Staff Writer



EASLEY - Some city parks are in need of small improvements, others great, and some residents aren't even aware that there are parks.

That was the report delivered by officials from Milone & MacBroom a firm overseeing the city's parks and recreation master plan.

The city hosted a public meeting Thursday at the Bagwell Gym to discuss improvements needed in existing park facilities.

"We can take the next step and bring more to Easley ... the additional fields and services that the town would like to have," said Paul Mills, branch office manager for Milone & MacBroom.

Officials have completed an inventory of the city's parks, said landscape architect Penelope Saulnier.

"I'm going to run through the parks and talk about some of the problems we see with the parks," she said, asking attendees to help the firm discover any issues that were overlooked.

Alice/McKissick Park is a 5.9 acre facility.

The park has an erosion problem, the parking lot needs to be re-striped and the press box could use a new coat of paint, Saulnier said.

Alice's dugout is not safe for players, Saulnier said.

"Overall, I think that Alice/McKissick is a great park," she said.

Hagood Park is a 9.6 acre facility.

Issues that need to be addressed at Hagood include the baseball field.

"It seems to built on a pile of rubble," Saulnier said. "It seems to be eroding and will shortly be eroding under the fence."

The city needs to update how it addresses erosion in all its parks, Saulnier said.

Big League Basewall World Series Tournament Director Jon Humphrey agreed.

"We need to maintain the integrity of our fields through fencing," he said.

Hagood's playground equipment is "really nice but it's lacking a safety surface," she said.

"We need to address that," Saulnier said.

The park's swingset needs to be brought up to code, she said.

The stone walls at Hagood, while adding character, may constitute a tripping hazard, Saulnier said.

Hamilton Park is "a little-known park," she said.

"It's a nice little field," Saulnier said. "For a small neighborhood park, it's a great site that we could do something with."

The park may have some drainage issues that need to be addressed, Saulnier said.

The city's newest park, the J.B. "Red" Owens Complex is "great," she said.

"This is a beautiful facility, a very nice facility," she said.

The soccer fields at the Complex need to be fenced in, said Parks and Recreation Director Gregg Powell.

"We've had some issues with parents on the fields," he said.

Cooking at the Bagwell Gym is another big issue, Humphrey said.

Concession facilities at the Gym do not allow for cooking or grilling and programs lose out on concessions because of it, he said.

"I've never seen a facility this large without a weight room," said former mayor Chris Christopherson.

The gym also needs equipment for seniors and the handicapped, he said.

"Not all of us are in top physical condition," Christopherson said.

King's Park is a 7.5 acres facility tucked into a neighborhood, Saulnier said.

"This is park is located in a good location (but) it too needs a lot of help," she said.

Issues at King's Park include safety issues on the playground and redoing the picnic shelter.

"We need paint and elbow grease and playground equipment that's not fifty years old," said Councilman Dave Watson.

King's Park needs bathrooms, residents agreed.

"King's Park to me is the forgotten park," said Christopherson.

Issues at the Pope Field including replacing out of code bleachers and capping fence tops.

"Overall, I think it serves the public well," she said.

Residents agreed that Pope Field needs lighting improvements.

Woodside Park is a 6.5 acre facility

"I love the bleachers here," Saulnier said. "I don't know how safe they are but I love the way they look."

Parking needs to be addressed at Woodside, Saulnier said.

"You can't see where you need to go once you enter into the parking lot," she said.

The park's playground needs safety surfaces, she said.

The path leading to the playground equipment needs to taken up completely or redone, Saulnier said.

"Leave it off or do something a little more safe," she said. "It's a safety hazard."

Woodside also needs lighting improvements, residents agreed.

The master plan should also address the future of the old municipal gym on East Main Street, said Jay Ratteree.

Parks and Recreation Department Director Gregg Powell believes that all parks should be fenced in for security reasons.

"Every parks needs ... a fence around the whole acreage," he said. "Every night when they close, we need to be able to lock the place down."

Vandalism incidents at the Owens Complex and Hagood Park cost the city more than $10,000 in damages, Powell said.

Two more public meetings about city parks and recreation programs are in the works and a resident survey will be sent out with the city's spring newsletter, said City Administrator Fox Simons.

Reach Jason Evans at jevans@theeasleyprogress.com or 855-0355.