The Topeka state journal., 1922-06-28
REPORT ON PARKS
L. ID. TiItOn Presents Recon-
mendatiOnS to Planning Board.
City Needs COOrdinated Pro-
gram-Drainage Considered.

L. d. Tilton, a member of the staff
of Ha-laEd Bartholomew. expert city
planner. presented to the city planning
board at a special meeting held at
noon today, a report on the recreation
grounds and drives for the city Tie
report includes more than thirty tyne
written pages, with four maps. and
cmbodies the actual features possessed
by the city and those suggested by
Bartholomew.
The report is largely the work of
Tilton, NJ E. Downs, also a member
of the Bartholomew staff, and Robert
ID. McGiffert. city park and health
The need of the city is a co-ordf-
mated program for the acquisition and
creation of more community centerS
Fairgrounds, neighborhood parks and
pleasure drives, the report asserts.
Bartholomew pointed out that it is
the function of the city planning board
to see TO it that the board of educa-
ton secures ample playground facih-
ties on the school grounds of the build
ings now existing and those to be
built, and that it is up to- the board
of education to manage and equip the
Fairgrounds after they have been Sc
cured.
Two Acres TO Each School
There should be a minimum of two
acres of free and unobstructed play
and there should be at least $50 square
feet for every pupil in the school. ex-
elusive of the ground occupied by the
buildings themselves.
Neighborhood parks. a class which
includes Central park. Garfield park,
and others of the same type, should be
within a half mile of every residence
in the city, and should include not less
than 20 acres of ground, the report
states.
~ ~ fFxr
center, serves the west end of the
city. and should be supplemented by
another for the southeastern and
northern sections of the city, accord
ing to the report submitted today.
Much space was devoted to the sys-
TEN of pleasure drives and boulevards
which should connect the recreation
grounds of the city. These may well
be left to the men who are plating
real estate additions for sale, the re-
port says, with the city planning
board simply pledged to see to II that
the entire system is eventually car
ried out.
sInvestment I'm HEALTH
"Parks and Fairgrounds should be
incorporated in the city plan because
They are as urgent and as advanta-
geuos as sewers and pavements- In
vestment in Fairgrounds is invest
ment in public health"
Bartholomew points out the ODi4Sa
ton of Topeka as the capital of the
state in setting an example Of play
ground, park and pleasure drive con-
struction to other cities in the state
In addition to the receiving OF the
report. the city planning board today
considered the statement of z. b
Black of the engineering firm OF
Black & Veatch. Kansas City, that
survey of the drainage problems or
the city might be made at cost of
$500. Blacks estimate was purely
approximate. He stated that If the
citv engineers office. supplied with
additional help, could be depended
unon to furnish certain statistics not
now in the possession Of that office,
the cost of the survey might be re-
duced to S2.500.
It is probable that after further in
vestigation. the city planning board
will make a recommendation to the
city commission in relation to the
making of the drainage survey.