Westminster residents give input on park
Carroll County Times
September 30, 2008
Westminster residents living around King Park agree it’s a great place for recreation, and they want the it to remain an area that children can enjoy.
During a re-planning meeting for King Park Monday night, about 30 park users and area residents discussed the future of the park now that a proposed paved walking path has been wiped from the plans.
A majority vote during a community meeting in mid-July removed the city’s path plans, and now the city has about $80,000 to use to remodel the park. The $80,000 is going to come from developer Robin Ford, who plans to build about 15 houses on the more than 8 acres he owns near the park.
'The city planning department presented and entertained ideas, such as a horseshoe pit, sand volleyball court, renovating the wetland area of the park and adding landscaping to clearly define park boundaries.
The most prominent topic was adding boundaries to the park.
“The most important thing is to make sure the citizens of Westminster know where King Park is and where people’s backyards end,” Westminster resident Theresa Bethune said. “I’m encouraged that the neighbors seem to be willing to work to come up with a better solution for everyone instead of a few.”
Bethune, who lives near the park on Westmoreland Street, attended the meeting with her husband and 6-year-old son.
A $35,000, state-of-the-art playground renovation is also scheduled for the park. The funding for the renovation also came from Ford, but the project won’t start until the other park plans are finalized. Thomas Beyard, Westminster’s director of planning, zoning and development, said several city departments will weigh the night’s responses, come up with a final drawing and send it to residents for final approval.
He hopes to have a resolution to the project within a few months so construction on the playground can start before the spring.
Becky Martin, who lives on Chase Street, said she was happy the city was taking the time to hear what residents had to say and that many people came out to discuss the future plans of the area.
“People want to be heard, and it’s great to hear the opinion of your neighbors,” Martin said. “[The community] is working for the same outcome: how to better the park for the overall community without infringing upon the safety and privacy of the park’s immediate neighbors.”
