Lawton City Council deems some parks surplus

The City of Lawton may soon have 10 fewer parks to maintain.

On Tuesday, the City Council voted to declare 10 parks as surplus. Some of those will be sold at auction and some will revert to the developer. And in some instances, individuals or organizations already have expressed an interest in maintaining the space.

The city’s Parks and Recreation staff has spent several months analyzing each of Lawton’s 72 parks and open spaces that are included in the parks inventory. Those parks/open spaces total almost 657 acres and are spread throughout the city.

The city also commissioned a study by Halff and Associates to study the city’s parks and create a master plan. The study recommended that the city parks department have 8.2 full-time employees per 10,000 residents. Lawton has 3.2 parks employees per 10,000 residents. The study recommended Lawton have 63 full-time parks employees; it has a shortage of 29 employees. That means the city simply does not have the staff to adequately oversee the number of parks in Lawton’s inventory.

So the goal is to reduce the park acreage and eliminate about 100 acres, according to Parks and Recreation Director Christine James.

On Tuesday, the city was one step closer to achieving that goal. Nineteen parks totaling 52.4 acres were listed to be declared surplus. After discussion, the council agreed to declare 10 parks totaling 37.1 acres as surplus.

In some cases the parks/spaces may be auctioned, in others the property will return to the developer or the heirs who donated the property.

Ward 1 stands to lose five of its seven parks. The council deemed as surplus Baltimore Park, Atlanta Park, Charlie Ray Park, Harold Park and a portion of Stephens Park.

James noted that Baltimore, Atlanta and Charlie Ray parks are pocket parks. She said Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) has expressed interest in acquiring Baltimore and Atlanta parks and planting community gardens.

She said Harold Park, 1420 NW 40th Street, attracts the homeless. The park has no street access, is behind a commercial area and is in the floodplain. Amenities include a basketball court, playground and picnic tables.

The land was deeded by William H. and Edna House and states that if it is not used for public purposes it reverts back to Grantors.

Stephens Park, 1804 NW 23rd Street, has limited street access. It contains a backstop, tennis court, playgrounds and drainage canal from Northwest Denver to Cache Road. James said a property owner has expressed an interest in 0.3 of an acre. She suggested the rest of the park be turned over to the Drainage Maintenance Division.

In Ward 2, Military Park and Carroll Park were listed as surplus. Military Park does not have access that is usable. James said it would go back to the developer.

Carroll Park, 1236 NW Carroll Avenue, is another pocket park.

James said an organization has expressed an interest in Francis Curb Park, 3 acres, 401 NW Woodridge.

Mayor Stan Booker expressed concern over eliminating Francis Curb Park from the city’s inventory because there is no other park in the neighborhood.

Ward 2 Councilman Kelly Harris said there is no public access to the park.

Ward 2 has a total of 13 parks totaling 205.8 acres and two were considered surplus. Francis Curb was removed from the surplus list since an organization is interested in it.

Ward 3 has seven parks with 42.5 acres. One park, 33rd Street Park, 808 NW 33rd Street, was deemed surplus. James said it, too, is a pocket park and that perhaps TSET would be interested in acquiring it.

One park, Sungate at 6.6 acres in Ward 4, was removed from the list. It is being used as a well site and equipment is stored there. If Sungate is declared surplus, it would revert back to the developer due to reversionary language in the deed.

Only one park in Ward 5, which has 14 parks totaling 44.8 acres, was deemed surplus. B.O. Davis Park, at the northwest corner of Southwest F Avenue and Southwest 6th Street, is maintained by the Lawton Housing Authority. The council agreed to deed it to the Lawton Housing Authority.

Wilson Park, 2113 NW Columbia, was removed from the surplus list following council discussion.

The park is divided into four sections, James said. Two lots are between two cul-de-sacs. The north area contains basketball courts, a playground and benches.

James recommended keeping the playground and basketball court deem the two platted lots and the south portion as surplus to be sold at auction. A portion of the park would revert to the developer.

“There is a lot of interest in this park. These people feel like this is their park,” Ward 5 Councilman Allan Hampton said, saying he wanted to discuss the idea more.

James said residents of the neighborhood might want to consider joining the Adopt-a-Park program where residents can agree to maintain the park.

One park in Ward 6, Great Plains Park, 1711 NW 67th Street, was deemed surplus. The 1.8-acre park has a playground but has limited access, according to James.

Parks in Ward 7 were not discussed because Ward 7 Councilwoman Onreka Johnson was absent. A date for discussion on those parks was not set.

James later said the Parks and Recreation Department will bring the parks deemed as surplus back to the council so they can set a minimum bid for the property and set an auction date. She estimated it probably would be late summer or early fall.