Seneca Park Zoo Master Plan

On Thursday, March 19th a representative from the Winona Woods Neighborhood attended the Seneca Park Zoo Master Plan Meeting in order to learn more about the proposed project , support our neighbors to the South and give feedback about the plan.As was reported in the news the big change will be the demolition of the main building which seems to make sense considering its age and the accreditation issue.

 

Don Wood was there from the Parkside Neighborhood Watch who’s neighborhood is even closer to the zoo. He had concerns about safety along the old CSX lines and was wondering if that could be addressed as a part of the improvements. Any changes there would need to be addressed carefully and thoughtfully.

While the plan respects the boundaries established by the 1991 Master Plan and by in large the Olmsted vision there will still be expansion located on the North end  of the zoo behind the Elephant Barn. We asked for further clarification on this but no additional details were available.

The biggest concerns the for the neighborhood surround the desire for the amount of buffering and tree cover which needs to be maintained or further enhanced between homes and the zoo. It is also important that the storage of the excess materials, equipment, dumpsters and other items needed to operate the zoo from day to day are shielded from the view of the adjacent properties to protect property values.

Moving forward, we suggested that the committee consider more innovative approaches to gathering input. We mentioned that not only are young families a target demographic for the zoo but many of the nearby residents are also young families. As a result it is difficult for many of them to attend a dinner time meeting and better efforts should be made to be more sensitive to this. Perhaps having some type of an online platform where residents can provide feedback on their own time might engage a wider sample.

As the plans continue to unfold Winona Woods will be sure to attend as many meeting as possible, relay information and pass on opportunities for input. If you have a question, comment or concern which you feel may have been overlooked please feel free to get in touch with us at contact@winonawoods.com and we will see that it is shared with the Monroe County Parks Department.
 
Overall, Winona Woods wants to see the zoo succeed, based on what we heard at the master plan meeting, conversations with our neighbors in the Parkside Neighborhood Watch as well as those in the Friends & Neighbors of Seneca Park organization we do not foresee there being significant issues with the proposed plan.