Ashley Hunter
Greene Publishing, Inc.
Sumpter James Park, located on SW Martin Luther King Dr., will be moving towards getting quite a few new and improved upgrades to the playground and surrounding area.
With the intent to improve city parks, the City of Madison received a $50,000 Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) grant to make general improvements and upgrades to Sumpter James Park. In the future, the city plans to apply for grants to add upgrades to Jesse Solomon and Miller Parks. The city also received another $50,000 FRDAP grant to be put towards building four youth tennis courts at Lanier Field.
While the playground equipment at the park looks pristine, with bright colors shining, just begging to be played on, the picnic tables on the grounds show an immense amount of wear and age. Peeling green paint and splintering wood makes these tables hard to look at, much less eat lunch on. The city plans to fix that.
Currently underway is a $22,000 covered picnic shelter, and additions, such as new cans for garbage and fresh picnic tables, will be added to complete the project.
City workers have also laid down hopscotch and shuffleboard platforms for children to play on.
Parks aren't just for children, and the park is hopefully going to appeal to all ages with the two new horseshoe pits that are currently under construction. The city also hopes to install better street-lighting around the park to keep it properly illuminated, so parents have less to worry about when the days get darker earlier.
The park will also be undergoing aesthetically pleasing upgrades, such as a new sign, fresh sod and budget-permitting sprinkler system. The city is also looking into methods of infrastructure that will help prevent flooding in the park, such as ditches or piping.
According to City Manager Tim Bennett, the Madison County Department of Health (DOH) has been invaluable in its support and contributions to the park and its ongoing projects.
It was the Madison DOH that had purchased the playground equipment and paid for the installation of the equipment.
“[This park] is all a part of a long term plan that the Health Department and City of Madison has had to create healthy living spaces in the city,” said the Madison DOH's Operations Manager Kim Albritton.
Bennett conveys his hope that the park will become a safe place for local churches, community groups and families to gather for their venues and enjoy being outdoors with one another.
For their assistance in applying for the FRDAP grant, Bennett wished to acknowledge City Community Development Director Chuck Hitchcock, Grant Administrator Mary Graham and former city employee Gloria Washington.