Cassville's Public Park Getting Improvements
May 11, 2022
Ezra DeVore
Cassville’s city park will soon be refurbished, according to Public Works Director David Brock.
“We’d been working on two projects,” Brock states, with one being the playground at the downtown park, and now the restrooms next to it. “We were given a $40,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources to put a new recycled rubber safety surface on the old playground.” This new surface is far superior, says Brock. “This is a lot better than wood chips; you don’t get weeds growing in it, and wood chips get moldy and disintegrate over time, so you have to keep replacing them. Wood chips can get washed away, too,” especially with recent weather.
"The demolition of the previous bathrooms has begun, with the new installations projected to be completed around the end of the year,” states Brock, “but hopefully sooner. We just ask that the patrons be patient with us. Really, the completion date is estimated for October, but it could be the end of the year due to supply chain issues.”
This decision, installation, and construction has been in the works for two years, however, according to Brock, “Where we really got hung up was the city was looking into the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP),” a program managed by the FEMA, unrelated to many homeowner’s insurance. The NFIP provides flood insurance most often to renters, property owners, and businesses, insuring buildings, the contents within, or both. Areas with mortgages from government-backed lenders, that are affected by a high risk of flooding, are required to have flood insurance.
The decision to or to not comply with these NFIP standards “would have made a big difference on how the buildings were built. The design and construction cost would both be subject to change,” says Brock.
In the end, it was decided by the city to accommodate the guidelines of an NFIP protected structure, and the site will be equipped with basic flood protection.
The playground at the downtown park is now open, though the ground around it is still fairly tender, due to recent weather and recent installation. Until grass becomes established in the area, and the weather remains wet, the earth will remain somewhat muddy. Construction continues on the park bathrooms, though porta-potties have been installed and are available.
Cassville’s city park will soon be refurbished, according to Public Works Director David Brock.
“We’d been working on two projects,” Brock states, with one being the playground at the downtown park, and now the restrooms next to it. “We were given a $40,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources to put a new recycled rubber safety surface on the old playground.” This new surface is far superior, says Brock. “This is a lot better than wood chips; you don’t get weeds growing in it, and wood chips get moldy and disintegrate over time, so you have to keep replacing them. Wood chips can get washed away, too,” especially with recent weather.
"The demolition of the previous bathrooms has begun, with the new installations projected to be completed around the end of the year,” states Brock, “but hopefully sooner. We just ask that the patrons be patient with us. Really, the completion date is estimated for October, but it could be the end of the year due to supply chain issues.”
This decision, installation, and construction has been in the works for two years, however, according to Brock, “Where we really got hung up was the city was looking into the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP),” a program managed by the FEMA, unrelated to many homeowner’s insurance. The NFIP provides flood insurance most often to renters, property owners, and businesses, insuring buildings, the contents within, or both. Areas with mortgages from government-backed lenders, that are affected by a high risk of flooding, are required to have flood insurance.
The decision to or to not comply with these NFIP standards “would have made a big difference on how the buildings were built. The design and construction cost would both be subject to change,” says Brock.
In the end, it was decided by the city to accommodate the guidelines of an NFIP protected structure, and the site will be equipped with basic flood protection.
The playground at the downtown park is now open, though the ground around it is still fairly tender, due to recent weather and recent installation. Until grass becomes established in the area, and the weather remains wet, the earth will remain somewhat muddy. Construction continues on the park bathrooms, though porta-potties have been installed and are available.
