Park changes must involve public input
Suddenly change is in the air for three of this city’s most important parks, and indications are that the plans, either complete, in development or imagined, can greatly enhance Memphians’ enjoyment of these iconic public spaces.
The emphasis is on public. Whatever happens at Shelby Farms, Tom Lee and Overton, it should not happen without listening to what the public has to say or in any way that inhibits unfettered access by citizens no matter their socioeconomic status.
These three parks are three of this community’s most valuable assets for our quality of life now and for our growth and development as a livable, sustainable community.
At the county-owned Shelby Farms Park, the improvements that have been made through the efforts of the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy and other contributors have been nothing short of miraculous. Enlargement of what used to be known as Patriot Lake, now Hyde Lake, thousands of new trees, a new visitors center, restaurant, playground and other additions are believed to have doubled attendance.
And there is still room for improvements – like the new connecting trail into the park that bicyclists and pedestrians have asked for since the Cordova portion of the Shelby Farms Greenline opened – that could sustain Shelby Farms for generations to come. One of the most important is the planned new parkway through the western side of the park, partially paid for through $96.4 million in tax-increment financing for which developers of the adjacent Parkside at Shelby Farms apartment project have applied.
Like the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, the folks in charge of Tom Lee Park are not reluctant to turn one of this community’s most important recreational assets into something even better.
A $45 million-plus project planned by the Memphis River Parks Partnership includes the addition of shade trees and changes in the terrain at what is now a perfectly flat, grassy space on the bank of the Mississippi River Downtown.
The transformation should make the 20-acre park more alluring to everyday visitors looking for a better experience on the riverfront without interfering with its function as an ideal space for events tied to the Memphis in May International Festival.
Perhaps the most radical changes are in store for Overton Park. The planned departure by the Memphis College of Art, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the city of Memphis’ General Services Division will present challenges as well as opportunities for park supporters in the future.
They undoubtedly will play a major role in the first master plan for the historic 342-acre Midtown park in 30 years, which is being undertaken by the Overton Park Conservancy and city of Memphis.
Input from the public should loom large in the development of the plan, which should proceed expeditiously because of the settlement of a lengthy controversy over Memphis Zoo parking facilities.
Like Shelby Farms Park, Overton has been enhanced by new features, including a playground, dog park and refurbished restrooms, that have boosted attendance. Credit goes to the Overton Park Conservancy, which assumed management in 2011.
As important to the health and welfare of the community these parks might be, local governments are stressed financially. These parks must depend on energy and resources of nongovernmental park friends. It’s not pleasant to imagine where parks like Shelby Farms and Overton would be without them.