The West Fertilizer Company plant in the small town of West, Texas exploded on April 17, 2013 and resulted in fifteen people being killed and 150 buildings damaged or destroyed. Included in the destruction was the town's primary park which was located immediately adjacent to the blast site.

Realizing that the town could benefit from his expertise, Dave Baldwin volunteered his park planning services to the town on a pro-bono basis. The result was a master plan for the 1 � acre site which recommends removing a street which currently traverses the park, creating the opportunity for expanded facilities. The new design includes a new parking lot, renovated multi-use courts, large pavilion with stage and performance lawn for community events, playgrounds for individual age groups, and an uninterrupted perimeter walking path. Dave's design also incorporates a recommendation for a memorial featuring outdoor rooms in which the visitor would move through sequentially and discover in each a different aspect of West and the explosion. The individual rooms would display the town's Czech heritage, the explosion and its impact on the town, and a raised overlook directed towards the blast site with aerial maps showing the pre-explosion conditions compared to a the post-explosion area of devastation. The last element would be a remembrance and prayer room memorializing those killed in the explosion.

The city has received FEMA funding and numerous contributions for the park's reconstruction and the hope is that the improvements will be underway in the near future.

Dave's interview with Dallas WFAA Channel 8 News can be viewed at:

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Memorial-park-in-West-starts-to-take-shape-255366491.html