Parks & Recreation:The Impact of Seymour Smith Park

Creighton MBA 776Rachel Huggins, Patrick Smith & Matthew Kellie

Seymour Smith Park• 197 Acres• Barrier Free Playground• 5 Lit Baseball Fields• 3 Soccer Fields• 8 Horseshoes• 4 Tennis Courts• Disc Golf Course• Paths & Trails• Trap & Skeet Range• Soap Box Derby Track

Where is the Park?

• 68th & Harrison (On the Big Papio Trail)• Part of a complex of parks including:– La Vista Sports Complex– Sun Valley Park– Harper Park– Glenmorrie Park– Hollis Park– Mayor Park

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“We try to come almost every day, it helps kill time, gives us something to do after school, will be fun in the summer when all the kids are out” – Devan Johnstan

“I started coming about a month ago when things were almost finished, this park is designed more like the ‘street’ than other parks that are purely half pipes and ramps, This one has stairs and more railings.” –Devan Johnstan

“Kids of all ages come, I would probably be out getting into trouble with my friends without the park, they’re probably drinking right now, my parents are cool with me going here because they know I’m not getting into trouble” – Derick Foote

• Seymour Smith Park features the only public trapping site on the east side of town

“This is a very good site for trapping, it’s got a good location, relaxed atmosphere, good mix of people come here, wide variety of ages, good place to teach kids gun safety and shooting skills” – John Wright

Frisbee Golf• Michael Balkovec – 15• Has only been “frolfing” a few

times but he’s hooked now• Loves being outside and hanging

out with friends• Fun game, close to where he lives• Parents like that they know

where he is and could come track him down if they wanted to check up on him

• Plans to come at least 2-3 times a week during the summer

• Likes that he can throw the Frisbee as hard as he can without worry about losing it in the street…most of the time

The Importance of Barrier Free

• Freeing a building of barriers means:• Recognizing the features that could form barriers for some

people• Thinking inclusively about the whole range of impairments• Reviewing everything - from structure to smallest detail• Seeking feedback from users and learning from mistakes

• Bruce Fondt helped raised money for the barrier free park & manages the leagues

• Opened June 2009• Entirely Privately Funded,

maintained by the city• First Barrier Free park for

Omaha• For more information on

‘Miracle Leagues’ visit: www.Allplay.org

The All Play complex also includes a playground

Barrier Free Playground

Impact of parks with Steve Scarpello, Greater Omaha Parks Administrator

• Having things to do in the neighborhood keeps kids out of trouble

• Balance in park layout is important, for instance, the skate park has older kids that might be swearing or smoking so we want to keep a distance between that and the barrier free park

• The Skate Park is not ‘technically’ open yet, but the Grand Opening is coming soon!

• Biggest Parks & Recreation success was the opening of the pedestrian bridge

• Parks & Recreation handles all of the Riverfront property

• Omaha encourages a lot of public/private partnerships, most parks are opened this way

• Parks must be used for ‘park purposes’ i.e., no housing or other structures can be built on the property

• Future plans for the barrier free park include adding a ‘water area’

• Other park projects include:– Lake Zorinsky Pool, a

$4M project in SW Omaha

– 120th & Hefflinger Park, former baseball fields that were sinking turned into a BMX park and dog park

• Parks department employs about 180 in the off season and over 1,000 in the summer

Thank You

• Steve Scarpello• Devan Johnstan• Derick Foote• John Wright• Micheal Balkovic

For more Information