Hays City Commissioners offered encouraging words Thursday evening to organizers spearheading a fully accessible playground, ball park and splash pad at one of the city’s existing parks.
Commissioner Henry Schwaller IV told the group to be flexible and persistent and that he thought they could succeed with the ambitious $1.6 million project, particularly if they approach fundraising and construction in phases.
“You don’t have to do all three things at once,” Schwaller said. “If you want to do this in phase 1, 2 and 3, we’d be amenable to that as well. So I’d give you an 18-month window of time to build the playground, or whatever, raise money and execute it. …Just see how that goes and work through the other elements of it.”
The Arc of the Central Plains group presented details of the recreation complex at the commission’s regularly scheduled work session in City Hall. They are asking the city for permission to build the complex in Seven Hills Park at 33rd and Hillcrest. No existing park components would be disturbed, they said.
In describing the project, Sarah Meitner said response to the project has been overwhelmingly supportive.
(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)