posted on 10/26/2021
Long-awaited upgrades to Amanda Howard Park are now underway at the Elmwood/Fairview neighborhood park.
Earlier this month, a Community Services crew aided with installing a new play structure and swings. Further amenities, including benches, decorative fencing, a picnic table and a gazebo are also planned for the park. Increasing the size of the park is also part of the upgrades. In 2019, the City Council authorized the purchase of 0.19 acres of adjacent land for $80,000 to extend the park. In addition to increasing the park’s size, the additional parcel provided the space to adjust the grade of the original property to allow for a new and larger play structure and swings.
The total cost of the upgrades, including the property purchase, is $141,000, said Recreation Director Gary Bannon, who is overseeing the project. The project cost is offset with $100,000 of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The remaining $41,000 is funded through Recreation capital reserve funds.
According to the Master Plan, Amanda Howard Park was dedicated in 1977 to neighborhood resident Amanda Howard who had succumbed to cancer. It has been identified for improvement since at least the 2009 Recreation Chapter of Master Plan, and was first included in the annual Capital Improvements Program in fiscal year 2009. At that time, the cost was estimated to be $200,000.
For more information, contact the Recreation Department at 603-516-6041.
Community Services workers helped install a new play structure and swings at Amanda Howard Park earlier this month.