Recreation Task Force Report Available

The Kapszukiewicz administration’s Recreation Task Force report has been completed and can be found at https://toledo.oh.gov/media/6146/2018rectaskforcereport.pdf.

“I want to thank the task force for its hard work,” Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said. “This report shows what many in Toledo have already known about our parks – that they are, generally speaking, substandard and we need to do more. Of the 132 parks, there are too many where the grass is too high, there is graffiti, and there are no playground options for the children in our community. Successful cities invest in parks because parks and recreation is one of the most critical investments a community can make.”

The recreation task force, which was made up of 30 volunteers, started meeting in late February to assess the condition of Toledo’s parks and recreation programs in the city.

Toledo owns and operates more than 2,000 acres of parkland. The city spends about $41 per resident on parks, which is below the national average, the task force report stated. Parks and recreation funding in 2001 was more than $6 million. Funding in 2018 is $3.5 million.

The City of Toledo maintains a relatively large parks system. A complete assessment of each park and facility was completed by the task force, including an inventory with photographs. The report is broken down by council district and contains demographic data. Highlights of the findings include:

• 132 parks within the city limits.
• Parks amenities vary, many are undeveloped.
• 77 percent of City of Toledo parks are within a ten minute walk, a standard set by The Trust For Public Land.
• Roughly 6 percent of City of Toledo is dedicated park land.
• The median park size in City of Toledo is 5.5 acres.
• The oldest City of Toledo park is Savage Park, established in 1877.
• The largest City of Toledo Park is Ottawa Park, with just under 311 acres.
• Six Community Centers are owned and maintained by the City of Toledo. Programming in those buildings is being conducted by separate non-profits.
• The City of Toledo has six pools and two splash pads open each summer.
• Three municipal golf courses are managed by an independent contractor under the Parks umbrella.
• The City of Toledo conducts limited recreational programming with a six week summer camp provided in eight city parks, while also financially supporting a summer tennis program and a year-round boxing program.
• Events round out the offering with seasonally themed park events and a small summer concert series.
• More than 80 percent of the current parks budget is used to maintain grass mowing.