The St. Charles Parish Recreation Department released the plans for a new Willowridge/Lakewood park during a public meeting at Lakewood Elementary School.
The park, which will be called Rathborne Park, is designed for family-shared recreation activities and includes a walking path around the park perimeter, fitness stations with benches, two baseball fields, a soccer/flag football field, a sand volleyball court, a mini basketball court, a playground area, pavilions with picnic tables and charcoal grills for barbequing. The park will also have a restroom facility, park benches and plenty of room to service the growing community.
“This park is important for this area because it can provide an array of recreational activities for all ages,” Duane Foret, director of the recreation department, said. “It has the potential to benefit people of all ages like no other park in the parish, which is part of Mr. (V.J.) St. Pierre’s long-range recreational plans.”
There are currently 37 parks parishwide for families. Rathborne’s project will be a welcomed addition to the Willowridge and Lakewood communities.
A resolution in support of the application to the Louisiana Office of State Parks for a grant to fund the development of Phase I of Rathborne Park received council approval at Monday night’s meeting.
If the application is successful and the grant of $150,000 is awarded, it will be used to help fund construction of Phase I of the park. Grants Officer Holly Fonseca says the parish will match the funds to complete the park.
“St. Charles Parish will match the grant funds for Phase I with $150,000 of developer’s fees collected from the development of subdivisions in the area,” she said. “If the grant application for Phase I is successful, it is almost assured that future phases of the park will be funded as well.”
With the grant funding, it is estimated that development of the park can be completed in three phases.
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