Logan County improving parks and public opportunities for fitness

 

[January 10, 2022] 

At the Logan County Board’s Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting on Tuesday, January 4, the committee heard updates on the Scully Park playground equipment upgrades and courthouse restoration progress.

Scully Park updates

In the past few weeks, several pallets of new playground equipment were delivered and installed at Scully Park. This equipment replaced the old equipment that had not been updated for many years. The new equipment will make it easier for ADA access.

Building and Grounds Committee Chairman David Blankenship said the installation of the new equipment is 90 percent complete. There is one more pallet to unload and Blankenship said that may be done next week.

Old equipment


Removal of old equipment

Delivery of new equipment

New slide

New big slide and swingset

Two truckloads of mulch were delivered in late November and have been spread out. They are about forty yards short of having enough mulch, so more will be brought in soon. Blankenship said new tables and trashcans have also been ordered. A baby swing will likely be added to the swing set.

Committee member Jim Wessbecher would like to have a live camera in the park especially for the ADA equipment. He wants to ensure nothing happens to it.

Latham and Scully Park upgrades

Because American Restoration Plan Act funds can be used for park improvements, improvements are being made at both Scully and Latham Parks. At December’s Committee meeting, Board Chairman Emily Davenport said she reached out to Becky Strait from the Lincoln Park District to ask about design ideas.

Strait said she wanted to have and open line of communications with the committee to discuss ideas for park improvements. Some parks in Lincoln are owned by the city, some by the county and some by the park district. She said parks are important avenues for kids and families and quality of life. They can even attract people to the area.
 

In the last couple of years, there has been more outdoor recreation. The Park District is trying to get pickleball courts for their property and it is something the county is also considering for Scully Park.

Other ideas Strait has heard from people in the community include having Frisbee golf, dog parks and splash pads.

In addition, walking trails or paths are something Strait said can be incorporated in every park. The committee discussed having a walking trail at Scully Park last month and Blankenship said he wants to explore that idea.

Strait said the Lincoln Public Library has expressed interest in having story board panels in the Latham Park. These panels could be put on a walking path. As people walk along the path, they will see various pages of a storybook. The library could possibly help with the project. Strait said stories are usually changed out a few times a year. Board Chairman Emily Davenport said that could draw people in.

The committee will be further exploring and discussing options for upgrades in upcoming months.

Courthouse restoration updates

Project Manager Bill Walter of MRTS gave an update on the dome and cupola work. Scaffolding around the dome has been taken down to where it is needed to put the top decking surface on the scaffolding. The intermediate decking the workers will operate from is almost all in place.

If everything keeps going the way it is, Walter said they should be ready to start enclosing the dome and cupola in plastic wrap this week (Jan. 10 - 14.)

The Construction Technical Committee has continued contract discussions with CTS. Walter is hoping CTS will have an updated presentation on performance contract next week. He said construction management documents and bid forms should be ready in approximately four weeks.

[Angela Reiners]