Years ago, the late John “Buddy” Gass, one of Bangor’s most colorful political figures, became a private citizen after more than a decade on the council. He remarked that at the end of his tenure the three big municipal issues hadn’t changed from those he found his first day in office: the airport, downtown parking and Bass Park.

Gass was elected again to the council. He died in a boating accident in 1985. If he were alive today, he might agree grudgingly that things have changed, dramatically, and in many cases, positively in his city.

The airport no longer is a problem. It is an asset. Downtown parking is not as much of a challenge as is developing more reasons for people to make the drive into town. The city and private investors are making progress there, too. Bass Park, meanwhile, perennial target of municipal critics, is developing what it has long needed, a business plan.

Unanimously approved by the City Council last week, the plan is the work of more than 30 community members and municipal staff. It doesn’t commit the city to major financial outlays in a single year. Instead, it asks council and administration to make serious investment in the park over time. Critically important with any municipal undertaking of this scope, there will be multiple opportunities for public scrutiny and debate of its specific elements.

According to City Manager Ed Barrett, some items in the plan will be discussed during the current budget debate. Others, scheduled to be incorporated into the city’s five-year capital program, will be considered before inclusion and again before appropriations actually are made.

Given the scope of the project, which eventually should include capital improvements to the auditorium, civic center and agricultural areas, public dialogue and support are essential. Investments of millions of dollars to buildings and grounds understandably draw the most attention from taxapayers. However, less glamorous issues: the way the facility is managed, cost analyses of events and services and knowledge of how the park can most effectively be marketed are equally important. It all is in the plan, which is compatible with evolving visions for the park.

Others taking a long view believe Bass Park could fulfill its regional mission as a magnet for recreational activity through development of a multi-purpose stadium in back of the grandstand. If consultants and planners find it is financially feasible to use existing parking, bring in Bangor’s Blue Ox baseball team as a prime tenant and attract outdoor events from concerts to soccer games, the park could expand its appeal as a center for family entertainment. That should benefit people who live here and provide an attraction for tourists, from inland campgrounds to the coast.

The 12-page plan for the park and thoughtful proposals for its development and expanded use are timely. Bass Park is a community centerpiece that in the past has has been consigned to cycles of serious neglect that eventually produced rancorous debate over major investment. The better way is to discuss and agree on a deliberate schedule of improvements, and stick to it. That is the plan Bass Park has needed.