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Terra Alta Community Park |
The Town of Terra Alta, West Virginia, in an effort to strengthen and improve the quality of life for
residents and visitors, initiated a planning effort to revitalize the area. After intensive meetings
with the residents of Terra Alta, a report was prepared by the Community Design Team (CDT) and presented to the
community in September of 2003. The report encompassed a variety of issues including economic development,
physical revitalization, community health and trails, parks and recreation. The report prioritized projects
for Terra Alta, including improvements for the Community Park.
A major asset for the Town of Terra Alta, the Community Park is used for community gatherings, fund-raisers,
ball games and sports events, 4th of July celebrations, family reunions and family recreation. The
+/- 12 acres of parkland, located one block from the main street of Town, is dotted with majestic old trees and
natural springs. Over the years, additional facilities such as pavilions, ball fields, and restrooms have
been added. As corporate sponsors have left Terra Alta, many areas of the Park have deteriorated leaving
much of the Park underutilized. In an effort to revitalize the Community Park and prepare for the future
Senior Housing adjacent to the Park, the Terra Alta Betterment Inc., the Town of Terra Alta and various other
groups, have partnered with the Vandalia Heritage Foundation to create a Master Plan for the Community Park.
After selecting E.L. Robinson (ELR) to create the Master Plan, the Park was surveyed and detailed mapping was
generated. ELR then prepared a Site Inventory and Analysis of the Park identifying key features of the Park,
vehicular and pedestrian circulation issues and any deficient areas. Public and stakeholder meetings were
later held at Town Hall and the Terra Alta School on November 10, 2004. ELR collected information about what
the community would like to see changed and improved in the Park. The residents were asked to provide input
to help generate the Park's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT analysis). The SWOT
analysis was then used to create two concept plans that the public could make comments and select one of the two
concepts or a combination of the two to be the basis for the Final Master Plan.
After the approximate one month review period, a more detailed conceptual Master Plan was created utilizing
professional expertise and incorporating comments from residents. The park committee has already put
the Master Plan into use, applying for a Recreational Trails Fund Grant for the trail system proposed
on the Master Plan, and the Park has secured funding thru Vandalia to construct the first new element of
the Park, a playground. ELR is in the process of finalizing the site documents for the playground
and construction should begin in September of 2005.
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