Parks director Jack Redmon said he is backing off his support for an Oak Trails Nature Park rehabilitation because he now realizes the city should not rehabilitate a park or create a new park unless it is committed to the parks it has.

Marshall Metro Rotary Club members have raised about $13,000 to help create a fishing pond in Oak Trails – which has not been maintained for about 15 years – and Redmon hoped to rehabilitate the space, which is now an overgrown swamp.

It would cost about $600,000 to totally rehabilitate Oak Trails Park, Redmon said.

"When we don't spend money on existing parks, it's hard to sell a new one," he said, later adding the monkey bars at West End Park are the same ones he played on when he was growing up.

Parks Board President Gail Beil recently told commissioners the city has not purchased new playground equipment for 25 years.

Redmon asked for more than $300,000 for parks in the 2006 budget, over this year's budget allotment, but said Wednesday city officials have told him they are willing to give the parks department $6,500 extra to repair tile at the municipal pool and $12,000 for a new irrigation system at Airport Park.

Much of the Airport Park grass has died for lack of water, he said.