Parks and Recreation System Master Plan Update (2016) parks_and_recreation_system_master_plan_update_oct | Page 36

• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet holds a permanent conservation/preservation
easement on 100 acres east of Harrods Creek and adjacent to the East End Bridge that
will connect I-265 with Indiana. This historic estate, Belleview, is on the National
Register of Historic Places and provides scenic views from River Road, Harrods Creek,
the Ohio River and the East End Bridge.
• The Commonwealth of Kentucky also holds conservation easements on a number of
properties owned by Louisville Metro at Jefferson Memorial Forest and along Floyds
Fork. The properties were purchased with funds from the Kentucky Heritage Land
Conservation Fund which is partly funded by nature license plates, unmined mineral
taxes and environmental fines.
All of the land whether held by conservation easement or owned in fee simple by land
trusts, government agencies or quasi-government lands trusts, is permanently protected from
future development and has multiple conservation values including protection of streams, water
quality, wildlife habitat, agricultural land, scenic views and historic resources. Some of these
properties are open to the public on a daily basis and some are open to the public for scheduled
wildflower hikes, and field days, historic home tours and other events at certain times during
each year. Land trusts are typically affiliated with the national Land Trust Alliance (LTA) and
operate based on national standards and practices developed by LTA and are either nationally
accredited or working toward that accreditation.
Recreation Facilities and Historic Sites
LMPRD manages twelve community
centers that offer a wide variety of facilities
and programming. Most of the centers have a
gymnasium, activity rooms, some outdoor
sports facilities and playgrounds close to the
center, and all offer programs geared toward a
variety of ages, abilities and interests. In
addition to the twelve community centers
there is also the Metro Arts Center, Shawnee
Cultural Arts Center, two Senior Centers (Flaget and Wilderness Road), Adaptive and Inclusive
Recreation, and two amphitheaters (Iroquois and Central Parks), and a Nature Center at
Jefferson Memorial Forest. Sports facilities include the Tennis Center at Creason Park, and Mary
T. Meagher Aquatics Center. Four additional outdoor pools are open during the summer. The
nine golf courses all have clubhouses.
Riverside, the Farnsley-Moreman Landing (301 acres) and Locust Grove (55 acres) are
both historic homes that are part of the LMPRD system and also have nonprofit organizations
that assist with funding and management responsibilities. Both sites have public programming,
events and offer community rooms for public meetings.
Parks and Recreation System Master Plan | III. CONTEXT AND COMMUNITY INVENTORY
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