Within a year, Glasgow’s Parks and Recreation Department expects to have a long-term plan to improve the city’s parks.

Parks Director Eddie Furlong said Lexington-based consulting firm Brandstetter Carroll Inc. will conduct a study of the city’s parks and create a master plan based on the study’s findings.

“(The parks department has) never had what’s called a master plan,” he said. “It’s been, ‘Hey, let’s build something here, let’s build something here,’ without a rhyme or reason.”

With a master plan, the department will have a better idea of how to approach the parks’ needs and improve them more efficiently.

“Going forward, we’ll have a plan and we can budget for that plan,” he said.

The Parks and Recreations Committee chose Brandstetter Carroll because the company, in a presentation it delivered to the committee July 20, seemed to have a good understanding of Glasgow, according to Chasity Lowery, a Glasgow City Council member who also serves on the committee.

“They’re very familiar with this area,” she said.

Glasgow Mayor Dick Doty said the city council approved the committee’s recommendation July 24.

The current budget sets aside a maximum of $50,000 for the study and master plan, he said.

So far, the price of Brandstetter Carroll’s services hasn’t been set because the scope of the study hasn’t been determined, Doty said. “I’m sure as they define that scope a little more completely, we’ll have true costs associated with that,” he said.

The study will include examinations of where the parks are, the services provided in the parks, any gaps of service that might exist in the parks system and places that might serve as good locations for additional parks, he said.

The study will also include a few forums to gauge public opinion and figure out local demand, Doty said.

“We want to be sure that we’re … filling the need. If there isn’t a need for polo fields, then we don’t want to build a bunch of polo fields.”

Furlong said the parks department needs updates.

Glasgow has five parks, ranging from 19 to more than 60 years old, he said, adding that none of them have ever been upgraded substantially, mainly because of budget constraints.

“For the most part, they have not changed since they were built,” he said. “There haven’t been a lot of major updates in the last 10 years, in my opinion.”

Furlong said he’d like to see playground facilities and park restrooms updated.

He is also interested in replacing the Municipal Swimming Pool at American Legion Park, which is 41 years old.

This could mean building a new pool where the current one is or building one in an entirely new location, Furlong said.

The current pool is a lap pool with one diving board, and Furlong said more modern pools have more amenities, like splash pads and zero depth entry, which allows people to walk into the pool without descending steps or dropping into the water from a ledge.

The study is scheduled to begin next week and last six to eight months, he said.

– Follow reporter Jackson French on Twitter @Jackson_French or visit bgdailynews.com.