Longfellow Community Park

Proposal to City of Toledo

April 22, 2014

ContentsBackground 2

Proposal 3

Cost 8

Contact Info 10

Contents

1

Background

Longfellow Elementary was one of the schools affected by the

Toledo Public Schools’ school improvement project, which was

voted on by Toledo voters in 2010. It was demolished by the city

over a year ago, and a new Longfellow was built a mile away from

its former location. After its relocation, the city acted quickly to

demolish the vacant building, leading many people in the community

to believe that the city had a plan for the space. This, however, was

not the case. After removing the building the city simply sodded

the ground and left a giant field in the middle of the surrounding

neighborhood. I would like to convert the empty field that once

housed Longfellow Elementary into a park with an integrated

underground storm water detention system that will manage excess

water runoff and prevent flooding of the surrounding neighborhoods. 2

Proposal

Since Longfellow is one of the most populated TPS elementary

schools, the field is located in the middle of a neighborhood

where there are a large number of families with small children;

it would make a perfect area to turn into a park. One thing

about the neighborhood that I noticed was that there were no

nearby playgrounds (the closest ones require children to cross

very busy roads to reach.) In order to make this a friendly space

that the entire community can enjoy I would like it to include a

playground for children. This will not only give children a safe

environment to play, it will also help promote physical activity.

Along with the playground, I would like to build a series of ‘picnic

stations’ that will each consist of a picnic table, awning, grill 3

Proposal

and both garbage and recycle bins. This individual awning setup

will allow multiple groups to enjoy the space in private, yet it is

open enough to promote social interaction among groups. The

picnic stations will be built onto concrete slabs that will house

drainage inlets that will collect excess water and channel it

into a storage basin where it will be absorbed into the soil in a

controlled manner, successfully preventing any possible flooding.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the detention system

the park will need to have a very gentle inward slope towards

these inlets to allow the rainwater will naturally flow into them.

The finishing touch for the park will be a community garden

that will act as the central hub of the park. Not only can a 4

Proposal

community garden be easily maintained, it can be a great learning

experience for children and a way for neighbors to socialize

with one another. A garden is also something that can be used

almost all year round by planting different types of plants.

While it may seem like a strange pairing, this park/ water detention

combo is a perfect match. As a child I always hated how after it

would rain all of the parks and fields around my house would become

flooded for days. This is because most parks are not designed to

handle water and instead become useless until they become dry. This

would not be an issue if these spaces would have utilized a water

detention system. Not only would this prevent the local neighborhoods

from flooding the park itself would not become waterlogged, no 5

Proposal

matter how much it rained, allowing it to be used more often. While the

park would have garbage cans, accidents can happen and trash may

find its way inside the detention system. This may seem like a problem,

but detention systems are designed with a trash filtering chamber that

simply need emptied every couple years. This will allow the system

to remain at maximum efficiency, with minimal work needed done

by the city. Another major advantage to building the detention basin

is that by preventing excess water from pooling above the ground, it

will not attract unwanted pests such as mosquitoes or waterfowl.

The last thing that the park will need is a concrete trail that connects

the park and all of its components to the two sidewalks that are

located on its north and south sides. Along the path I would like to

build benches that will allow people to relax and enjoy the space. 6

Proposal

This would give people a great place to read, do homework, or

simply meet up with friends. In order to keep the park lit, solar

powered lights could be constructed and will allow the park

to be self-sufficient and have a reduced carbon footprint.

7

Cost

The total cost to complete this project would be $60,000 and would

take 3 months to build. When dealing with a project like this the main

issue is getting the funding. Thanks to the internet, there are multiple

ways to get the money. The first thing that I would do would be to

start a ‘Kick Starter’ page online. Kick Starter allows people from

anywhere in the world donate money to proposed projects. This method

is especially great because not only can people donate as much or as

little as they want they are able to do it from the comfort of their own

home. The other main methods for raising the money would be local

donations through events like fundraisers and also by asking local

companies for a possible sponsorship. businesses could also donate

recourses such as plants or materials to build the benches, in exchange

for a plaque, thanking them for their contributions to the park. 8

Cost

9

Water retention System $17,000

Playground Equipment $13,000

Landscaping $10,000

Park Fixtures $8,000

Picnic Stations $5,000

Garden $3,000

Tax $4000

$60,000

Contact Info

10

If you have any questions in reviewing this proposal, please do not

hesitate to contact me at (567) 277 – 3493 or DrewGrady@yahoo.com.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Thank you very

much for your time.

Sincerely,

Andrew Grady