When the snow thaws Washington residents can enjoy new amenities at a city park that was expanded this past year.

The parks department has a few finishing touches left for the new addition to Madison Park located on South 2nd Avenue south of the fire station. The park doubled its size after the Jones family donated their property to the city located south of East Jefferson Street. The expansion included closure of the alley that intersected between the original park, extension of the walking path, grass seeding and greenery plantings with assistance from Egli Landscaping and the Washington Tree Committee, and installation of a bench, street lamp and flagpole.

In early December city and maintenance employees constructed a shelter with support from Engineered Building Design, L.C. and Washington Lumber & Home Center. Parks Superintendent Nick Pacha says when the weather gets milder they will put in the final roofing piece of the shelter and two picnic tables, “I think it’s a nice addition. Madison Park has been there for 10 plus years and this will be a nice extension of that, giving a nice green space downtown, close to City Hall, and close to the middle school there. So it’s a nice addition, a high traffic area, so it’ll be a nice little pocket park for the city.”

Pacha mentions that the city plans to put plaques on the park amenities thanking the Jones family for their donation, with a ribbon cutting anticipated later this year.