To the editor:

Kudos to the Lawrence city commissioners (David Schauner, Boog Highberger and Mike Rundle) who voted 3-2 to require parks or green space within a quarter mile of any house in new Lawrence developments. It is certainly a move in the right direction, although it is still too broad. There should be a park (and not just green space) within a quarter mile of any house.

Those who live in the area bordered by Bob Billings Parkway, Alvamar Golf Course, Clinton Parkway and Wakarusa Drive know the problem: They do have green space, the golf course, but their neighborhood does not have a “heart,” a place to walk to. This neighborhood, like every other one, needs a neighborhood park.

City leaders have been too lax about allowing developers to build houses, one next to the other, instead of providing a comprehensive neighborhood plan that includes public, neighborhood park space for exercise and relaxation.

A neighborhood park is a place at the heart of each neighborhood to which families can walk, a place where children can play on a jungle gym, teenagers can play basketball, outdoor table tennis and the like, and older people can sit on a park bench under a tree, chat, watch the world go by or read a book.

West of Dad Perry Park, there are no neighborhood parks except school playgrounds. It’s not a recipe for generating a sense of community. The Horizon 2020 plan made a mistake when its designers omitted neighborhood parks. Let’s not perpetuate the mistake.

Edith Clowes,

Lawrence