City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department

A splash park, outdoor amphitheater and adventure park have all made it onto a draft of the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department’s comprehensive master plan. At their work session on Tuesday, members of the Lawrence City Commission will get their first look at the draft and provide input.

A 16-member steering committee is in charge of putting together the new 10-year master plan for the Parks and Recreation Department. The master plan will replace one created in 2000 and include guidance for future development and ideas to fund new facilities and programs.

As part of that process, the city contracted with GreenPlay LLC in February. GreenPlay conducted a survey of nearly 2,000 Lawrence residents. An improved Kansas River corridor, more small parks and an outdoor amphitheater were listed as some of the most-desired future parks and recreation facilities in those surveys.

Many of those ideas have made it into the draft master plan. The data collected from the surveys, as well as from focus groups, public meetings and committee meetings was used to help develop the draft of the Parks and Rec master plan.

The draft master plan is 275 pages and includes an action plan, cost estimates and prioritization. In addition to maintaining and upgrading existing facilities, recommendations for Parks and Rec facilities and amenities include:

• River corridor: Further planning for the parks adjacent to the Kansas River, such as the Riverfront Park, and exploring options of how these parks can support or promote future development.

• Adventure parks: Incorporating an alternative to traditional parks. An adventure park would include activities such as zip lines, rope courses and climbing walls. One potential location would be the Prairie Park Nature Center.

• Amphitheater: Plans for a new outdoor amphitheater and identification of potential locations.

• New dog park: A new dog park in East/southeast Lawrence.

• Lawrence Loop: Finishing the Lawrence trail loop, as well as adding more connections to the loop in underserved areas.

• Downtown plaza: Creating a designated downtown plaza/event space for downtown Lawrence is identified as a strong need. A space would provide a large paved area, water, power, designated restrooms and adequate lighting. The area of focus named for the space is Vermont Street between Seventh and Eighth streets.

• Splash parks: Six new splash parks for open public recreation. Recommended locations of new splash parks are John Taylor Park, Burroughs Creek Park, South Park, Dad Perry Park, Holcom Park and Broken Arrow Park.

• Land for new parks: Purchase land in anticipation of future growth. It is recommended that 5 to 50 acres of land be acquired in three strategic zones over the course of the next 10 years. Areas identified are west, south and southeast of the city.

As part of their work session, commissioners will review the plan and provide input on its recommendations. City commissioners meet at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.