Parks Manager Dan Stone presents on proposed park improvements to City Council (March 6, 2023)

Several ARP-funded parks projects have been given the go-ahead in committee by Jamestown City Council.

Parks Manager Dan Stone presented to Council about projects that would utilize $221,000 of American Rescue Plan funds.

Stone said the playground at Roseland was built on top of the old tennis courts, which helped make it handicapped accessible. He said, however, with everything being blacktop and with few areas to plant trees, the playground gets hot very quickly in the summer, “So, we’d like to go in and remove all existing blacktop and then pour a new path that goes around completely. It’ll be handicapped accessible all throughout and a lot more green space in there along with a shade structure. And then in the front part parking lot area, we’ll create two new pickle ball courts, a small parking area with handicapped parking right up to the fence as well.”

The Roseland Park project is projected to cost $120,000.

Stone said long overdue upgrades are proposed for Willard Park, “We run into some difficulties with this park. This has been one that’s been talked about for a long time. You see in the picture on the left there’s a nice chunk of concrete right there. There’s a foundation from the old school house all throughout that upper park. Then it drops off quite severe, heading down the hill even as you see at the top part it goes all the way down. And it continues except for the nice flat area we have here, which the kids love to use that wide, flat open area for football, baseball, things like that.”

Stone said the Parks Department is requesting $72,000 to put in a new swing set and playground set. He said they also plan to install a volleyball court following many requests for one in the parks.

Stone said the City has also had talks with the Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District about planting a fruit tree orchard on the steep slope of the park that’s not as conducive for play.

Two other proposals include allocating $15,000 toward resurfacing basketball courts at Jackson-Taylor, Allen, and Bergman Parks and $14,000 toward the purchase of 18 self-watering flower pots for the downtown area.