You are invited to visit the recently completed Rio Concho Community Park & Texas Bank Sports Complex. This major park and sports complex, developed with 4B half-cent sales tax, includes eleven tournament-level softball fields, three little league fields, one T-Ball field, two concession/restrooms, playgrounds (thanks to a San Angelo Health Founation Grant), river access, as well as other standard park elements.
Also completed spring of 2009 was the renovation of Historic City Park downtown. City Park is the City's oldest park (1903) and renovation included a new playground, an ornamental pavilion, fitness equipment, improved walkways and connections, improved lighting, a new irrigation system, and improved landscaping.
Ongoing Project: The Community Tennis Facility Project (another 4B half-cent sales tax project) is well under way. Located off Jackson Street near Knickerbocker Road, the Community Tennis Facility will include six renovated courts, two tournament-level courts, restrooms, lighting, walkways, and a small shop for a managing not-for-profit tennis association.
Upcoming Projects: The River Trail and Improvements Project will include dredging of portions of the river late in 2009 and physical improvements late in 2010 to include bank stabilization, trail additions and refurbishment, new lighting, and some special elements. This is another 4B half-cent sales tax funded project. Producer's Park is a new 22.8 acre park development in northeast San Angelo. Construction should begin late in 2009 and is anticipated to be complete fall of 2010. Development will include two practice soccer fields, two practice ball fields, two playgrounds, a pavilion, restrooms, walking paths, lighting, parking, and other standard park elements. This project is funded by a Housing Urban Development Section 108 loan. Rio Vista Park renovation will include a complete renovation of Rio Vista Park on Ben Ficklin Road. It will include new playgrounds, a pavilion, restrooms, walkways, a practice ball field, basketball playing areas, new lighting, some landscaping, and general park improvements. This project should begin early in 2010 and is anticipated to be complete early in 2011. This project is funded by a Housing and Urban Development Section 108 loan. Meadow Creek Park is another park renovation project anticipated to begin early in 2010. This project will be funded with 4B half-cent sales tax funds and constructed by City crews.
Rio Concho Community Park & Texas Bank Sports Complex
Renovation will include a new playground, a picnic shelter, walkways, grounds improvements, lighting, and standard park elements.
Meadow Creek Park is the only park located in the entire Southland area.
MISSION STATEMENT-The mission of the Parks Division is “to provide, develop, and maintain a system of parks for public use and enjoyment.”
Essentially, the Parks Division is charged with ensuring all park facilities and grounds are attractive, healthy, safe, and full of leisure and recreation opportunities. Providing these opportunities positively impacts the entire city -- Leisure and recreation opportunities, and a safe and attractive parks system, improve the health of all of us physically and psychologically. They help to preserve and protect natural environments. They positively impact the city economically by providing tourist opportunities, bringing in infrastructure-free revenues and increasing property values. In addition, they improve the city socially by fostering interaction between different socio-economic and racial groups and by improving the pride citizens feel for their city.
San Angelo is a wonderful place to live and it is the duty of the Parks Division to help keep it that way!
The Parks Division, with a parks system dating back to 1903, provides for the maintenance and care of over six miles of trails, over 10 miles of river frontage, over 375 acres of developed park and open space land, a 33 acre municipal golf course, an international water lily collection, ten separate botanical and garden areas, 25 playgrounds, including Unidad and Kids’ Kingdom, 25 sports practice fields, and 27 picnic areas with over 200 picnic tables.
The Parks Division also provides for the development of additional needed community, neighborhood, and special-use parks, as identified in comprehensive and up-to-date parks, recreation, and open space master plans, including primary facilities such as playgrounds, trails, pavilions, sports practice fields, along with others and also special needs facilities such as skate parks, in-line hockey rinks, and the like.
Rehabilitation of existing recreational facilities is also a continual need. All improvements such as playgrounds, restroom facilities, ball fields, trails, pavilions, and others have a safe, effective, and expected life and use span. It is important to plan for and program the replacement of needed facilities. Community involvement and dedicated funding will help achieve these replacement needs.
