Parks and Recreation

The Sports Complex has gotten a lot of publicity lately. The people of Belmont took a stand and told the City: "Don't mess with our key playing field." And the City listened, taking the Sports Complex and the area around it OFF the list of sites for development.

As a Council Member, I will work to not only maintain, but to enhance our playing fields, parks, and other recreation opportunities. Outdoor recreation takes many forms: a stroll down a trail at Water Dog lake, a bike ride up Ralston and on to Canada Road's bicycle Sunday, an organized soccer game at one of the city's fields, a baseball game at the Sport's Complex, or slipping and sliding down and around a play structure. Belmont has many opportunities for recreation and play, and one of my goals is to preserve these opportunities for all residents, by supporting our parks, working with the school district to optimize the use of the school playing fields, and looking for more opportunities for parks and recreation in the future.

Park Foundations are one way that some cities are dealing with the shortage of recreational space. Residents band together and raise money specifically for recreational venues: playing fields, swimming pools, game courts, trails, and paths. An established Park Foundation could lobby for more parks, work with the city's many institutions to share recreational space, and perhaps even fund the purchase of suitable land, if it becomes available.

Some possibilities for the future include neighborhood-supported improvements to neighborhood parks, a public swimming pool (we haven't had a city-owned pool since the closure of BelAmeda Pool, before the old library was built), a skate park, or more playing fields. We need to improve our bike paths and sidewalks to make walking and biking throughout the city safer.

In addition, I'd like to see more places for teens to gather and meet, whether it be Park and Recreation Department organized activities, or more shops, restaurants, and stores that provide a safe, friendly place for kids of all ages to gather.

What do you think about Parks and Recreation in Belmont? Tell me...