As our City leaders consider how to grow Victoria, Parks & Recreation is playing a key role in making Victoria a more attractive place to live, work and (especially) play.
When people are thinking about moving to a new city, they look at a variety of factors to determine whether their potential new home is the type of place they want to live. Parks and green spaces can play a big role in that initial impression. Whether someone is looking for a playground to take their kids or a nature trail where they can exercise, Parks & Recreation facilities are a crucial reflection of a city’s quality of life.
At any given time, my staff and I are working on about a dozen projects that will improve our parks, though the progress may not always be visible. For example, we are currently in talks with a design concept firm to help plan improvements to the Riverside Children’s Park, with the goal of bringing a design contract to City Council later this year.
In addition to addressing our large community parks that are used by many residents, we are also working to systematically improve our smaller neighborhood parks. Last year we were proud to provide Brownson Park with its first upgrade in decades, and we are looking forward to servicing our other neighborhood parks on a more regular basis.
Many of these projects make use of specialized funding sources to ensure that we are using our resources efficiently. Parks projects are often eligible for Victoria Sales Tax Development Corporation funds. Some of our projects are funded by grants from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and other state and federal agencies. We are also thankful for the support of generous community donors, such as the Marsha Shanklin Foundation, which is helping to fund the new splash pad at the Riverside Children’s Park.
Depending on where projects are located, some of them are eligible for federal Community Development Block Grant funding that serves low- to moderate-income residents. This is the case for many of our neighborhood park projects, with CDBG funds being used for new lighting and new walking trails to provide accessible recreation to lower-income residents.
When determining how to improve Victoria’s parks, we are guided by the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, which was developed with input from hundreds of residents. Many of our recent and upcoming projects can be tied back to this plan, such as the Riverside Bark dog park and the new bathroom at Ethel Lee Tracy Park. We also rely on ongoing guidance from local leaders and community members.
As more residents speak up about their goals and wishes for Victoria’s park, we will be better equipped to make changes that fit the needs of our community. If you would like to get involved, I encourage you to come to our Parks & Recreation Commission meetings, which are held on the second Monday of each month at 5 p.m. at City Council chambers. You can also share your ideas by reaching out to parks@victoriatx.gov.
Lisa Wube is the director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Victoria.