The Valparaiso Parks Department is always focusing on new projects that can preserve, develop and promote the quality of life in Valparaiso. While most of the attention goes toward special events or grand openings within the parks, it’s also important to highlight some of the little things that allow the parks to continuously thrive.
Kevin Nuppnau, director of Valpo Parks, is motivated to make the necessary adjustments that can benefit the Valparaiso community. Valpo Parks shifts its attention to also take care of changes that might not get as much time in the spotlight as their larger projects.
“It’s important for us to not just focus on our main projects but also do the little things people in the community can appreciate,” Nuppnau said. “We’re going to be looking at updating our benches, parking lots, lighting, and the paint on our shelters. As the town evolves, we need to understand how people will utilize the parks and adapt with them. People today already use the parks differently than a few decades ago. We’re trying to provide these new amenities in the best way possible.”
In order to prepare for making these adjustments, Valpo Parks plans for each upcoming year a few months prior to when the calendar turns so the team is able to start spending its funds in these areas.
“We started our budgeting process and allocating funds in October of the previous year,” Nuppnau said. “Our entire staff sat down with our park board to outline our biggest priorities. Things that need to be replaced because they’ve outlived their useful life or the safety issues that arise from it always make the top of that list. It can be a very long process, but people are able to notice the improvements as we invest a little bit here and there for each park.”
If someone in the community wants to visit one of their parks that has experienced the strongest impact in a short amount of time, Nuppnau encourages people to check out Rogers Lakewood Park.
“We’ve removed a number of invasive species and trees along the lake bank to open up sightlines to the water,” Nuppnau said. “There’s more natural light and space provided for people to fish and recreate within the park itself. We’ve also added a few seating areas for people to enjoy the view more than what we had before.”
Some projects that Valpo Parks has its eye on to improve moving forward are sports amenities, primarily with the baseball fields and golf courses.
“One project that is currently underway for us is the renovation of Rotary Field behind Thomas Jefferson Middle School,” Nuppnau said. “We’ve already worked on the infield to give it new material and better drainage. Our golf courses need to be in the best shape possible because we’ve seen a significant increase in play since the pandemic. More traffic can create wear and tear in a short amount of time. We also want to create more paths for the golf carts. We’re putting a big emphasis on cleaning up these areas to make a positive impact on the user experience.”
Nuppnau is excited for the projects aligned throughout the rest of the year and can’t wait to see how people gravitate toward the amenities within Valpo Parks.
For more information on Valpo Parks, you can visit its website.