Liberty Pond to Close for Renovations July 7

Starting July 7, Liberty Pond will be drained in anticipation of fixing ongoing drainage issues that have plagued the pond for years now.

The Sedalia Park Board approved a major renovation of the pond at its June 12 meeting, which lasted about an hour.

Sedalia Parks & Rec Director Amy Epple confirmed that her department is working closely with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the City of Sedalia’s Public Works Department to drain and clean out the pond.

Improvements will include:

Restoration of concrete work surrounding the pond
Electrical upgrades
Enhancements to the fountain system
Storm water improvements near the pond and Liberty Blvd
Phase one of a new trail system
Added parking along Liberty Boulevard
Removal of tree stump
Improvements to landscaping beautification

Bids will then be accepted to fix the issues, which is expected to begin in September and be finished by the end of November, Epple told KSIS.

That is why no trout were stocked at Liberty Pond this year, knowing that the pond would be completely drained in July and remain empty through mid-October.

Epple said to expect an official news release on the matter soon. “It’s one of those things that has to be done. It has to be done,” she said, adding “do not plan on fishing from mid-July to October at Liberty Pond.”

“The border of the pond is what we’re fixing, about six feet all the way around. It’s decaying away, falling apart,” Epple said.

Fixing it will require either concrete or gunite.

Gunite is a mixture of cement, sand and water that is pneumatically applied through a hose, using compressed air, to build structures like swimming pools. It's essentially a form of sprayed concrete, offering greater flexibility in design and application compared to traditional poured concrete.

Liberty Pond is a treasure of our community and we need make sure we take care it, adding that the pond is well used year round.

But for now, “fish all you want,” Epple said, through Fourth of July weekend.

Gunite is a mixture of cement, sand, and water that is pneumatically applied through a hose, using compressed air, to build structures like swimming pools. It's essentially a form of sprayed concrete, offering greater flexibility in design and application compared to traditional poured concrete.

In addition to the major pond renovation, there is a walking trail planned for Liberty Park, which will tie in with the biking lane planned by the City for Third Street.

Also, drainage issues will be solved along Liberty Park Boulevard to allow for diagonal parking.

“We have our largest shelter in the parks system with the least amount of parking, which, when I first came here, I said, makes zero sense,” Epple said, noting that diagonal parking will allow for 72 parking spots.

Liberty Park’s train will be running in a few weeks, she noted.

The process of a new playground for Liberty will begin next Spring.

Don’t forget the grand-reopening of Liberty Stadium following extensive renovations there over the winter and spring. That is scheduled for Thursday, June 19. Tours will begin at 5 p.m. There will be a speaker deliver remarks at 6:15.

A Sedalia All-Stars baseball game is planned for that evening, featuring the best high school players from Smith-Cotton, Sacred Heart and the surrounding Kaysinger Conference schools.

Epple promises that will be a first annual event for Liberty Stadium. Construction began on the Works Progress Administration stadium in 1938 and completed in 1938.

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The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a massive New Deal agency created in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to combat the high unemployment rates during the Great Depression.

It employed millions of Americans on a vast array of public works projects, including infrastructure, conservation, and the arts. The WPA aimed to provide both jobs and income for those struggling with poverty, while also improving the nation's infrastructure and cultural landscape.

The Park Board meets again July 10 at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.