Staff from the Recreation and Parks Department presented the design for the six-acre park that will be located off of Old Stantonsburg Road and serve numerous neighborhoods in the area. The design includes a playground area, a walking trail, a multipurpose field, a tennis/pickle ball court, a basketball court, horse shoe pits, bocce, a dog run, a community garden, a picnic shelter, and restrooms.

"There are a lot of people living in this area, and the area is projected to grow," City of Greenville Parks Planner Lamarco Morrison said. "A park is greatly needed in this area."

The total estimated cost for all elements of the park is approximately $1.6 million. On Thursday, staff presented a plan for a phased implementation. Phase I has already been approved by the Council. It includes $537,300 for the land acquisition, environmental assessment, utilities, restrooms, the playground installation, ADA accessible sidewalks, and site furnishings and amenities. The first phase is expected to be completed in April of 2018. The remaining phases are still pending the Council's approval of funding.

"I know that there are a lot of people in the area who have been wanting this," Greenville Mayor Kandie Smith said. "There are a lot of young people in the area too, and they are always looking for something to do. I would rather us give them something to do than to have them create something, because you know what they say about an idle mind."

Staff began the planning process for the development of Westpointe Village Park on March 22, 2017, by facilitating a kick-off meeting with area residents and stakeholders to establish the appropriate design elements and master plan recommendations. Based on feedback from the kick-off meeting, staff developed three distinct conceptual design alternatives, which were presented at a second public input meeting on July 26, 2017.

Residents and stakeholders requested that staff refine one of those concepts and use the design elements to finalize the schematic design. Using input gathered at the second public input meeting and the design principles from the preferred concept, the Recreation and Parks Department completed the schematic design approved on Thursday in October of 2017. The design will be used as a guide for future phases of park development and as the basis for submitting Capital Improvement funding requests.