Oxford’s parks will be a major focus in 2025
Published on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, 12:06
- Price Hill Park. Photo by OPC
As the day for the Oxford Board of Aldermen to approve the city’s budget for fiscal year 2025 draws ever closer, board members, department heads and Mayor Robyn Tannehill are busily discussing last-minute changes and additions.
During a budget hearing last week, one of the requests was to increase funding for a more thorough study of Oxford’s parks, particularly those with playgrounds.
In July, the board agreed to allocate $25,000 for a study of Stone Park to determine the best use of the site before any renovations are undertaken.
The city has already allocated $500,000 to renovate the city’s most used park, Avent Park.
City councillors decided that several parks in Oxford needed to be reviewed to determine if they needed upgrading, including Price Hill Park, Bailey Branch Park and Stone Park.
The board approved an increase in funding for the park studies to $80,000.
However, these studies will likely not be conducted until after the city’s planning department completes a citywide evaluation of parks and trails throughout the city.
Tannehill said the evaluation will not include playground equipment.
“It’s a master plan for parks and trails,” she said. “As we grow, do we have to try to buy an acre here to have a park? So that’s different than these individual park studies.”
The larger study will help identify new areas within the city where a park is needed, and what type of park is needed, depending on the population and demographics. For example, are there a lot of families in the area and would a playground be the best solution, or are walking paths primarily for older adults?
Once the assessment is complete, the city can use this information and conduct individual parking studies to examine the design of the property and the best locations for equipment and parking.
The $65 million budget proposal can be viewed online on the city’s website. A public hearing will be held at City Hall on September 3 at 5 p.m. The budget must be approved by September 15.
The financial year runs from 1 October to 30 September.
During the meeting, the board also approved an increase in the Oxford Police Department’s budget to hire a full-time police officer and install new security cameras in the Oxford Activity Center building and the Ulysses “Coach” Howell Activity Center.
