The City of Kenosha park system includes 71 park and conservation areas. The goal of updating the city’s 1999 plan was to provide staff with a road map for future site maintenance and operation, identify needs for facility expansion and to prioritize projects. SAA conducted a robust public process to gain public input including an online survey and community meetings throughout city neighborhoods. Complementing the public engagement were on-site analyses of the parks during prime use hours in the evenings, on weekends and during special events. Key recommendations included approaches to interconnecting parks, development of a special lakefront park system along Lake Michigan, expanding current bicycle and trail networks, improving universal accessibility and updating equipment and park support facilities.
The finished plan provides a 10 year program and budgeting strategy for maintaining and improving Kenosha’s renowned park system.