The First Year: Parks Director Sees Job as Giving City 'Balance'

Whether it’s about the parks the city has to offer or the outlook he has in his job, Gary McIntyre uses the term “renewal” to describe what both are about.

On Monday, while many people are using the city’s parks to enjoy the Labor Day holiday, McIntyre will observe the first anniversary of his appointment as the city’s parks and recreation superintendent.

McIntyre, 56, returned to the profession after a hiatus of several years when he owned a business. With a degree in recreation from the University of Kentucky, McIntyre had worked in the field for various public agencies in Kentucky and Florida.

“I enjoy public service and when this job became available, I thought, ‘Wow!’ and it’s been a good fit,” he said.

“It’s good to be back doing something like this in the community. It’s absolutely been a time of renewal for me.”

McIntyre got a running start on the job when the former county recreation commission became the city’s recreation and parks department.

“It was a big challenge, there were lots of odds and ends to be addressed, but it worked out well,” he said.

Making the Tie Breaker Aquatic Park run well in its second year was another major project in his first year, he said. Though attendance has been up only slightly, the park made more money on concessions than during its first year. The concession business was given to the James E. Bruce Convention Center this year. The park will close for the season on Monday.

“All in all, in a down economy, it’s been a good season,” he said.

McIntyre sees his job as integral to the area’s welfare.

“Recreation is part of a balanced community,” he said. “We have to have places for people to enjoy their leisure time. And it’s not just for sports, we need places for people to renew themselves. It’s a matter of balance.”

High on McIntyre’s agenda for his second year on the job is completion of the North Drive recreational complex, where work is ongoing on two soccer fields and two all-purpose fields. McIntyre sees the complex as an opportunity for tourism, citing the popularity of the Tie Breaker Park for soccer tournaments.

“We expect it to be every bit as busy as Tie Breaker park,” he said.

The complex also will have a disc golf course and McIntyre expects that to be popular once local residents get used to it. Disc golf is very popular in other areas of the region, he said.

In the coming year, McIntyre expects action on how the city will use the Fort Campbell rail spur. Earlier this month, Mayor Dan Kemp appointed a committee to recommend uses for it, but it’s expected to be used for a 5-mile walking and biking trail.

“It’s potentially a terrific recreational resource,” McIntyre said.

And McIntyre will be busy revamping the 2002 Recovery Action Plan, the city’s master strategy for parks and recreation.

Part of that plan will come from results of a community survey on recreation last year and part will come from other city officials.

And, McIntyre said, he’ll put some of his own ideas into it.