Major new amenities could be coming to Kenyon’s Depot Park over the next few years, with a group from Minnesota State University, Mankato releasing a potential “master plan” based on public feedback solicited last fall.
City Engineer Derek Olinger briefed the council on the newly released plan, which was discussed by the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee. Among the improvements proposed were a walking trail, paved sports court and ADA improvements to existing facilities.
In the coming months, the Park Board is expected to do more work to further assess Depot Park’s needs, hone in on the best and most realistic ideas and refine cost estimates of potential improvements before presenting a more final set of proposed projects.
A funding plan will also need to be developed, with a mix of private fundraising efforts, grants and potentially taxpayer dollars needed to get any project done. Olinger warned that at the end of the day, the difficulty of securing funding is likely to limit what can move forward.
“The list of needs is beyond what’s likely feasible to implement on a cost basis,” said Olinger.
Improving the popular city park has been a priority over the last several years, with the Parks Department setting up a dedicated fund to help catch up on the overdue maintenance needs of the converted train depot serving as its namesake and centerpiece.
Councilors considered but ultimately rejected a plan to outright replace the aging shelter, a community gathering space which is typically booked solid during the summer months. Instead, piecemeal improvements have been made as funds have become available.
Recently, the structure received its first coat of paint in 25 years and improvements were made to the kitchen, helping to improve the usefulness of a charming structure which once served as Kenyon’s train depot, even if not much remains of the original interior.
At this month’s meeting, about $7,500 in additional funds were transferred by the Council to the Depot Park fund from accounts which had previously supported the Park & Recreation Department’s currently inactive 5K Run and Carriage & Cutter events.
In the future, a multi-use trail could also loop around Depot Park and connect bikers, walkers and joggers to other parts of town and maybe even nearby parks outside of city limits such as Nerstrand Big Woods State Park or the Nielsen Memorial Reserve.
Created by the City Council last fall, the Trail Committee will hold its first meeting on February 27. Led by concerned citizens, the new committee will solicit public feedback and examine potential routes and funding sources for a trail.
Though construction is likely years off, an eventual trail would bring to Kenyon an amenity already beloved in many small towns. In addition to its recreational merits, it could complete the very practical task of connecting the Trondheim neighborhood with the rest of the city.
For many residents of Trondheim, which lies north of the Zumbro, the lack of a pedestrian connection between their neighborhood and the rest of the city is a major safety issue. Olinger described it as the “most obvious gap” in the city’s current network of pedestrian friendly streets.
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