Though belt tightening abounds with this year’s budget discussions, one thing the Town Council is making a priority for this next fiscal year is improvements at Four Peaks Park.

The council is including $200,000 from the capital fund to begin a five-year improvement plan at the neighborhood park bounded by Calaveras, Del Cambre and El Sobrante avenues. The park is adjacent to the Boys & Girls Club and EVIT in the former Four Peaks School building.

Mayor Linda Kavanagh said the park has been neglected by the town for far too long, and the neighbors have been exceptionally patient with the town in making upgrades.

Kavanagh also pointed out the park is in a neighborhood surrounded by more young families than any of the town’s other park facilities.

Community Services Director Rachael Goodwin said staff is working on a far-reaching plan for improvements over a five-year schedule. This next fiscal year they will be looking at relocating playground equipment to upgrade the structures and improve access.

Currently there are 2-to-5-year and 5-to-12-year playsets in the area between the former school building and the Boys & Girls Club. Since the elementary school was closed those sets no longer get the use they previously received. They are also aging and subject to vandalism, according to Goodwin.

The area of focus for the initial project will be at the east side of the park off El Sobrante Avenue. There are existing basketball courts and a sand volleyball court on that site.

Goodwin said the plan for the coming year calls for the demolition of the basketball courts and sand volleyball court and replacing them with playground equipment. Parks Supervisor Kevin Snipes said staff is looking into how much of the demolition process can be handled by staff to save some costs.

“We want to make the funding go as far as possible,” Goodwin said.

Initially the equipment for the younger kids will be located at the new site, with the equipment for the older ages to be installed in that area later in the extended program. The basketball courts are also to be replaced within the five-year program.

Plans also call for a possible ramada or some shade structure in that area of the park. There are shade structures over the existing playground equipment.

Goodwin said they are working on a couple of grants related to the playground equipment, including with a manufacturer.

A key objective in looking at the new site for the playground is access. The site where an old School District bus barn was demolished is currently covered with gravel and will likely be used for additional parking.

Goodwin also said the new playground site will provide easier access to the existing restrooms in the park, which are on the north side of the wash. The relocation will also provide better ADA access to the facilities.

Goodwin said they also have a goal to rehabilitate the ball fields in the park south of the wash. Those fields do get heavy use and the turf is in poor shape.

Goodwin said the other improvements slated for the park have piqued the interest of an outside partner in rehabbing the ball fields. She expects to have additional information regarding that possible project later in the summer.

Goodwin said public feedback regarding the playground upgrades at Golden Eagle Park over the past year or so has motivated staff to look for ways to get these other improvements done.

The council originally had $100,000 in the budget from the CIP for the first phase of the Four Peaks upgrades. They determined not to spend about $100,000 on an unimproved section in Town Hall and chose instead to put that money toward Four Peaks also. With potential grants there may be as much as $250,000 available for the park this next fiscal year.