CITY STAFF PLANS FOR PARK DEVELOPMENT; INTERNAL STUDY WILL SAVE MONEY

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department is creating a plan for future development of the entire city park system.

"What we are trying to do internally is to look at all of the parks and try to come up with some general recommendations for future development," said department director Dan Muser.

A seven-member team composed of department staff is charged with developing the plan.

While many cities hire an outside consultant to put together such plans, Muser said he prefers to do it internally. It might not be as detailed as a consultant could provide, but it saves a substantial amount of money that could be better used on park development projects, he said.

The staff report should be ready within three months and submitted to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for additional input and recommendations.

Muser projects a completed plan will be available to the public in six to nine months.

The goal is to create a plan outlining what improvements are needed and desired or what other changes are appropriate at each of the city's many parks.

The issue of how to pay for the recommendations will wait until after the plan is approved.

"We're not going to worry about where we would get the money but what we want to do if we have the funds," Muser said. That way, he said, if the financial opportunities for development arise, the department has a better idea of what needs to be done.

"To a large degree, we need to have ideas in place and have something on paper to steer us in the right direction so we don't do things haphazardly," Muser said.

The plan will provide a priority list of projects to be funded with future funds budgeted for capital improvements.

It will also outline which park areas are most appropriate for certain kinds of developments. For example, Muser said the study team will look at where the best location for a new swimming pool complex would be if the city decided to build one.

"It is something that will eventually have to be addressed," Muser said. "Capaha Pool has probably lasted a couple more decades longer than was intended."

All the city parks, as well as the Shawnee Sports Complex and Municipal Golf Course, will be included in the plan.