ALLENTOWN, Pa. — As the city gears up for upgrades to its park system, the first round of public input sessions Wednesday got heated at points.
Residents complained of insufficient lighting, lack of maintenance at some parks and inaccessibility.
The most prominent concern, however, was that the park system'splans for improvementwere too focused on the distant future, rather than the present.
"Parks make a place attractive. People want to have roots here, they want to grow their businesses here."Pankaj Jobanputra, Simone Collins Landscape Architecture
Kicking off the meeting, Pankaj Jobanputra of Norristown-based Simone Collins Landscape Architecture presented a slideshow of data on Allentown's parks.
Some highlights included that Allentown has an average of 1.7 acres of parks per person in the city, giving it among the highest ratios of "park space per person" of any U.S. city.
Jobanputra went as far as to call it a "city in a park," a phrase that has been used in Allentown planning circles since 2006, he said.
He also touted the benefits of parks in general.
"Parks make a place attractive," he said. "People want to have roots here, they want to grow their businesses here."
He also extracted data from the running app Strava, and used it to make a "heat map," demonstrating which areas within parks were getting the most and least use (from the sample size of runners, bikers and hikers who use the app)
The presentation also compared Allentown's park system with the National Recreation and Parks Association's metrics, which recommends benchmarks for points such as how many basketball courts, benches and public restrooms per person should exist in an average city.
According to Jobanputra's research, Allentown passes with flying colors. He then opened up the room for public input on what types of improvements people would like to see in the park in the coming decades.
'I will come down there with you'
Those in attendance nodded heads in the room after Jobanputra's presentation, but a few raised their hands immediately to echo the complaint that the parks need improvement now, not later.
Eric Rodriguez, of East Allentown, said he likes to play basketball in Keck Park, and said he feels as though it's completely forgotten.
"The walking path intertwines with a parking lot... It’s not always a safe environment for kids to navigate."Eric Rodriguez
"I've emailed the city and the parks department several times in the last couple of years, just trying to get graffiti removed from one of the basketball hoops, and, nothing," Rodriguez said.
He was accompanied by a few small children, and one of them whispered in his ear.
"Yes, and the slides are too hot," he said with a laugh.
"The walking path intertwines with a parking lot — actually two parking lots, and cars drive back there, they smoke weed back there, they sit in the back for hours, it’s not always a safe environment for kids to navigate."
Allentown Parks and Recreation Director Mandy Tolino was in the room and stood up to respond: "I will come down there with you, and we will resolve this."
Tolino said it was the first time she had heard of those issues.
Lighting, public safety, seniors
Wednesday's meeting was held in a training room in Bucky Boyle Park.
"The fact that I pulled into this parking lot and there was not a single light, that's insane," Jim Spang said.
Some in the room audibly agreed.
"Whoever the risk manager is for this city, I don't know why he isn’t kicking someone’s butt," Spang said.
"In this whole plan, there's very little discussion about the seniors and access and accessibility, so I’m concerned about that."Representative of the American Association of Retired Persons
He also requested that more law enforcement conduct patrols in parks.
"Someone needs to have a policeman assigned to parks, that patrols and reports to the chief of police, and the director of Parks and Recreation," he said.
Another attendee, who identified herself only as Valentina, said she was concerned with the lack of lighting at community gardens throughout the city's park system — so much so, that she chooses not to use them.
"The dope fiends would take my damn planters," she said. "There's no way I could use those community gardens with the way they're set up now."
Toward the end of the meeting, she said, "just give me a light, and I'll shut up. Maybe."
One commenter, representing the American Association of Retired Persons, gave a criticism from the perspective of older Allentonians.
"In this whole plan, there's very little discussion about the seniors and access and accessibility, so I’m concerned about that," he said.
Another chimed in and said, "I'm 64 years old, and there's no recreation for me, I have to make my own recreation."
The representatives from the Parks and Recreation department assured the room that they would follow all guidelines with future constructions and make note of their feedback.
Enter Mayor Tuerk
In the latter half of the meeting, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk arrived. He apologized for being late due to a City Council meeting.
Tuerk, who is running for re-election, addressed the room and thanked people for showing up.
"Don't hold back, say everything. Dream big, because you never know what's going to be out there waiting for us."Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk
"I'm so grateful to see you all here, and I hope that everybody can stay involved over the development of this master plan," he said. "Because the master plan is going to be an opportunity for us to do things, again and again and again.
"When the funds become available various different sources, we will be able to turn them into your vision for the city."
After taking a couple of questions from the room, Tuerk finished by saying: "Don't hold back, say everything. Dream big, because you never know what's going to be out there waiting for us."
The next public input session is scheduled for Jan. 8 at East Side Youth Center, 1140 E. Clair St.
A survey regarding the Comprehensive Recreation and Parks Plan for Allentown is live and available in both English and Spanish.
