Little Known City Park To Get Improvements

The playground behind the former Grant Elementary is owned by the city, and slated for improvements in the spring.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – With concerns about the future of a neighborhood playground, citizens met with city officials about how best to maintain and further develop the city park that is nestled against the former Grant Elementary School.

A consultant was utilized by the city to help develop concepts and ideas for the city park. Those improvements for the park were rejected by the city council during the last fiscal year budget discussions. Concerns involving the park include, a lack of parking, a lack of use, not seen as a park, no signage and the maintenance at the park was low.

Dylan Mulfinger, Management Analyst for the City of Oskaloosa, said that the discussion has turned now towards, “what is an initial phase that will actually work” towards improvements on the park.

That was the question posed to members of the neighborhood and what they see as important steps for the park.

The City of Oskaloosa applied and received $24,000 from the W.L. McQuistin Community Trust for some upcoming improvements to the park in the spring. Those improvements will be adding a sidewalk to the location, remove old chain-link fence and install rot iron fence similar to that in place at the urban park.

A monument sign will also being installed that will further help define the space as a city park. The hope, with those improvements, is to further invite people to use the park.

Also planned is the removal of some asphalt paving to install some stored playground equipment to the space. The hope is to eventually make the space accommodating for as many age groups as possible.

At the discussion, area residents also expressed a desire to see that seating and shade for parents and others be made available. Mulfinger said that there may be enough money in the grant to help make those requests possible.

“I think it’s just the little things that we are making that make a big difference,” says Mulfinger.

Mulfinger agrees that most residents are unaware that the playground area on the north side of the former Grant school is a city park. The hope is that with proper maintenance and signage, people will start to utilize the space.

Oskaloosa is home to several other city parks beyond the most commonly known Edmundson Park. VanderWilt Park just east of the current elementary school building, Lamson Jaycee Park located on the south side of D Ave West just south of the Fairgrounds, and the Keatings Jaycee Park located at South I St and 4th Ave W. is the other park owned by the city.