Parks Director Justin Huss laid the groundwork for constructing downhill trails at Lake Leatherwood City Park at a Dec. 5 town hall meeting saying locals know all too well that many of the original platted streets and alleys were intended for pedestrian traffic, not automobiles, and recent efforts by Parks to develop a connected urban trail system for hikers and bikers only brings that intention up to date.
Huss pointed to popular biking events such as the Ozark Mountain Bike Festival and the Fat Tire Festival as examples of the growth of biking as an activity of choice in Northwest Arkansas. He said many who come here to ride the trails at LLCP are impressed that next summer marks the 20th anniversary of Fat Tire.
He also gave accolades to the Ozark Off Road Cyclists and their local contingent known as the CC Riders for creating and maintaining trails both around town, at LLCP and near Black Bass Lake. “Without them we don’t have trails,” he remarked.
Huss mentioned the boom in cycling in the I-49 corridor was evidenced by the Razorback Greenway trail that extends from Fayetteville to Bella Vista with spur trails springing up along the way. Oz Trails, a biking advocacy organization, markets biking activities including those at LLCP. The International Mountain Biking Association held its world summit in Bentonville in November 2016, and the National Interscholastic Cycling Association event at LLCP in October 2016, drew 126 participants and they returned this year with 238 participants.
He also mentioned that when Richard Davies, recent director of Arkansas Parks and Tourism, was retiring, he pointed out two important changes during his career: first, instead of people going to a park and upon seeing a trail, go for a hike, people actually go to parks because of the trails; second, grownups are riding bicycles.
Huss said all of this momentum for trails and biking led Parks to focus on trying to connect segments of the in-town trails so someone could walk to town or to get groceries. Simultaneously, he had been part of focus groups that identified the downhill trail at LLCP with a shuttle back to the top as something no one else had, so he was promoting it and taking advantage of its popularity.
Then in September he was approached by representatives of the Walton Family Foundation to assist with building more downhill trails near the existing one, and they wanted to start right away. Huss said he “put the brakes on” to adequately assess the resources at LLCP but also because of several issues regarding property lines. Since that time, the WFF purchased 20 acres adjacent to the southwest corner of the park to resolve the property line. Their plan, according to Huss, was to keep five acres and the structure up there and deed the remaining 15 acres to Parks.
Huss noted the property was not useful for much else. In addition, before the offer from WFF came to Parks, commissioners had already committed to spend funds for a thorough resource inventory of the flora of the park. Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission botanist Theo Whitsell had already been to the park for this purpose and has returned since. Huss said many others, including a doctoral student whose dissertation will focus on the glades, collared lizards and forest ecology of LLCP, have studied the park’s assets.
Huss presented a slide showing the proposed trails, which he said would include easy runs up to more challenging ones. Aaron Rodgers and his company Rock Solid Trails will build the trails. Rodgers, who is a trained botanist, has a strong reputation for trail building and environmental awareness. Huss said Parks committed $50,000 toward improvements near Miner’s Rock and the WFF will fund the rest of the project.
The agreement Huss negotiated states clearly all work would be approved by him. He said he currently has approved going forward with the first trail only. He also noted the project has become a catalyst for forward thinking. The resource inventory is part of the funds committed by the commission, other restoration projects will piggy-back onto the trail-building including evaluation of whether other trails should become hiker-only trails, and safety features are part of the plan. Huss also expects the new downhill features to result in a benefit to the local economy.
After Huss spoke, Michael Shah got the microphone and said he was surprised the project had moved so quickly before the public had a chance to speak about it. Chair Bill Featherstone agreed the timeline of events seemed rushed even to the commission, but circumstances prompted quick action, and he urged Shah to have faith in the commission to watch out for everyone’s best interests.
Commissioner Steven Foster stated because of the project, there has been heightened focus on the natural resources there. He also noticed for years there has been a plethora of botanists, scientists and graduate students studying natural assets of the park to give commissioners and Huss a good handle on resources they would be watching out for.
Glenda Moore spoke up regarding her concern with growth. She had understood there would be no more trails built and now here comes more trails. She said she was circulating a petition about separating the hiking and biking trails at LLCP. She read a letter to the commission asking for more input from environmental groups and interested citizens instead of having decisions made by the Walton Family and mountain bikers. She termed the project “a slow motion environmental disaster, as if we were to put a roller coaster through Muir Woods.”
Pat Matsukis urged commissioners not to compromise and to slow down on the project. She disagreed that Huss had put the brakes on. Her take was that Walmart told him to hurry and he hurried. She said citizens voted to pass the LLCP tax because they wanted the commission to protect the parks so locals could find places of peace and quiet. She was not sure the town needed this project, and disagreed with Parks interjecting itself the business of attracting tourists.
Harrie Farrow wondered why there was such a hurry. Was something being hidden from citizens? She said progress happens slowly in Eureka Springs. This is a town where time stood still, and the project might be taking the town where it did not want to go.
In response to Farrow’s comments about the town’s famous quirkiness, commissioner Ruth Hager pointed out downhill riders are just as quirky as Eurekans.
Ricky Wagner, next at the mic, looked at the commission and said, “Thank you.” He said he gets peace and quiet on those trails, and called the images of the trails, “Beautiful. I want to applaud you guys.”
Doug Stowe commented he had recently seen downhill ski runs converted to biking runs and watched family members have great fun on them. He learned how important downhill biking could be to younger folks, and called the plan a great idea. He said he had confidence in the commission to act responsibly, and was pleased the property line issues near Miner’s Rock were being resolved. He said folks in Eureka Springs like to scrutinize everything, “but sometimes we need to go beyond our comfort zones.”
Jake Achor stated, “We’ve been working toward this for a long time. This is a positive change.” He acknowledged the commission and Huss for doing due diligence, and considered the project a gift for future Eurekans. He pointed out he can still go to the other side of the park and not hear mountain bikers, though he would still hear motorcycles on nearby highways.
Pat Costner said she has loved every walk she had ever taken in LLCP, but lamented the fact trails were being rutted by bicycles. She pleaded with the commission to have trails for hikers only because elderly hikers, some using canes, need easier paths for hiking. She also wanted information about Parks to be more easily available.
Foster told Costner that Parks is working on upgrading communication beginning with a new website being developed by commissioner Christian Super.
Ken Trimble commented he appreciated what was happening for younger folks and what they had already contributed to trails around town. He asked about the effect of rainwater runoff on the new trails, and Huss replied they would probably slow the runoff. Eric Seay stated there are now international standards for trails to ensure improved sustainability. He said modern trails are built to withstand runoff and rutting.
Chris Fischer said he had great respect for the bikers who have worked on trails around town, but his concern was with vagueness in the Parks Master Plan. He said broad-brush statements did not give the public a clear idea of where Parks was headed. “We would benefit from a more complete presentation,” he said, especially more specifics about how natural resources are being monitored.
Featherstone reminded those remaining Parks meetings are on the third Tuesday of every month in the Auditorium lobby and workshops are on the first Tuesday at the Parks office. He said they intend to be as transparent as possible, and calls and emails are welcome.