Overview
The
Eastchester Park Master Plan will identify and prioritize investments in Eastchester Park over the next 20 years. This project builds upon the 2006 Park Plan and will serve as the implementation tool to meet community-defined goals.
In 2023, the planning team hosted two public workshops, posted an online survey, and met with neighbors and stakeholders. The plan is currently being drafted for public review. Read a summary below!
About the Park
Eastchester Park is an 80-acre stretch of the Chester Creek Greenbelt between the New Seward Highway and Lake Otis Parkway. Eastchester contains two neighborhood play areas commonly known as Woodside Park and Hillstrand Pond Park. A one-mile segment of the Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail travels through the park. A short natural trail connects the Anchorage Senior Center to the Chester Creek Trail. This park is part of three community councils: Fairview, Rogers Park, and Airport Heights.
The Woodside Park area of the park, historically known as the Eastchester Flats, was an early settlement for Anchorage's black pioneers. Many houses and businesses on the Flats were demolished in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The parkland was acquired in 1973, and it was signed into the R-16 Urban Renewal Plan. The playground along 20th Ave was initially developed in 1980 with LWCF funds. Updated playground equipment installed in 2003. In 1982, an agreement was drawn up with Shiloh Baptist Church to share the parking lot.
Timeline
A planning and public involvement process will inventory existing conditions of parks, trails, and recreation facilities; identify issues to be addressed in the park system; and establish community priorities for future park and trail improvements.
2023:
- Project kick-off with introductions to the Fairview, Rogers Park, and Airport Heights Community Councils and the Parks and Recreation Commission
- Form Community Advisory Group, a committee of stakeholders and park neighbors
-
Public outreach included:
- Advisory Group meetings
- Picnic in the Park, a pop-up planning event
- Park Audit hosted by 8 80 Cities and AARP
- Winter Workshop, an open house at the Fairview Recreation Center
2024:
- Winter: Plan drafting
- Spring - Summer: Review and Approvals with Community Councils and Parks and Recreation Commission
- Fall: Seek plan approval at the Planning and Zoning Commission
Funding
A voter-approved bond passed in 2022 for $325,000.