Park Board Seeks Public Input In Renaming Park Facilities
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw Park Board members are seeking input from the community to rename three buildings the Warsaw Park department owns.
The board met at the Micker Building, 420 Little League Drive, for the first time Tuesday night. The city and parks department purchased the $90,000 facility in July.
The board previously held its meetings at the Nye Youth Cabin.
The Micker Building is one of the facilities the board is considering renaming.
The building is the former Fraternal Order of Police building in Boggs Industrial Park, and is a 2,400-square-foot facility adjacent to Mantis Skate Park.
The facility will compliment the Baker Youth Clubs, and also serve special activities that are held at the Mantis Skate Park, such as birthday parties, small group skate park rentals and meeting spaces for cake-decorating and flower-arranging classes.
Park Superintendent Jon Garber said many of the parks and facilities the parks department owns in Warsaw have been named after historic figures who have contributed to the community.
Park board members agreed naming the facilities after historical figures in the community is a good idea.
"We should have public input from people in the community when considering to rename the facilities because the park system benefits many people," said park board member John Sadler.
Another building the park board is considering renaming is the Firemen's Building at Pike Lake behind the campgrounds.
Garber said the parks department acquired the building, which is used for private parties and by firemen for training classes, in the 1990's.
The third facility the park board is considering renaming is Central Park Plaza.
Park Board President Bill Baldwin suggested the Firemen's Building could be named after Dick Hamman, who served as a former Warsaw park superintendent.
Garber said he will talk to Hamman's wife Letha about considering naming the building after her husband.
The board tabled the discussion until its October meeting to receive public input.
Warsaw Parks director Larry Plummer gave an update on the new concession stand facility being built at Fribley Field on East Market Street in Warsaw.
The building also will include new restrooms and a press box.
A ground breaking ceremony was Aug. 30 at the field.
He said the field will be irrigated with well water instead of city water.
Plummer said the parks department will complete roofing and electrical work and the project should be completed in November.
The project will be a 1-1/2 story building with three-stall restrooms each for men and women with handicapped accessibility. The previous concession stand had restroom facilities half a block away.
The cost of the project is $130,000.
On the other side of the building will be a concession stand with a popcorn machine, hot dog warmer and pop refrigerators supplied by a soda company.
The building will have counter space, cabinets and a sink. An announcer's table and scoreboard controls will be in the upper level of the building.
It will be a block building with some antique white vinyl siding.
Garber gave the board an update on the parks department's budget.
The Warsaw City Council approved city budgets during Monday's council meeting.
Garber said the parks department cut $42,250 from its original budget for playground equipment and cushion padding for Kiddieland.
Its original budget was $1,654,366.
People wishing to provide suggestions for renaming the three facilities may call Garber at 574-372-9554.
The park board will meet again Oct. 16 at 5:15 p.m. at the Micker Building in Boggs Industrial Park.
Park board members are Baldwin, Sadler, Steve Haines, Toby Sumpter, School Board representative Tammy Dalton and City Council representative Jeff Grose.
