It is a smart idea to have a committee invested in the future of parks in Lisbon.
Over the past five years, the City of Lisbon has purchased property near Meyers Meadow and the McElmeel property, with land from those purchases designated for parks locations in the community.
The first work has started on grading the new sports complex in Lisbon, with YTT and their contractors slated to have the first phase of the project completed by October of this year and ready to use by next fall.
The city has also been working with Curtis Blinks to restore the barns on the McElmeel property, damaged during the derecho in 2020.
There has been other small work at the McElmeel property, including replacing the damaged gazebo, restocking the fishing pond and adding aeration to the pond.
Planning and work on the nature park and its amenities are going to take a number of years to accomplish, and having a committee who can seek grants and other funds to help bring a number of amenities to the new park space is a smart venture.
As parks and recreation director Drayton Kamberling noted, his and the parks and recreation commission’s focus has been to the recreation opportunities in Lisbon. The parks and recreation activities in Lisbon for youth and adults are packed, with Kamberling reporting numbers that highlight the need for the coming sports activity complex to house soccer and ball fields for area youth.
The proposed committee that Lisbon is exploring is a venture investing in a future park in the city, the first new park in a number of years, and this type of investment needs more planning to help guide the amenities and items people are looking for in the new nature park. Trails, care to existing foliage and grounds and the barns being refurbished for the shelter purposes the city wants to use need citizens championing these efforts.