PETOSKEY — The next phase of planning is coming for Petoskey’s Winter Sports Park — and now’s your time to get a say about future changes.
On Tuesday, Aug. 19, Beckett & Raeder hosted an informational session at city hall, giving people the chance to talk with planners about potential options for the park, including new ways to encourage year-round use. The event is part of developing the Winter Sports Park’s master plan.
There are currently 23 items included in the plan, and people were encouraged to cross out the ones they don’t think are worth pursuing or spending time on during the session.
Options for the summer include the creation of an amphitheater for outdoor concerts and plays, a playground for different age groups, an activity lawn, and a walking and parkour track.
Winter projects include a magic carpet leading to the top of the hill, different slope options and more.
Multiple options are relevant for year-round activities, like a multipurpose sports field for soccer in summer and ice skating during the winter, an expanded lodge deck, and an event and display patio.
Additionally, Becket & Raeder had the executive summary available to view results from a public survey regarding the Winter Sports Park. The survey received 819 responses.
According to the summary, 44% of respondents were city residents, while 56% were not. Primarily, non-city residents were from Bear Creek, Resort, Springvale and Little Traverse townships.
Both residents and non-residents alike were either ambivalent or positive about the idea of changing the name of the Winter Sports Park to a name reflecting year-round use.
Additionally, 82% of Petoskey residents responding to the survey said they would be likely or very likely to vote in support of a millage that funded park improvements, with 83% offering the same answer if the millage was focused on the Winter Sports Park.
Beckett & Raeder is still seeking community feedback for the project, with an updated set of designs and proposals set to be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission and then the Petoskey City Council.
The in-development master plan is available to view online at petoskeywsp.org. People can provide feedback on the plan by using the comment card at the bottom of the page.
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @KarlyGrahamJrn.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: What do you want to see at the Winter Sports Park? Now’s your time to give feedback
Reporting by Karly Graham, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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