(Stillwater, OK) – Earlier this evening, Stillwater City Council received an update from Parks and Community Resources Director Barbara Bliss regarding staff’s plan to collect community feedback on park usage and ideas on how the spaces could be best utilized, which may include selling some of the land to increase amenities and safety in more utilized spaces.
Land would be sold so that funds could be reinvested back into Parks and Community Resources for park maintenance and improvements. No park land may be sold without the vote of City Council.
As discussed in August at the City Council Special Meeting Study Session for Parks and Public Spaces, Assistant City Manager Christy Driskel shared there are 817 acres of parks in Stillwater, which does not include Block 34 community space, Washington School and Rails to Trails – all that fall under City maintenance and funding efforts. The recreational acreage also does not include Lake McMurtry, Lakeview Golf Course, Meridian Technology’s Center’s walking trail and OSU’s Botanical Gardens.
“Our current goal is to ensure our parks and community spaces truly meet the needs of our residents and those who utilize and enjoy these spaces,” Director Barbara Bliss said. “We are focused on community feedback, developing a plan to address safety concerns, accessibility and usage. Myers Park has a playground structure that is so old, replacement parts are no longer available, and the turf must be replaced, as well.”
Stillwater has more park land than 95% of cities with similar population sizes.
Community feedback is being collected for specific areas, which include Arrington Park, Berry Park, Ingham Park, Myers Park, and Sunset. Feedback has already been collected for Arrowhead Park.
Vice Mayor Amy Dzialowski included appreciation to staff and community input. “I’m really excited for the collection of the smaller neighborhood parks. This is an opportunity for them to provide that needed feedback. We need to make sure we are making these improvements and that the public spaces meet our community’s needs. I’m thankful for the time staff is spending with limited resources to develop a vision for our community.”
Both Vice Mayor Dzialowski and Councilor Kevin Clark serve on the City Council sub-committee for Parks and Community Spaces and continue meeting with staff on these efforts.
A community meeting is scheduled for January 9, 2025, for the residents of Stillwater to openly discuss with staff and council their ideas of a community-wide parks system. The City will continue conversations and pursue steps to develop a comprehensive plan specifically for parks and community spaces.
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