Sparta will use the estimated $48,000 grant it received from TDEC on Thursday to hire a landscaping firm to form a Parks and Rec Master Plan.
Sparta Parks and Rec Board Member Daniel Marcum said to qualify for parks and rec funding, most grant writers require a parks and rec master plan to be adopted. Marcum said with Sparta being home to several parks, the board felt like now was the time to create a master plan.
“Look at possible needs, you know, in the future, or wants from the community,” Marcum said. “That’s a big part of this master plan will be community involvement.”
Marcum said the master plan will also aim to improve the existing parks and possibly include a sidewalk project to enhance the connectivity to each park. Marcum said at this point, the city plans to get community feedback for the master plan through surveys and town hall meetings.
“The community is the one that is going to be utilizing the facilities,” Marcum said. “And we want to, as a board, and as a city government, we want to provide the community with things they actually want to use.”
Sparta is currently working on recreational projects like the skate park and the splash pad. Marcum said after forming the master plan, the next step would be acquiring funding.
“Once we get the plan together and the community involvement, and kind of have a big picture of not only what we have, but kind of the direction the community wants to go, then we can start looking at future grant opportunities,” Marcum said. “You know, trying to figure out, depending on what those wants are, you know, where we might be able to put something like that, you know, and that kind of thing. Having that plan will make all of that a lot easier.”
Sparta was one of 18 municipalities to receive a portion of the estimated $968,000 the state awarded.
