A consultant team presented a phased, long‑range master plan for Community Park and urged the Parks Board and steering committee to prioritize projects that the city can maintain and fund.

Rundell and Sperger Associates partner Cecil outlined a concept plan that divides the 150‑acre site into districts, keeps soccer largely in place, reconfigures baseball into an eight‑plex style layout, and proposes realigning part of the entry drive to create space for a destination playground, splash pad and expanded skate/BMX area.

Cecil said the plan also includes parking improvements along Hess Avenue, additional soccer fields as an optional future phase, walking loops (about 0.5, 0.75 and 1 mile), and program elements intended to create a regional destination on Indianapolis’ east side.

The consultant cautioned that the cost estimates are preliminary and heavily qualified: they assume standard public bidding, include a 20% contingency to cover missing survey and geotechnical data, and apply an inflation factor (the team noted a 30% uplift for items phased at about 10 years). The plan is presented as a potential 30‑year vision and is intended to be implemented in phases.

Board members and staff emphasized dependencies and limits. Eric (Parks staff) and the consultant explained that relocating the entry drive would be a prerequisite for the playground, splash pad and skate‑park expansion, while some baseball improvements could proceed without that road realignment. Steering‑committee members asked for detailed, phase‑level cost opinions before advancing fundraising or grant work.

Parks Board members stressed budget realities. A board member said the park system’s operating budget is roughly $2,000,000 while Indianapolis Parks’ approved budget is approximately $57,000,000, and noted that Lawrence’s city population (about 50,000) and Lawrence Township population (about 120,000) mean many users live outside city limits. Board members flagged House/Senate actions and SEA 1 as complicating property tax revenue and noted the department’s limited maintenance capacity.

Board discussion turned to funding strategies: the consultant offered to produce three‑dimensional renderings for fundraising and showed examples of how splash pads and destination playgrounds have supported concession or rental revenue in other communities. Members suggested engaging local businesses, the chamber and potential grant partners, while keeping the steering committee focused on projects that can be maintained by current staff and budget.

Next steps: the consultant will provide phase‑level cost opinions and can produce 3‑D illustrations for fundraising and public outreach; the steering committee will review the concept and advise which elements to prioritize for fundraising, grants and potential phasing.