Eagle Point and our Park System
A number of citizens have expressed disappointment in the state of Eagle Point Park. A treasured location for all of us, Eagle Point Park is the victim of some deferred maintenance and short staffing.
The City Council was persuaded by a citizen group to dramatically reduce or eliminate chemical use in the parks. There is a noticeable difference in the mowed lawn areas because of this. Some areas cannot support turf without the chemical support and are bare dirt or mud depending on weather.
Restoration of natural prairie areas is being undertaken in the less travelled areas of the park. That restoration is not yet complete as it requires a controlled burn and a growing season or two to get established.
Our forestry crew has been overwhelmed with the Emerald Ash Borer invading much of the urban forest (in and out of the parks) requiring the removal of hundreds of trees. Routine forestry has not occurred in any of the parks except to correct potentially dangerous situations. We are catching up on the Ash trees and should be able to work on clearing some downed trees and branches in the park area in the next months.
We are catching up also on our horticulture and gardening activity after some pandemic hiring and spending freezes. We should be able to see more flower beds maintained in better condition than we have seen in the last few years.
An architectural study has just been presented to the City Council on the three Caldwell buildings in Eagle Point. The study included detailed estimates on restoration needs.
The City has over 50 parks and multiple structures and physical assets in them. The City Council has approved the creation of a Parks Master Plan to gather information on the status of each of these properties and assets and develop a plan and budget to assure that these assets remain attractive and usable for generations to come.
Last August the City Council made “Park Maintenance/Refresh Action Plan a “High Priority.” We will be focusing available resources on this in the coming years.
Partnerships and grants will be looked for to help keep Eagle Point and the rest of the parks in good shape for many tomorrows!