KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A petition for a new park in the Northland has more than 1,000 signatures.
Several parents said that with the growth in the Northland, there are not enough parks and playgrounds for kids.
Nelsie Sweeney lives in the Northland of Kansas City. A couple months ago she decided to start a petition to turn a plot of land into a park.
Sweeney found what she said is the perfect plot at N.W. 88th Street and Green Hills Road.
The 6-acre piece of land is right next to the Line Creek Trail.
Sweeney’s petition has more than 1,100 signatures. Her goal is 1,500. She said she hopes the signatures will encourage city council members to support the park project as opposed to another commercial development.
“We need more neighborhood parks in the Northland," said Sweeney. "We are getting devoured by asphalt and retail development; It’s one big box store after another."
Right now, parents said there are only a handful of decent playgrounds in the Northland.
Penguin Park is one of them, but it’s mostly geared toward younger children.
“There really isn’t that many out here that are of this quality,” said Northland resident Nicole Demarco.
Demarco said Penguin Park is great for her 3-year-old daughter, but her 10-year-old nephew can get a little bored.
Sweeney said the park she hopes for would have plenty of green space and activities for kids of all ages.
“We have such an incredible opportunity because we have the Line Creek Trail that connects it. Plus an active park with shelter houses, playground equipment, a trail within it - we’re really even thinking about adding a skate park,” said Sweeney.
The location would be much more convenient for many of the parents we spoke to.
“It would be really close to our house and we would probably frequent it a lot,” said Alicia Ryan, who drives 15 minutes to Penguin Park with her two girls.
Sweeney said the church down the street has already offered up their parking lot for park goers. In doing so, that would allow the entire 6-acre plot to be used as green space.
