Warren County Parks and Recreation announces new 7 year strategic plan

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Warren County Parks and Recreation Department is rolling out a new seven-year master plan, aimed at improving existing parks and adding new amenities.

The plan has been in the works since February and was unveiled during Thursday’s fiscal court meeting.

Officials say the goal is to take the feedback they’ve collected from Warren County residents, and use it to create park spaces that better serve the community.

“At this point in time, there are other recreation facilities, municipalities, counties within our southern Kentucky area that are investing over $70 million in developments… and so we want to make sure that as our community grows, fastest growing county in the state, that we’re able to keep par and keep up with what the community is demanding, and so we wanted to make sure that we’re addressing those and then planning for the future,” WCPR director Chris Kummer says.

Some of the parks that will see improvements include Ephraim White, Phil Moore, Michael O. Buchanon and Basil Griffin, and another goal is to make sure the parks last for future generations.

“Some of the improvements would require older restroom facilities to be taken down, rebuilt. It would require some engineering of existing electrical infrastructure that has been repeatedly damaged by weather events or flooding, different things like that. It’s an investment, and so the way that we are planning on doing that through the strategic plan, as resources and funding allows is to be able to make those problem areas not problem areas anymore… and when we say that we… we’re hoping for lifespans of these facilities for 30, 40 plus years with the improvements,” Kummer says.

The plan is set to cost $14.9 million for the improvements, and around $49.5 million for the additions.

News 40 will keep you updated as we learn more on these projects.