Spring Park construction expected to begin this summer

Spring Park may be closed to the public for much of this summer as planned improvements to the park get underway.

The city has funded $350,000 for a redesign of Spring Park, located at 2525 1/2 Central Avenue in Rosedale, and it will include a new playground structure, walking path, picnic pavilion, grills and landscaping.

Parks and Recreation Director Berkley Squires and Chuck Kelly of Kelly Landscape Architects presented initial designs to residents in February. Kelly said they received comments and created a new design concept to combine what residents liked about both initial designs.

It was “very helpful to lead us toward the scheme that we are working on now,” he said.

Those changes include moving the restroom facility closer to the center of the park for easier access from the playground and adding a bike rack and parking spots both perpendicular and parallel to Central Avenue. Kelly said the city plans to look into porous paving for the regular parking spots to decrease water runoff.

The walking path has been extended, and Kelly said the project also includes low fencing around the playground, which includes a handicap-accessible ramp and structure, and taller fencing at Griffin Creek. A telephone pole is being relocated to the property line so it is out of the way of other functions of the park.

Plans include a bioswale on the southeast corner of the park, which will slow and collect water runoff to absorb into the ground rather than running directly into the creek. There will also be decorative trees and shrubs, as well as irrigation, installed in the park.

There has been talk among residents of adding a splash pad and Kelly said the current design leaves room for that as a future addition if resident interest continues.

“I think that would be great because splash pads are very, very popular,” he said.

Kelly said the city intends to advertise for bids on the project in late April and receive bids sometime in May. This would lead to construction starting around early June and wrapping up in late August or early September.