City reschedules parks and community open house
The Parks and Community Resources Open House planned for Feb. 20 regarding area parks and public spaces has been moved to next week due to inclement weather.
The City of Stillwater set the new date for the open house to 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Room 121 at the Stillwater Community Center, 315 W. 8th Ave.
The exact meeting location in the community center has been changed, due to space reservations and having to postpone the meeting, Chief Public Affairs Officer Dawn Dodson told the News Press. This is the second time the City has had to postpone the meeting due to inclement weather.
'Please bring your ideas and concerns, and let's discuss neighborhood parks and other public spaces,' the City wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday.
City staff will be sharing preliminary information they have collected through recent surveys, and there will be sign-ups available for volunteer opportunities.
Preliminary discussions have been ongoing for all parks in Stillwater, and more recently for Southern Woods Park, Couch Park and Sunset Park, according to earlier reporting by the News Press.
Ideas have been floated by City officials regarding new tennis and pickleball courts at Southern Woods Park. The City has also considered the sale of Sunset Park in order to use the funds for new courts and facilities allowing for better lighting, more parking, more people and restrooms.
Sunset Park
FILE —Sunset Park had a city sign with QR code for people to scan to participate in a use survey.
In a Dec. 16, 2024 City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager Christy Driskel told councilors that local government staff members are in conversations with the YMCA about how to have a community pool – and an outdoor water park, according to earlier reporting by the News Press.
YMCAs across the country partner with cities and schools, Driskel said. After more discussion she anticipated to be back in front of council to share information about a General Obligation bond that would fund an outdoor community pool to be managed by the YMCA.
Stillwater YMCA Executive Director Shane Harland told the News Press previously that the City is not only in talks for a public pool, but also for an entire outdoor water park. More details will be forthcoming this year.
Pool
FILE — The Stillwater Municipal Pool at Couch Park.
The decades-old Stillwater city pool was closed in the summer of 2024, seemingly for good, as repair and upkeep, or new construction, have proven too costly for Stillwater's budget. The city received criticism by residents for this, along with other parks and open space areas that have fallen into disrepair, like the sundeck at Boomer Lake.
The city contended that Stillwater has a larger amount of parks and open space than average cities its size to caretake: 17 acres per 1,000 residents in Stillwater, with the U.S. average being roughly 9.9 acres per 1,000 residents.
Arrowhead Park plan
Feedback from a resident survey has directed the City of Stillwater in future plans for Arrowhead Park. Amenities will include picnic tables, mutt mitts and covered picnic tables.
'We want the public to know that we have heard what they've had to say about our parks, and we're not happy with the state they're in either. So we're trying everything we can do to make everything a little bit better,' Parks and Community Resources Director Barbara Bliss said at the Dec. 16, 2024 City Council meeting.
The Community Resources division in Stillwater manages and maintains the Stillwater Community Center, Senior Center and Armory Recreation Center, as well as the Stillwater parks system, according to its website. They collaborate with Public Works for repairs, maintenance and construction in the parks, in addition to managing shelter rentals.
Barbara Bliss
FILE - A screenshot of Parks and Community Resources Director Barbara Bliss at City Council on Sept. 24, 2024.
Community Resources organizes events and works with other organizations and individuals to plan activities, including 5K runs, parades and other events requiring the public land use or street closures.
Local elected officials had said if Stillwater approved a data center economic development plan, money could be infused into the community, which could be used to improve parks and open spaces and create a better quality of life for its residents.
Local taxing entities voted to approve a tax incentive agreement for the data center economic development plan in January.
The City of Stillwater approved the tax incentive agreement at its Jan. 13 meeting, followed by Stillwater Public Schools Board of Education on Jan. 14. Payne County commissioners voted Jan. 21, although not unanimously. The Payne County Health Department voted unanimously Jan. 23 to approve the plan.
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