When the Hamilton Parks Conservancy opened its doors in 2015, many people didn’t know the advantage of having a non-profit corporation maintain the parks. However, as 11 new playscapes go up around our city this spring and summer, the results speak for themselves.
When a city chooses to have a Parks Conservancy maintain and improve the parks system, they get a few big benefits: the Parks can plan for the future and save money toward big expenditures, and they can receive donations as a tax-exempt organization, which makes it attractive to donate to the parks system.
Since the inception of the Hamilton Parks Conservancy, donations have helped with new capital expenses, including new shelters, new playgrounds, and the Rotary Park and Marcum Park which opened in 2017.
Some of the major donations have also been from the Hamilton Community Foundation, which the Conservancy cites as one of the most important partnerships in their success.
Many are surprised to learn that the parks staff also operate year-round, providing stable employment but also working through the coldest months of the year to ensure that parks are ready for the coming warm weather. This work will also allow some parks to be reopened that had in the past fallen into disrepair.
When asked, Parks Conservancy Director Steve Timmer explained what makes his staff uniquely equipped for their tasks.
“You wouldn’t believe what hard workers they are; that makes all the difference,” Timmer said. “You should see them out there working in the cold, finishing large projects in a week even with the weather we’ve been having.”
While the Parks crews can often be seen mowing grass over the summer, they are also busy fixing roofs of Parks shelters, installing spraygrounds and playgrounds, maintaining restroom facilities, and responding to any other need that emerges.
Just in our first year, we used 1200 gallons of paint,” Timmer said. “That tells you something about how much work has been put into the parks in the past 3 years.
When Timmer sees opportunities for efficiency, he seizes them. For instance, when he saw that there were savings to be had by collecting the trash from the parks, he changed their contract with the city and made trash collection from the parks part of their work. They also save money in unconventional ways.
“Our furniture in our office is mostly borrowed or donated,” he said, gesturing to the modest office space. “There usually aren’t many people here because we’re always out in the field. We try to save whatever money we can to pour back into the projects.”
The staff get to reap the rewards of their hard work when they see major projects come together, like the time they were able to complete a sprayground construction as a rush job right before Memorial Day to get it open. They also have seen the satisfaction of seeing the large crowds coming into new parks each summer, and they hope to continue seeing Hamiltonians enjoying the parks for years to come.
What to Look For in the Parks in the Future
Shiny New Playscapes
• High-quality, well-installed play equipment will be added to 11 parks this year, for a total of 18 new playscapes in the three years of the Hamilton Parks Conservancy. Check and see if one or two of the parks nearest to you have new equipment for children to enjoy.
Riversedge Events Sponsored by the Parks
• In addition to the regular Riversedge concerts, the Parks sponsors free events at Riversedge Amphitheater over the summer. Look for cover bands, a Shakespeare performance, and maybe even a Steel Drum Band.
Pickleball Courts
• A smaller-scale version of tennis, Pickleball is popular and may be replacing one or two of the tennis courts in
Hamilton Parks at some point.
Nature Areas and Reserves
• Riverside Natural Area has already been improving over the past few years with the work of the Hamilton Conservation Corps, but keep an eye out for improvements to our Bird Sanctuary and other natural areas around Hamilton.