A Park City resident who is a member of the municipal Recreation Advisory Board has drafted a statement in support of a City Hall ballot measure designed to fund recreation improvements, arguing there is demand in the community for the upgrades.
Abby McNulty’s statement will be posted online and read at a public meeting.
The statement notes Parkites have for decades been supporters of recreation. It points to “organized fitness” beginning in Main Street’s War Memorial Building with adult basketball teams, followed by the acquisition of the Park Meadows building that is now the Park City Municipal Athletic & Recreation Center and the development of the Park City Ice Arena.
“Due to careful management by the Recreation Department and support of current and prior city councils, Park City has continuously improved recreation over the last two decades through varied sources of funding including grants, impact fees, and mindful budgeting,” the statement says.
It also says: “As our community expands, and demand on existing facilities increases, residents need to comprehensively look at how best to improve recreation in our community while ensuring existing facilities receive the maintenance and attention they need.”
McNulty describes the crafting of an overall plan for recreation that included outreach to the public. She lists improvements that would be funded if the ballot measure is approved on Election Day, such as pickleball courts and an ice sheet.
“These investments not only create new recreation buildings but also substantially improve our existing facilities — many of which are operating beyond their intended capacity. Some of these needs (such as expanded field lighting and an additional ice sheet) had been identified as far back as 2013,” the statement says.
She also says the improvements will benefit all types of Parkites.
“As Park City continues to see growth, recreation provides the opportunity to gather with friends, meet new people and build community. Having a robust public recreation program ensures that everyone has access to the benefits that come from recreation, regardless of income,” McNulty says.
The McNulty statement:
It’s been 22 years since Park City last asked voters to approve a recreation-focused bond. Vote Yes on the Park City Recreational Facilities Bond Question.
As Park City residents, we benefit from a long and storied commitment to recreation, health, and wellness. Over 50 years ago, organized fitness began in the War Memorial Building on Main Street with a local adult basketball league. Nearly 40 years ago, Park City purchased the foreclosed and privately-owned tennis facility which became the PC MARC. Twenty-two years ago, residents approved a bond for the construction of the Park City Ice Arena and the construction of several neighborhood parks.
Due to careful management by the Recreation Department and support of current and prior city councils, Park City has continuously improved recreation over the last two decades through varied sources of funding including grants, impact fees, and mindful budgeting. Notably, the City built the Park City Sports Complex at Quinn’s Junction and funded the 2011 renovation of the PC MARC. Many additional improvements have been made possible through the ingenuity of city staff seeking grants. Summit County RAP Tax Grants, for example, supported projects ranging from field turf replacement to pickleball sound mitigation.
As our community expands, and demand on existing facilities increases, residents need to comprehensively look at how best to improve recreation in our community while ensuring existing facilities receive the maintenance and attention they need. Over the past year, recreation department staff, the recreation advisory board, and community stakeholders have come together to create a future-looking Recreation Master Plan based on community outreach and volumes of feedback from previous recreation planning.
Park City voters now have the opportunity to pass a $30 million general obligation bond to bring this work to life. The plan includes both new construction and improvements to existing facilities: 1) indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, 2) a refrigerated and covered outdoor ice sheet, 3) a Nordic skiing and trailhead area, 4) expanded fitness facilities, 5) a bicycle pump track, 6) new sports field lighting and 7) maintenance facilities.
As part of this Recreation Master Plan, the City is also committing existing funds to replace the aging pools at the PC MARC and build a new City Park Recreation Building, home to the PC Summer Camp and other recreational programming.
These investments not only create new recreation buildings but also substantially improve our existing facilities — many of which are operating beyond their intended capacity. Some of these needs (such as expanded field lighting and an additional ice sheet) had been identified as far back as 2013.
As Park City continues to see growth, recreation provides the opportunity to gather with friends, meet new people and build community. Having a robust public recreation program ensures that everyone has access to the benefits that come from recreation, regardless of income. Now is our chance. Vote Yes on Question 1 and continue to advance the City’s mission and commitment to “enriching the lives in our community through exceptional people, programs, and facilities.”