Algood updating its Parks Master Plan to incorporate community feedback on the future of local recreational facilities and services.
City Administrator Keith Morrison said the city has operated under a master plan for several years but determined the document required an update to better reflect current needs.
“We are getting the community’s input of what they would like to see in the parks and what they think of our parks so that as we’re designing this updated master plan, we’re getting the community’s input in planning for the future of what the community would like to see,” Morrison said.
Morrison said the city is specifically revisiting the master plan for the new park started several years ago to see if community thoughts have changed.
Morrison said the updated plan will establish a framework for short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals to increase park availability.
“It’ll help us design a plan for what we need to work on now, you know, what we need to work on in the future, what we need to build towards, what kinds of things our community would like to see in the parks, what things we have that they like,” Morrison said. “So it’ll give us a roadmap for the parks system for short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals to make the Allgood parks to where everybody can enjoy them and have more availability.”
Morrison said the process involves aligning the desires of the community with the vision of the Council to create a functional layout.
“I think it gives us a guiding document to help us budget, to help us plan for the future, to know what we’re going to need in the future,” Morrison said. “It gives us a direction to go and helps shape, you know, what what City of Allgood is going to be, what’s available to the community and what the community wants ultimately.”
Morrison said early feedback indicates a strong desire for the advancement of the new park, including more parking and playground enhancements. Morrison said the Parks Director has already been working to improve playground surfaces, tennis courts, and ball fields at existing locations.
“If you don’t know what the community wants, you can’t build the best park systems without that input,” Morrison said. “We don’t know what our community really wants and I think it’s important to have that input and know what they’re looking for and what they think makes our parks better for the City of Allgood.”
Morrison said the city must eventually balance public desires with financial feasibility to determine the most sensible way to move forward. Morrison said this financial planning will serve as the next phase of the project once the master plan is finalized.
“That’s the harder part, you know, and it’s sitting down and figuring out what what’s makes the most sense financially, how can we get to the ultimate goal,” Morrison said. “And so that’ll be the next phase once we have this master plan in hand and know a little more about what the community wants, we can sit down and decide how we move forward from there.”
Morrison said approximately 190 surveys have been submitted so far, but officials hope to see that number increase. Morrison said the city wants residents to feel they have a voice in the planning process for future building structures, which could include a gymnasium, rental space, or an expanded library.
“We want the community to be involved, we want them to feel like they have a voice and we want to take that into consideration as we make these plans for the future,” Morrison said.
Morrison said the survey is available online at algood-tn.com or by scanning QR codes located on signs at local parks.
