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Keck Park just doesn't get any respect
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Unobstructed view of South Mountain from Keck Park
I just took a good walk around the Keck Park trail. Have you done that lately? I was pretty shocked to find all the overgrowth, but I was even more shocked to see that someone had seemed to make an effort to hack it back and just quit, leaving the detritus strewn in various places all along the trail. I found a severely broken chain link fence with sharp edges in an easily accessible spot and garbage bags thrown into the tree line. The exercise stations are destroyed but left standing, where a child could decide to climb on them and get a severe cut or injury. Everywhere, overgrowth and dead trees block out what would be a pretty vista of South Mountain. The same graffiti I've been seeing for six weeks is still on the handball and basketball courts, and there isn't a single park bench to sit on anywhere in the park.
Destroyed fenceline along Keck Park trail
I sent an email off today to Greg Weitzel, Director, City of Allentown, Department of Parks and Recreation, saying exactly this same thing, word for word. I feel a little bad because when I first met Greg, I told him I didn't do controversy. Well, I didn't think I would have to. I mean, come on, I write about parks. You know, quiet, restful places with squirrels running everywhere. It seems, however, that Keck Park is where I've found my controversy.
Garbage, debris, and overgrowth along Keck Park trail
According to Mr. Weitzel, $500,000 has been allocated for a revitalization of the park. I've seen the plans and they are quite an improvement. He believes that the actual work should begin in the autumn of 2010.
But what I saw today surely shouldn't wait and it certainly doesn't need $500,000 in funding to tear down a broken chain link fence, pick up some garbage, rip out some exercise stations, and trim back some weeds. Just look at the work that's already been done to Arts Park, West Park, and Cedar Beach. If you do that, you will be raising questions I promised Greg I wouldn't address in this week's article. He told me that Arts Park is Allentown's newest park, West Park is the oldest, and Cedar Beach is the most used, to explain why these parks are getting revitalized first.
The problems I am finding in Keck Park should not take a revitalization to fix. Do we need a grant to tear down a fence and some exercise stations? Do we need an environmental study to cut back weeds and dead trees? I hardly think so.
Keck Park was a gift, given to the community by the grandchildren of Andrew and Maria Keck in 1941. I think that the city and the community haven't been as appreciative of this gift as is warranted.
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