Park Master Plan Guides Newcastle Improvements
Published: Wednesday, July 1, 2020
A young couple moves to Newcastle, excited to be part of a smaller town. A place for close connections, community spirit, and hometown pride. Many Newcastle residents share this vision and City leaders are listening and taking action.
The results of a recent community survey have been delivered to architectural firm Howard-Fairbarn Site Design of Norman. The survey results will help develop a plan that caters to Newcastle residents. This is the third public survey in 5 years that focused on park improvements in Newcastle.
"We tend to see patterns in the things people want added to community and neighborhood parks," said Kevin Self, City Manager. "Walking and bicycle trails, a splashpad, festivals, and nature education are a few recent items that our residents have shown an interest in. We've also received dozens of suggestions from residents for things we didn't even think to mention. It's satisfying to see Newcastle residents involved in building a better community."
While existing city parks are important, Newcastle's Planning and Community Development Department sees opportunity within new neighborhoods for more parks to be created.
"I encourage developers to include land for parks as part of the process from the beginning," explained Todd Kennemer, Community Development Director. "Parks play a central role in our neighborhoods for public safety, storm water collection, mental health, physical fitness, and community involvement. In addition, parks can enhance property values and tourism. Our role is ensuring that developers recognize the value in building communities."