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Longfellow Community Park
Proposal to City of Toledo
April 22, 2014
ContentsBackground 2
Proposal 3
Cost 8
Contact Info 10
Contents
1
Background
Longfellow Elementary was one of the schools affected by the
Toledo Public Schools’ school improvement project, which was
voted on by Toledo voters in 2010. It was demolished by the city
over a year ago, and a new Longfellow was built a mile away from
its former location. After its relocation, the city acted quickly to
demolish the vacant building, leading many people in the community
to believe that the city had a plan for the space. This, however, was
not the case. After removing the building the city simply sodded
the ground and left a giant field in the middle of the surrounding
neighborhood. I would like to convert the empty field that once
housed Longfellow Elementary into a park with an integrated
underground storm water detention system that will manage excess
water runoff and prevent flooding of the surrounding neighborhoods. 2
Proposal
Since Longfellow is one of the most populated TPS elementary
schools, the field is located in the middle of a neighborhood
where there are a large number of families with small children;
it would make a perfect area to turn into a park. One thing
about the neighborhood that I noticed was that there were no
nearby playgrounds (the closest ones require children to cross
very busy roads to reach.) In order to make this a friendly space
that the entire community can enjoy I would like it to include a
playground for children. This will not only give children a safe
environment to play, it will also help promote physical activity.
Along with the playground, I would like to build a series of ‘picnic
stations’ that will each consist of a picnic table, awning, grill 3
Proposal
and both garbage and recycle bins. This individual awning setup
will allow multiple groups to enjoy the space in private, yet it is
open enough to promote social interaction among groups. The
picnic stations will be built onto concrete slabs that will house
drainage inlets that will collect excess water and channel it
into a storage basin where it will be absorbed into the soil in a
controlled manner, successfully preventing any possible flooding.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of the detention system
the park will need to have a very gentle inward slope towards
these inlets to allow the rainwater will naturally flow into them.
The finishing touch for the park will be a community garden
that will act as the central hub of the park. Not only can a 4
Proposal
community garden be easily maintained, it can be a great learning
experience for children and a way for neighbors to socialize
with one another. A garden is also something that can be used
almost all year round by planting different types of plants.
While it may seem like a strange pairing, this park/ water detention
combo is a perfect match. As a child I always hated how after it
would rain all of the parks and fields around my house would become
flooded for days. This is because most parks are not designed to
handle water and instead become useless until they become dry. This
would not be an issue if these spaces would have utilized a water
detention system. Not only would this prevent the local neighborhoods
from flooding the park itself would not become waterlogged, no 5
Proposal
matter how much it rained, allowing it to be used more often. While the
park would have garbage cans, accidents can happen and trash may
find its way inside the detention system. This may seem like a problem,
but detention systems are designed with a trash filtering chamber that
simply need emptied every couple years. This will allow the system
to remain at maximum efficiency, with minimal work needed done
by the city. Another major advantage to building the detention basin
is that by preventing excess water from pooling above the ground, it
will not attract unwanted pests such as mosquitoes or waterfowl.
The last thing that the park will need is a concrete trail that connects
the park and all of its components to the two sidewalks that are
located on its north and south sides. Along the path I would like to
build benches that will allow people to relax and enjoy the space. 6
Proposal
This would give people a great place to read, do homework, or
simply meet up with friends. In order to keep the park lit, solar
powered lights could be constructed and will allow the park
to be self-sufficient and have a reduced carbon footprint.
7
Cost
The total cost to complete this project would be $60,000 and would
take 3 months to build. When dealing with a project like this the main
issue is getting the funding. Thanks to the internet, there are multiple
ways to get the money. The first thing that I would do would be to
start a ‘Kick Starter’ page online. Kick Starter allows people from
anywhere in the world donate money to proposed projects. This method
is especially great because not only can people donate as much or as
little as they want they are able to do it from the comfort of their own
home. The other main methods for raising the money would be local
donations through events like fundraisers and also by asking local
companies for a possible sponsorship. businesses could also donate
recourses such as plants or materials to build the benches, in exchange
for a plaque, thanking them for their contributions to the park. 8
Cost
9
Water retention System $17,000
Playground Equipment $13,000
Landscaping $10,000
Park Fixtures $8,000
Picnic Stations $5,000
Garden $3,000
Tax $4000
$60,000
Contact Info
10
If you have any questions in reviewing this proposal, please do not
hesitate to contact me at (567) 277 – 3493 or [email protected].
I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Thank you very
much for your time.
Sincerely,
Andrew Grady