Thanks to grant, Pleasant Lea Park in Lee’s Summit will see these improvements

Planned renovations for Pleasant Lea Park in Lee’s Summit have gotten a big boost. The Land and Water Conservation Fund recently awarded $250,000 in grant funds for the $640,000 project.

Projects do not have to be conservation-related. The city will get the rest of the funding from an already-approved park sales tax, in addition to a $20,000 donation from the Legacy for Parks Foundation.

Normally, even large grants clock in around $50,000, and this is the biggest one the department has ever received. The national fund divides funds among the states, and Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources made the decision to give the money to Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation.

Without this money, renovations would either be smaller or happen over the course of a few years.

“This will allow us to do the project completely in one fell swoop. We don’t have to inconvenience park users multiple times,” said Joe Snook, Lee’s Summit Parks & Recreation administrator.

Snook said they consulted with local residents on the plan, which involves a total overhaul of the playground. He expects at least a few pieces of equipment will be completely accessible under ADA guidelines, and all the appropriate curb-cuts for wheelchairs will be part of the design.

Also on the agenda is rehabbing the tennis courts. They considered removing the tennis courts entirely, but changed their idea due to resident feedback, Snook said. Instead, one tennis court will get refurbished, while the other one will become a space for a pickleball court and a half-court basketball area.

Residents can also look forward to improvements to the walking trail, including nature play areas where kids can climb on tree stumps, rocks and other natural features.

“It wasn’t uncommon for neighbors to tell us they were in the park a couple times a week,” Snook said. “We put a trail in every one of our neighborhood parks, except for a couple. People love walking. (The trails are) one of the best amenities.”

Another result of looking to residents for feedback is that they discovered the neighborhood population wasn’t just young families. Plenty of seniors use the park too, especially the trails.

“The older population comes out every day to walk the trail. … It’s an interesting demographic mix for us. I think our park renovation is going to meet the needs of everyone who likes to use that park,” Snook said.

The funding officially starts in June, and Snook hopes to start construction by July. He estimated it will take about nine months, depending on the winter weather.