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TR File Photo The first step towards creating a new vision for Riverview Park was taken on Monday when Marshalltown City Council approved the use of $ 29,500 in local option sales tax designated by council for revitalize the park.
Marshalltown Parks and Recreation Director Geoff Hubbard wants to know what people want to see in Riverview Park.
The city had a tentative plan for park updates just a few years ago. This included work on the log cabin scheduled for 2023, replacement of play equipment by Reunion Hall in 2024 and work on the shelter.
Then, the derecho damaged more than 400 trees. Felled or damaged trees covered by FEMA have been removed. Holes have been filled. However, there are still many strains that can take several years to remove.
The disc golf course is one of the facilities most affected by loss of trees. Hubbard said he heard from many players that the course was too easy now.
“A lot of things that we planned two years ago are different or have changed” Hubbard said. “We have a clean slate of what Riverview Park looks like now. Maybe we need to reconfigure what we actually want the park to look like. “
The first step towards creating a new vision for the park was taken on Monday when city administrator Jessica Kinser asked Marshalltown City Council to support engineering firm Bolton and Menk to develop concepts for the park. Council approved the use of $ 29,500 in local option sales tax designated by council for the work.
Hubbard expects the process to move quickly in order to put the plans to the board for a vote ahead of the budget process in early 2022.
“The last weeks of September or the first part of October are probably when we will have our first community engagement meetings” Hubbard said.
The department is working on a web page for public comments and ideas, which is expected to launch soon. It will include the history of the park and an investigation link. There, people can comment on their favorite memories of Riverview Park and what they would like to see brought to it.
Parks and Rec plans to distribute aerial maps of the park so that people can tag their ideas and submit them for review.
The process of taking community feedback into account will be familiar to most people in Marshalltown. The city has done something similar for its downtown improvement plan, with public polls and a virtual open house with Bolton and Menk.
“Some of the things we talked about have changed from the original plan. There might be other good ideas out there ”, Hubbard said. “With the Edgewood extension touching the south side of the park, there is talk of a retention pond. Can it be something more where we have a dock or something where we can launch paddleboards or canoes? “
Bringing a ramp back to the Iowa River is another idea that Hubbard mentioned, as well as redoing the campground.
Recent events like the Marshalltown Metal Militia and the Midwest Paranormal Festival have made Hubbard question a permanent stage similar to that in West End Park.
“We would obviously need electricity there”, he said. “Then we wouldn’t need to use the mobile scene as before. “
The importance of Riverview Park is not lost on Hubbard. That’s why he strives to keep it level as the crown jewel of Marshalltown Parks.
“It’s the biggest park and there are all the different amenities. The campsite, three shelter buildings, the dog park, the disc golf course – it’s a one stop shop ”, he said. “You go there any weekend and there could be 500 people there.
The derecho wreaked havoc on what Kinser and Hubbard called Marshalltown’s most important park. But Hubbard is optimistic about the opportunity to make Riverview Park better than ever.
“We have a clean slate to do whatever we want now” he said. “The sky is the limit. With other equipment like a usable pond or other things, I could definitely see an increase in usage there.
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Contact Joe Fisher at
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