Director of Engineering Micah Siemers, Community Development Director Lisa Beeman, and Public Works Director Keith Henry answer some Frequently Asked Questions about the City park system and provide park updates in this installment of Director’s Cut.
As warmer weather moves into the area and signs of spring abound, more people are getting out to enjoy the City of Bartlesville’s park system. Three City departments contribute to the planning, construction and maintenance of City-owned park properties: Community Development, which is responsible for park planning, purchasing equipment and coordinating donations and grants; the Engineering Department, which oversees the bidding process for projects and works with contractors to oversee construction and inspection of new projects, and Public Works, which provides maintenance for all City-owned properties, including City rights of way. For this week’s Director’s Cut, City Beat* spoke with Community Development Director Lisa Beeman, Director of Engineering Micah Siemers, and Public Works Director Keith Henry to answer some Frequently Asked Questions and get updates on park projects.
How many City of Bartlesville parks are there?
Beeman: The City of Bartlesville park system consists of 17 parks and open space areas totaling more than 860 developed acres. This includes the Pathfinder Parkway trail system and specific use facilities such as the Price Fields Sports Complex, Artunoff Fields, two swimming pools, splash pads, disc golf and Adams Golf Course.
What has to be done to ready the parks for the summer season?
Henry: Parks Department crews have been busy trimming trees, mulching leaves and cleaning out piles of leaves and debris along the fence lines, picnic tables and other structures and equipment. They also de-winterize park rest rooms and check the nuts and bolts on playground equipment to ensure there’s nothing loose or in need of repair.
What questions does the community development department receive most this time of year?
Beeman: Probably what time the parks close, how to donate benches or whether permits are needed to fish at Hudson or Lee lakes. The answers are that City parks are open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week; to inquire about donating a bench or other park amenities, contact the Community Development Department at 918.338.4238; and no City permits are required to fish at Hudson or Lee Lakes; however, any State of Oklahoma requirements must be adhere to at both lakes. We also get a lot of questions about Kiddie Park, but of course that is not a City facility. It is merely located in Johnstone Park, which is owned by the City. (Information about Kiddie Park is available at www.kiddiepark.net.)
Are there any new park projects in the works?
Beeman: There are several, actually. The new water/art feature for Tower Center at Unity Square is set to be installed on March 29, and the construction on the splash pad at Johnstone Park should start this month as well. The Veterans Park Playground is finished and the Sooner Park Pool Expansion Project is moving forward.
What is the status of the Johnstone Park Splash Pad?
Siemers: The Johnstone Park Splash Pad will be located north of the Johnstone Park Pavilion, near the new Pirate Ship structure, and will consist of a 40-foot diameter circular splash deck with an eight-foot- wide concrete apron for a total 56-foot in diameter splash pad facility. It will have 32 spray nozzles that will spray to various heights and time intervals.
How about the Sooner Park Pool Expansion Project? When will that be ready?
Siemers: The approved Phase 1 concept for the Sooner Park Park Pool Expansion Project includes a three-slide tower complex that will be around 45 feet high and include a speed slide and both an open and enclosed body flume slides. The initial phase will also include added group shade structures, mechanical equipment and deck space. The surface of the existing lap pool will also be repaired as part of this project using funds that were approved in the 2020 General Obligation Bond election. The City has contracted with consulting team Kimley-Horn and Councilman-Hunsaker, the same team that designed Frontier Swimming Pool, to design the Sooner Park Expansion Project. We anticipate it will be ready by the time the pool opens for the 2022 season.
*Director’s Cut can be found each week in the City of Bartlesville’s free e-newsletter, City Beat. To subscribe, go to https://tinyurl.com/55jmts5z