Playground? Pickleball? Residents want more amenities in Southside Park, but which ones?

Playground equipment tops the wish list of amenities Beaufort residents would like to see added at the popular Southside Park, based on the results of a survey that attracted more than 1,100 responses.

“It’s a good reflection of what the community wants,” said Neil Lipsitz, a City Council member who championed adding amenities to the park when he ran for the job last fall.

Just more than 59% of the 1,100 residents who responded to the survey said a playground would be “extremely important” for the 34-acre park in the Mossy Oaks neighborhood, one of the largest parks in the city.

The park currently has a dog park, walking trail, open grassy area and restrooms, which will remain in the park even with the additions.

Adding a playground and other amenities would attract younger families to the area, said Lipsitz, who lives near the park.

“We do need to take care of the entire family,” he said.

A paved trail for cycling and rollerblading (48%), a multipurpose paved court for basketball, volleyball and pickleball (44%), pavilions with picnic tables (41%) and enhanced wetland habitat for public viewing (40%) also scored high in the “extremely important” category of the survey.

In January, the City Council appointed a Southside Park Task Force to come up with park improvements that could be considered in the new fiscal year, which begins July 1. The survey was sent out electronically to get input from residents.

The plan, which will include proposals and costs, will be presented at a City Council work session April 27, said Kathleen Williams, the city’s communications manager.

Survey says: Park is popular

The council will begin discussing the plan in May.

Work would be done in phases, and the city will seek grants to offset the cost, said Lipsitz, the council liaison for the task force.

In the survey, a splash pad, more water fountains and benches were not listed, but residents wrote them in as additions that they would like to see.

The survey confirmed the park’s popularity.

More than 18% of residents who responded said they used the park several times a week, while 6% said they used it daily. About a third said they used the dog park, and of those, many said they would like to see more seating, shade and water availability.

When asked what events or activities they would like to see at the park, respondents said festivals, concerts, disc golf tournaments and pickleball.

This story was originally published April 8, 2021 at 3:57 PM.