Euclid residents encouraged to share views on Sims Park Master Plan | Editorial ​ | Opinion – News-Herald

It’s a good idea for local governments to seek opinions from residents about important projects that are being developed in their communities.

So we were pleased to learn that Euclid city administrators recently held their second round of community engagement conversations about the future of Sims Park, during a community open house.

Hosted by the city and members with SmithGroup, an architecture firm hired to help with the construction of the master plan, residents were presented on Feb. 1 with two different versions of possible additions to the park, which were assembled with the help of input from the previous meeting.

Stressing that the designs presented are not finalized and are just concepts of what is possible, city Planning Manager Christine McIntosh said that they highlight different aspects that residents have been asking for in the past.

“We’ve only had suggestions from the steering committee so far,” McIntosh told The News-Herald’s Frank Mecham. “So that’s what this public meeting is starting to gather, is the public comments on the two concepts.

“And it’s not an either-or-choice, it’s a ‘What do you like about both?’ and how can we bring those ideas into one unified plan? So, this is really the kickoff for public feedback on the two concepts.”

According to the presentation at the meeting, the aim of the plan was to “develop a coherent vision that will serve as a road map for the phased implementation of improvements at Sims Park,” and that part of that was to locate a suitable area for a new playground, reconfigure and expand parking, improve connectivity, address the role that the Henn Mansion plays and reconstruct the Blufftop Vista seating area.

The first preliminary concept proposed a water access drop-off at the north end of the Henn Mansion parking lot, centrally located shelters and restrooms as well as beach boardwalks and additional seating.

In contrast, the second concept proposed that the water access be located at the parking extension, with a separate centrally located restroom building, with separate shelters located at the West Bluff and a combined bathroom shelter at Henn Lawn, extending the natural ravine in the area to assist in stormwater treatment.

After the presentation, many residents put notes on the proposed plans with some saying they want to see more boardwalk options and less parking, harkening to the time that the Euclid Boardwalk was a popular tourist destination.

“It is important for the city to ensure that the public understands this is a planning process and the two concepts shown are preliminary,” McIntosh wrote in a statement. “We will seek additional input and feedback from the survey that will be released later this month and also present back to the community once all of the comments received after the (February) meeting has been reviewed and incorporated into a revised draft concept.”

“It’s going to upgrade the park, it’s going to modernize it,” McIntosh added. “We’ve done so many improvements to the east that the rest of the park’s been a little stale. We need to bring it up to meet the standard and expectations that we’ve presented to the public with the Lakefront Trail. So, I just think we need to step it up, and whatever we do here will be an improvement over some of the current amenities.”

Those wanting to participate, can do so starting Feb. 24 through March 10 when there will be an online survey, after which in March there will be a preferred Master Plan Development and Steering Committee Engagement session with the final master plan presentation expected on April 4.

Information on the park and surveys can be found at www.cityofeuclid.com.

The News-Herald hopes that more Euclid residents take the initiative to complete the online survey or participate in the next community engagement session. It’s a great opportunity to share your views on an important initiative in your city.