The City of Parkville seeks citizen input on the final master plan for Pocket Park, located at the intersection of Main Street at First Street. Public input is requested as part of the Parkville Board of Aldermen’s consideration for adoption of the plan on Dec. 1.
In April 2019, Parkville voters approved a one-half percent sales tax to be used to fund capital improvements to the city’s parks, including the neighborhood parks – Adams Park, Watkins Park and Pocket Park. The city engaged BBN Architects to lead the stakeholder discussion and develop two distinct concepts for improvements to Pocket Park. The city held meetings with stakeholders – downtown business owners and community leaders – to identify strengths, challenges and opportunities and gather feedback on their vision for Pocket Park.
Citizens were provided the opportunity to provide feedback on improvements they would like to see in the park through an online survey. In September, a public forum was held to review design concepts. Based on the feedback gathered from the stakeholder meetings and the survey, BBN created the final design of the Pocket Park Master Plan.
In an effort to gradually improve the park over time and as funding becomes available, the consultant developed a three-phased Pocket Park Master Plan.
The first phase includes immediate improvements necessary for the park, including reconstructing the steps on the south side and the decking located in the middle of the park.
The second phase includes additional improvements to accomplish the community’s priorities, including:
.Reconstructing the street level plaza area to provide more space for gathering, including building a stone veneer seat wall around the perimeter; and
.Relocating the Bill Grigsby statue to the upper level terrace; and
.Installing decorative bollards along the existing curb line.
The third and final phase includes the elements in the full master plan. Primary improvements include a minimal curb bump out to expand the area for gathering and to enhance safety, while keeping the loading zone in front of the park for downtown businesses.
The final proposal was reviewed during a public forum on Tuesday, Oct. 20 and at Parkville City Hall and virtually through Zoom.
The renderings included in the Pocket Park Master Plan will serve as a guide for design and budgeting decisions in the future. The plan is available on the city’s website and will be presented to the board of aldermen on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, at 7 p.m.
For more information or to submit feedback on the plan, contact Public Works Project Manager Chris Ashley at (816) 741-7676.