BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) — Warren County Parks and Recreation is hoping to expand within the coming years.
It’s no surprise the department has seen tremendous growth over the last decade including things like new facilities, dog parks and a seasonal ice rink.
In the latest expansion adventure, Warren County Fiscal Court approved a feasibility study for Warren County Parks and Rec. on Thursday.
Park leaders hope to use the study to look into the possibility of creating a year-round indoor ice rink, as well as indoor tennis courts.
Getting this study approved is the first step toward these goals.
“It’s going to be very dynamic, it’s going to involve a lot of community engagement, most likely surveys, public forums, public meetings, and that’s what we want to do is we want to see… what does Warren County, what does our community want in regards to these projects,” said Chris Kummer, Warren County Parks and Recreation Director.
He said he expects the study to take six to eight months.
The hope is to learn if the support is there for these types of facilities, and if so, start looking into time-frames and the money needed to make it happen.
“We’re looking forward to it,” added Kummer. “It’s the first time we, as a department, have done a feasibility study in the last 20 years.”
He said they will look at properties that the department already owns, as well as look at the possibility of purchasing new land and building new structures. It will all depend on cost and what the study shows.
“We’ll be using a third party study group or corporation to come in and help us with the study. We would engage the community to make sure the community as a whole would support the projects and what their usage might look like,” Kummer added.
He went on to say, “We’re also hopeful that within the next year or so we’ll be able to do a master-planning process to give our department a more strategic vision for the next five, 10, 15 years.”
Kummer said the department really tries to work with minimal funding and use the community’s tax dollars responsibility to maximize the services the parks offer.
If the development plan is approved once the study is complete, Kummer believes it would take about two years to get any new addition or facility (like an indoor ice rink and/or tennis courts) open.
Be the first to comment