March 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 46

MAKEOVER MAGIC

Kettering, Ohio

Kettering Recreation
Complex, Water Park,
Neighborhood Parks, and
an Environmental Center

n Kettering, Ohio, the parks department had waited years for the right
time to renovate. " We had been
on a tight budget through the 1990s, "
explains Mary Beth Thaman, director
of Kettering's Parks Department. " As
other cities were spending money, we
were saving money. " That meant that
although city parks, pools, and the recreation center were well maintained,
they were extremely dated.
Five years ago, when staff decided
it was time for major changes, the first

BEFORE

step was a city-wide survey to see what
residents wanted and if they would
support a bond levy to pay for the
improvements. From the survey, the
parks department planned a $17-million project funded by a $12.3-million
bond levy, $5 million from the general
fund, and other sources.
Renovations spanned the city: The
recreation center now has 8,000 square
feet of updated fitness space and more
rooms for group exercise. Outside, the
completely redesigned water park is
compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines and has
some of the highest and fastest slides in
the county. The indoor pool, which was
covered by a 1970s bubble, now has a
permanent retractable roof that's more
energy efficient. Splash pads were added at two sites. The 16 neighborhood
parks-connected to neighborhoods
with multi-purpose paths-received
facelifts with updated paths and cus-

AFTER

Parks & Recreation

| MARCH 2013 | WWW.NRPA.ORG

Agency head: Mary Beth Thaman,
Director
Population: 56,163
Annual budget: $13.8 million
Year agency founded: 1955
Number of parks overseen: 21

tom-designed, themed playgrounds.
" We have an ideal situation in our city,
where we have parks within a mile or
half mile of every home, " says Thaman.
Lastly, the new 2,800-square-foot environmental center, slated to open this
spring, will include classroom space,
gardens, and exhibits that promote conservation and stewardship.
Such a suite of major renovations
didn't come without challenges,
which included resident neighbors
who objected to the original planned
site of the environmental center. Thaman and her team worked with the
residents to find a site that satisfied
everyone. " We wanted it to be an asset for the entire city and for the people who live around it, not something
they have to tolerate but something
they want in their backyard, " says
Claudine Heizer, Kettering's communications and marketing manager.
To keep the projects in line with
residents' desires, Thaman and staff
went to dozens of meetings with
neighborhood residents and followed
up afterwards. In addition to working
with four designers-EMH&T, MSI,
Moody-Nolan, and Alan Sherr Associates-Thaman met monthly for
four years with a team that included a
budget manager and a project manager. She credits those monthly meetings
for keeping the project under budget.
" You need to have a strong advocacy group and do a couple years of
homework before you go out for any
levy, " Thaman advises. " You need to
look at what the biggest bang for your
buck is going to be. "

March 2013 - Parks & Recreation

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