Kershaw begins mulling park plans

KERSHAW – With the successful construction of Haile Gold Mine Playground last year, Kershaw Town Council discussed further plans for Stevens Park and the town recreation center on Monday.

Beverly Timmons, a representative for the Kershaw Community Park Council, addressed council about several matters, including her interest in beginning the next phase of construction at Stevens Park.

“We thank you for your wonderful support with the (playground) and appreciate your contribution,” Timmons said. “Now we would like to enter phase two.”

In December 2007, Timmons helped organize the park council when she noticed a need for a children’s playground at the park. With help from Town Council, Timmons and the KCPC raised enough funds to hire a professional design company to build Haile Gold Mine Playground last summer.

Now the park council has entered into a contract with the Clemson University School of Landscape Architecture to examine future uses for the park.

During the first week of March, a class of undergraduate and graduate students will survey the park and develop possible construction ideas.

“We hope to get some intensive designs from them,” she said. “They will see what we have and what we could become.”

Timmons asked council members to develop their own ideas for the park, as well for additional uses for the recreation center on Close Circle.

Mayor Tommy Baker said council will brainstorm for ideas and report back to her.

Timmons will also be soliciting ideas from schools and churches and will compile all the ideas into a report in February. The goal is to create a masterplan for the park.

“We wanted to envision what this place could be for the town of Kershaw, how to bring it back and renew interest in the community through this park,” Timmons said.

In a related matter, council approved the creation of a recreation center Web site.

The project will be spearheaded by Tiffany Whaley, a volunteer who will coordinate the effort with Town Administrator Tony Starnes.

The Web site will feature links to other organizations, including the town fire department and the Kershaw Area Resource Exchange, or KARE, which provides inexpensive clothing, rent assistance and food to those in need.  

Timmons also presented another idea to council about the installation of four computers at the recreation center. She said the computers would help attract more people to the center and make it Internet-capable.

Scott Whaley, who works at an information technology company, volunteered his services at-cost to set up the four computers, but the mayor said he’d like to study the possibility of using grants to fund the project.

“I certainly think it’s a good idea, but I want to see what our overall plan for this building is before making the commitment,” Baker said.

Contact reporter  Chris Sardelli  at csardelli@thelancasternews.com or at (803) 416-8416