There are some big changes going on at East and West Twin Parks on Superior Street in Webster City that will change the footprint of both green spaces.
West Twin Park will soon have a new shelter house, according to Larry Flaws, director of recreation and public grounds. The previous shelter was dismantled a few months ago. The new structure, which is being built from a kit, will move several yards to the north on a flatter section of the park grounds.
The City Council approved the purchase of the the kit from ABCreative at a cost of $133,440. The 68 foot
by 40 foot structure will include mens and womens restrooms, a concessions area and covered picnic space.
Some of the ground has been moved in preparation for the footings and plumbing work.
“We’ve started working on West Twin Park,” Flaws said. “We dug the footings for the shelter yesterday and we’ve been working with some guys to do the cement work.”
The kit is scheduled to arrive on Nov. 10 and Flaws said his crew of volunteers would not waste anytime getting the structure assembled and installed.
“We’re going to try to get that up within the next two to three weeks,” he said.
He’s lined up a few volunteers, including Mayor John Hawkins and others to help assemble the shelter. If others are interested in helping, Flaws said they could contact him at Fuller Hall.
Across the street, ground work is underway at East Twin Park in preparation for some improvements that will soon be installed. New playground equipment and fitness/workout stations have been ordered and arrived last week.
All of the playground and fitness equipment destined for East Twin Park has arrived from Boland Recreation, according to Flaws.
“They are coming Monday to start putting the playground together,” he said. Jeff Habhab has leveled out the ground and there will need to be footings installed. Once that’s done, Habhab will come back to put in crushed limestone around the equipment and cement will be put in, according to Flaws.
“Then we can do the poured-in-place rubber above the concrete,” he said, adding that it has to be above 40 degrees to pour the materials. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, that process will have to wait until spring.
“If we can’t get it poured this fall, we’ll have to put an orange fence around it. Nobody could use it until we get that cushion poured.”
The new equipment is part of a revitalization project at the park. A grant in the amount $96,928 from the Wellmark Foundation was received earlier this year to help with the cost of the park upgrades. A community match was required and raised for the grant.
Flaws said the second phase of the East Twin Park revitalization will likely include a new shelter and additional parking.
“There will be more to come, but the playground and fitness equipment will be the big project,” he said. “There’s not a lot of parks that have this kind of fitness equipment. That’s kind of a new thing.”
View this article as it originally appeared in the Daily Freeman-Journal.
Last modified: November 6, 2020