Parks Division

Division Details

As of 2017, the Parks Division maintains:

  • Over 72 parks consisting of more than 610 acres of parks and other facilities not listed below, including 70 pavilions, which will accommodate six to 125 people each, 57 athletic fields, 36 playgrounds, and 28 basketball courts
  • 400 acres at the Frederick Municipal Airport
  • More than 43 acres at other sites such as 20 storm water management ponds, four water treatment plants, five pumping stations, and six water tanks, dam spillways, conservation areas, sewer easement areas, police pistol range, city owned condemned areas, etc.
  • More than 50 miles of right of way mowing along the sides of the roads
  • Garden beds at City Hall, Talley Recreation Center, Diggs Pool, Thomas pool and on Market Street, Carroll Creek Urban Park, etc.
  • More than 10,500 street trees and more than 4,500 park trees

Special Services

  • Aquatic management (city-owned)
  • Christmas tree recycling
  • Forestry operations (city-owned)
  • Snow removal at city-owned facilities and parking lots
  • Special event support (city-sponsored)
  • Storm clean-up

Park Maintenance General Information

Mowing

All parks are mowed on a minimum seven- to 10-day schedule. Turf is mowed to a height of 2.5 inches to 3 inches depending on conditions. Please use safety precautions when in the vicinity of all mowing operations. Pedestrians should stay a minimum of 30 feet from an operating mower.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

The Parks Division utilizes Integrated Pest Management in dealing with insect’s weeds and diseases. Pest populations are monitored. Control measures are selected to be compatible, in order to suppress pest below damaging levels, with minimum disruption of, or damage to, the environment and residents.

Trash

Trash in parks is always a concern for everyone. Trashcans are located in most parks. Those parks that do not have trashcans are designated trash free parks and it is expected that users remove trash as they leave the facility. For those parks with trashcans, parks staff picks up on a regular basis Mondays and Fridays adding additional pickups when foreseen.

Restroom Facilities

Park bathroom facilities remain locked unless reserved. The Parks Division staff maintains park bathrooms on Mondays and Fridays. Any park facility bathroom that is reserved for an event receives an inspection and maintenance prior to the event

Equipment Replacement Values/40 Year Estimate

As our park system gets older, more replacements will be needed. This report will enable us to be proactive instead of reactive in the terms of park equipment maintenance. These numbers are estimates but are very close to the costs needed. However, they do not take into consideration inflation and rising costs as to be expected in future years. That can be dealt with on an annual basis using a percentage formula.

It is the goal of the Parks Division to keep the City's parks in the safest and best condition possible; by following the guideline provided in this report, it can be accomplished. View park equipment replace values (PDF).