Montz, Killona parks upgraded

Courtesy Photo

Montz Park now features a walking path, picnic pavilions and two ball fields.

Residents in two St. Charles Parish communities are enjoying recent upgrades to their respective local parks, including new baseball fields and parking areas.

At Montz Park, located in the shadow of the Bonnet Carre Spillway and Mississippi River levees along River Road, a 1,561-foot walking path now surrounds two new baseball diamonds with accompanying fencing and dugouts. Proposed in 2009, this first of multi-phased improvements has seen multiple delays due to high river levels and nearby construction. But now, designated handicapped parking accompanies the existing basketball courts and playground area. Four picnic pavilions dot the landscape.

Funding for the $342,718 project came from the parish’s general fund. The upgrades follow a master plan for the park created after several community meetings to gauge residents’ needs.

"Building out Montz Park has been a goal for the parish four years in the making," St. Charles Parish Parks and Recreation Director Duane Foret said. "What began with a gracious $70,000 donation by Entergy for new playground equipment is continuing with these upgrades, and there will be more over the coming years."

At Killona Park, the facility’s two ball fields are now lighted, and a newly asphalted parking area welcomes parents and patrons from other communities. Located off Highway 3141 on the west bank of the parish, the park is within walking distance for most residents in this town of 1,302.

Foret said the addition of lighting would give his department the opportunity to expand recreational activities at the site. The park is also frequently used for community-centered activities, such as toy drives, parties and picnics.

This third phase of improvements to Killona Park were funded in part by a $100,000 grant through the federal Recreational Trails Program. The final cost of the project was $145,000.