Woodland Park NA

Flower Garden Park Receives Grant ~ Lin Hartgrove-Sanchez

Feb 24, 2004

Last June I was contacted by Oklahoma City Beautiful to see if the Woodland Park Neighborhood Association (WPNA) would be interested in helping take care of Flower Garden Park as part of their Adopt-A-Park program.

The answer was an enthusiastic "Yes!!!"

I hope our neighbors noticed the cannas that bloomed this fall on Classen Blvd. While helping to plant those bulbs, I learned of grant monies available from the Oklahoma city Community Foundation for the beautification of Oklahoma City's public spaces. Thus, the idea for the Flower Garden Park Beautification Committee (FGPBC) was born.

After much research and hard work, members of WPNA prepared a no-nonsense landscape plan for the park, and then wrote a grant proposal for possible funding. One of the first steps in this process was to contact the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department in regards to the plan. Officials liked our ideas and agreed to correct some problems that fell under their jurasdiction. You may have noticed that the lights in the park are now functioning, we have a beautiful new playground, grading has begun as well as correction of the sunken drain at the north end of the park. Thank you to the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department for prompt attention to our concerns.

In early October, WPNA's proposal was submitted to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation for landscape funding by the Margaret Annis Boys Trust Fund. In late November our neighborhood association and beautification committee were notified we had received a grant for $7,500.00 to beautify Flower Garden Park. We have now scheduled an ALL NEIGHBORHOOD meeting on Sunday, February 29 at 3:00 pm at the Hawthorn Suites to discuss implementation of the plan.

The grant monies will give us a good start toward our immidiate goals of:

*New drought tolerant trees
*Tough perennials that return every year
*New flower beds

Future improvements include:
+New and updated signage
+Walking paths around the park
+A bridge over the drainage channel
+A watering system

A big part of this proposal involves a commitment from Woodland Park residents and the businesses in our area. This support will provide labor for planting and the maintenance necessary to ensure our project is a success.

Many of you have already shown support with signatures and contributions. Thank you!

This is an exciting time for our neighborhood! Now, let's watch it grow.