What's Happening Here?: South Karen Acres Park

WHAT: Park improvements at three of Urbandale's older parks: South Karen Acres,  Murphy Park, and Ash Leaf. Lighting will be replaced at all three parks and South Karen Acres will gain extra light fixtures along the trail near the ball field. 

An adjustable basketball hoop and half-court just south of the play structure is being added at South Karen Acres.

And part of the Karen Acres trail is being reconfigured to accommodate trucks used by park workers to clean and unlock and lock the restrooms twice a day. 

WHY: The three parks have 1970s-era lighting that is the least energy efficient of all lighting in city parks. The new LED lamp posts will use about half the energy and produce less spillover light. Some residents near South Karen Acres had complained about park lighting shining too brightly into their homes.

HOW: The new lighting is being financed partly by a $269,000 state energy grant that pays for half the cost of replacing city light fixtures with more energy-efficient LED lighting. Urbandale and Ankeny applied for the grant jointly.

WHEN: Two LED lamp posts already have been installed at Murphy Park. One lamp post will be installed in the playground at Ash Leaf Park and the Karen Acres Park renovations should be finished in about 10 days. 

Sources: John Kornior, assistant Urbandale city manager and Scott Hock, assistant director of the Urbandale Parks and Recreation Department.