Menu
Proposed changes for Robe-Ann Park unveiled
Getting its first look at proposed changes to Robe-Ann Park recently, the Greencastle Park Board saw improvements that would provide more parking, better traffic flow and create a plaza area between the ballfield and Shelterhouse No. 1 (on the hillside overlooking the bandshell).
During the board’s February meeting, Todd Burch of Civil Engineering Consultants (CECon), Greencastle, walked Park Board members through some of the ideas for improvements that would utilize the remaining park bond funds from the two phases of upgrades to the aquatics center.
Proposed new construction would reconnect the inner-park road system near the restrooms with road improvements including sidewalks, curbs, ADA ramps and drainage upgrades.
Revised parking, with the number of spaces seen growing from the current 173 to 289 will include spaces on both the north and south sides of the access road between tennis courts and restrooms, eliminating parking on the basketball courts at the north end of the park and “making basketball courts into just basketball courts,” Burch said.
He said curbing could be putting along the basketball courts to keep vehicles off. “You’d to jump a curb to get back there,” he added.
By creating a plaza area east of Shelterhouse No. 1 and addressing ADA compliance issues in that area of the park, the proposal could result in 48 new parking spaces, the biggest single gain in parking spots in the Robe-Ann project.
“It would be nice to have some inside parking for Parkfest,” Park Board President Cathy Merrell said, “and for people who have big family reunions.”
Additional parking is seen as being developed west of the Emerald Palace Playground, and in the area just south of the pickleball courts, along the main road, where parking is seen growing from six to 35 spaces.
When the Emerald Palace was built, Park Director Rod Weinschenk said “the area was designed for parking. It just never got done.”
President Merrell wasn’t so sure that it might be the current desire.
“I’m concerned about having all that parking up there,” she said of the area that has served as a walk-in entrance from Anderson Street. “That’s heavy with foot traffic.”
By revamping parking at the administration building near the Bloomington Street entrance, and blacktopping that lot, eight existing spots could be parlayed into 16 with the lot to be lined up with the existing garage doors on the park office building.
The new traffic pattern would see vehicles going counterclockwise in the inner circle, while traffic would be one-way westbound from just beyond the Wood Street entrance to the reconnected roadway near the restrooms, providing access to exit onto Bloomington Street, an option which does not current exist from that location.
Traffic coming in from Bloomington Street would stay one-way eastbound as it goes behind the bandshell and continues through the south side of the park until reaching the parking area on the west side of the pool. An island is suggested for the intersection there, forcing drivers to the left or right of it, while keeping westbound traffic out of the area.
Weinschenk, however, said he thought the idea was to open up the driving areas long term so that at Christmastime, the public could drive all the way through the park.
“That kind of eliminates the one-way idea,” Burch said.
It was suggested that raised crosswalks could serve as speed bumps to slow through traffic.
Noting that such “calming devices” could be used to slow traffic, Weinschenk asked the board, “Would you then want to open it up and let people drive though there?”
“That would be fine,” Park Board member Tim Trigg responded, suggesting that like some of the other ideas, he wants “to see what it does to the cost.”
Overall, Burch said the parking additions are “significant without building big parking lots.”
Meanwhile, Weinschenk noted that he has 18 old stone lamp posts in storage that were given to the city when DePauw University redid the Anderson Street entry.
“I hate to drop this on you tonight,” he told Burch, “but we have talked about putting them along the walkways to brighten things up.”
“It could cut down on the nefarious activity,” Merrell added.
No vote was taken on any portion of the Robe-Ann Park improvements at the February meeting.
CECon President Jessica Hartman said her firm’s goal is to return before the Park Board in March with cost figures on the proposal.
The Park Board will next meet in regular session at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 3 at City Hall.