest priorities and how are we going to fund them? We’ve got lots of parks. Lots of space in our parks to maintain. Not every park has to be identical. We don’t need a children’s play area, necessarily, in every single park,” Muckler said, noting each park deserves its own unique character.

In 2017, a study envisioned Sunset Park as a multi-generational park with walkways and other amenities, but no real progress has been made to meet that study. Muckler said an evaluation could start a discussion about whether that route is still a viable plan.

Other conversations could look at the future of the city’s tennis courts and pickle ball courts. Muckler said one scenario would be to expand the courts at Aurora Park and keep varsity and junior varsity tennis teams there for tournaments, rather than split them off between there and Maytag Park.

If one park just featured tennis courts, perhaps another could be the pickle ball facility, Muckler said as a hypothetical. Ultimately, the city wants to look at future needs. The city already has parts of the $1.6 million bond referendum to use for pickle ball courts; but if the need is greater, what will the city do next?

Staff want to look at all demographics, too. The city not only wants adults and families with young children to find use out of their parks, they want teenagers to find a park for themselves. Council members have taken note of this and made it a goal to develop plans and seek grants for a new skate park at Aurora Park.

Expected to cost $800,000, the skate park would certainly draw people to the community, as well as teens wanting a place to spend their free time.

With the Newton school district set to construct a new baseball field, there is now an opportunity to discuss the future of the baseball field at Woodland Park.

Will it stay a baseball field? Are soccer fields needed?

These are the questions Muckler wants staff to evaluate in the next few years.