Holton commission considers "fitness court" at Countryside

Visitors to Holton’s Countryside Park have the option to stop at “exercise stations” along the park’s concrete fitness path, making use of outdoor gym equipment to enhance their walk.

At Monday evening’s Holton City Commission meetingat Holton City Hall, Holton City Manager Teresa Riley brought up the possibility of installing a “fitness court” at Countryside Park that would offer visitors to the park even more options for getting some extra exercise.

Riley said the National Fitness Campaign, which describes itself as “a wellness consulting firm on a mission to change health outcomes in America,” had reached out to her about the possibility of a grant for a “fitness court” where visitors could participate in seven different types of exercises using installed stations that people can use year-round.

“They’re looking at Kansas, because Kansas has gotten large into adding these courts,” Riley told commissioners. “They work with cities to get them grants, stacking grants one on top of the other to put these courts in… I thought it looked like something that would fit well down at Countryside if there were enough grants avaiilable for it.”

Countryside, she said, would be the best place for the installation of a “fitness court,” which would measure 38 feet square, because Linscott Park is “too full” and Rafters Park is “too hilly.” She added that the National Fitness Campaign has about 750 fitness courts installed at other locations throughout the country, including Topeka, Meriden and Seneca.

Commissioners appeared receptive to the proposal, commissioner Mason Baum adding that a “fitness court” would fit well at the east end of the park due to available parking, but “if it’s got to go on the west end” — as Riley initially suggested — that would also work.

“Either way, I think it would be an awesome thing,” Baum added.

Commissioner Clara Lovvorn also noted that while it would be a good addition to the park, the city should “be careful on how much we’re filling that park up” and not use up all of the park’s “green space,” which is utilized for city parks and recreation youth sports activity.

Baum countered that there is “so much extra space” at the park that could be set aside for the installation of a fitness court, should the city decide to pursue it.

“You don’t want to fill it up, but also we want to get as much stuff as we can down there,” he said. “There is so much good, usable stuff that makes sense down there. There’s no sense in just leaving it open to leave it open either, especially not if we get something awesome like this that we don’t have to pay for.”

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