ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A monthslong initiative to lay out the future of Allentown’s park system soon will bear its fruit.
Simone Collins Landscape Architecture has worked since November to develop a master plan to guide the city’s parks over the next 15 years.
About 20 people met Wednesday night at Fearless Fire Company No. 14 banquet hall for the fifth and final public-input meeting organized by the Bucks County firm.
Project manager Pankaj Jobanputra offered a sneak peek at some of the goals and opportunities identified through the first four resident-focused meetings, as well as sessions with city officials.
Almost 2,000 residents took the company’s online parks survey.Simone Collins Landscape Architecture
Safety and accessibility are essential for Allentown’s parks to thrive, Jobanputra said.
He said many public spaces would benefit from upgraded crosswalks, traffic-calming measures and amenities such as restrooms and lighting.
Better connections with bike lanes, sidewalks and bus routes — and accessible entrances — would open the city’s parks to more people, he said.
Simone Collins also is analyzing potential infrastructure improvements as part of its master-planning.
Almost 2,000 residents took the company’s online parks survey. Among their hopes are new pools and aquatic facilities, better access to natural waterways, more basketball courts and an indoor recreation center for year-round use.
That survey closes at the end of July.
'A lot of feedback'
Simone Collins’ project timeline indicates the company will publish a draft of its recommended parks master plan in August.
Residents then will get at least 30 days to weigh in before Allentown City Council moves to approve it this fall.
“We’re going to be really, really, really busy for this next month,” Simone Collins’ Robert Gladfelter said.
“We've had a lot of feedback from all parts of the city, so I'm really happy with where we are right now.”Mandy Tolino, director of Allentown’s parks and recreation department
Mandy Tolino, director of Allentown’s parks and recreation department, told LehighValleyNews.com she's been “impressed” by the level of public input at Simone Collins’ meetings since November.
“We've had a lot of feedback from all parts of the city, so I'm really happy with where we are right now,” she said.
That “shows how engaged the community is in Allentown and that they care about their parks,” Tolino said.
Tolino said she will work with Simone Collins to ensure the master plan is “a realistic plan” that has some “overarching” broad goals and some “less expensive, quicker things we can turn around” to improve residents’ quality of life.
The parks director said she's especially excited to read the firm’s analysis of Allentown’s more than 40 plus recreational spaces.
The breakdown will help focus the city’s funding and upgrade efforts, she said.
