Stakeholder Open House at McConnell Springs
On Thursday, July 18th, the Kelley’s Landing team held a stakeholder open house at McConnell Springs Park. During the meeting, representatives from organizations with missions related to outdoor recreation, natural areas, public land, or equity met with the project team about the Kelley’s Landing Master Plan. Stakeholder groups that attended include Kentucky Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, VisitLEX, Kentucky by Paddle, Fayette Alliance, Kentucky Refugee Ministries, and Kentucky Tenants.
Stakeholders learned more about the Master Planning process and Kelley’s Landing site, and had opportunities to weigh in with their vision and goals for the future park. Key themes we heard included:
Accessibility: many stakeholders emphasized the importance of making Kelley’s Landing accessible to everyone, including through public transportation, adaptive water access, different mobility options, and safety measures.
Infrastructure: because Kelley’s Landing is on the outskirts of Fayette County, many stakeholders weighed in on physical features of the park to make visiting more accessible and worthwhile, including shelters in case of storms, concessions, and multiple options for water access.
Programming: many stakeholders discussed activating the park with programming, including community events, classes, and kids activities. Programming was also discussed as an important aspect of accessibility and a way to bring new people into the park.
Stakeholders were also encouraged to take the Kelley’s Landing Survey, and had the opportunity to take printed materials about the project and survey to share with their organizations.
Thank you to McConnell Springs and staff for their help with hosting this event!
