By Nicky Boyette – At the Nov. 29 Parks Commission meeting, chair Bill Featherstone led commissioners on a stroll down Daydream Lane. “Imagine a place where you can leave your car at home and safely walk or ride a bike to work or to the grocery store or to see your doctor.” He went on to imagine walking or riding a bike downtown to eat dinner and hear music or kids walking or riding to school. A person could take off from the Community Center and find a path to either of two lakes. “The toughest decision you will make some days is which direction you want to go within the spider web of trails in order to get your daily exercise,” he said.
But he concluded, “You don’t really need much of an imagination to appreciate this place because you already live there.” He predicted Eureka Springs would become “The Town of Terrific Trails” if the city can accomplish four things. First, fix the existing sidewalks and build new ones. Parks must finish its Master Plan for Trails and the city must “utilize every means necessary to become as bike-friendly as possible. For things to be better, we have to do better, and that means we have to recognize the tsunami of trails activity everywhere for what it is, that we have to fully and enthusiastically embrace it.” He tied an urban trail system to economic development because visitors more and more look for trail-friendly places to visit.
Plus, he maintained, trails around town might ease the pressure on limited parking in town.
Director’s report
Featherstone reported that because of the Eureka Springs presence at the recent International Mountain Biking Association world summit in Bentonville, “Our shirts will be worn all over the globe.” He said Parks Director Justin Huss and Adam Biossat of the Trails Committee, besides giving away biking shirts, represented the town “as great ambassadors,” and feedback from participants was “amazingly positive” toward what Eureka Springs had to offer.
Huss and his team, in conjunction with the City Advertising and Promotion Commission, put together an elaborate display under a tent to greet participants from the mountain biking industry. Huss said there were between 500 – 600 people from 40 states and 11 countries at any time during the two-day event, and those who stopped at his tent, “were the movers and shakers. This [mountain biking] is what they do and they were blown away by northwest Arkansas. They like what we have.”
Huss mentioned the goal for him was not only to introduce the mountain biking world to what Eureka Springs has for them, but to connect Eureka Springs with the rest of the biking community in our corner of the state.
“We reached out to our Northwest Arkansas partners. They know about our trails now,” he said. He observed cyclists who go to see the art, visit the breweries and bike the trails in Bentonville are the same ones learning they can do the same thing in Eureka Springs.
In addition, the oztrailsnwa.com site lists Lake Leatherwood City Park on its site alongside Blowing Springs, Lake Fayetteville, Lake Atalanta and other biking destinations in our area.
Huss also announced a new surveillance system has arrived and should be installed soon at various Parks locations, a system extensive enough beyond what Parks will need to allow ESPD or community groups to find uses for it.
He said Parks put up the Christmas decorations around town with fewer staff than last year and with no extra funds because of the city spending freeze.
At LLCP, workers will break ground soon on the playground project that should be finished by spring. Huss intends to keep cabins 1, 2, 5 and 6 open during the winter while he gets cabins 3 and 4 ready for renovation. The marina is closed for the winter but might be open occasionally during clement weather. Wireless has arrived at LLCP, and Huss is still working to maximize reception in as many spots as possible.
He announced revenue at LLCP is up 39 percent over budget for this year, and overall revenue is $36,473 over expectations while expenses so far are $44,764 under budget.
Other business
- Huss passed around his proposed No Smoking ordinance for city council to consider. He included common areas in the parks where folks congregate, such as the dog park and playgrounds, but did not include Lake Leatherwood because he maintained the ordinance would be unenforceable in spots around the park. Commissioner Steven Foster stated for five years there has been a No Smoking policy for Basin Park and Harmon Park, but there has been no ordinance in City Code for law enforcement to enforce. Commissioners voted unanimously to send Huss’s proposed ordinance on to council.
- Commissioners discussed strategies for improving the Parks website. Sentiment was to hand the job off to a professional who could remake it as commissioners envision and hand it back to Parks so staff can make changes on the fly. Featherstone said anyone interested should call Huss.
- Huss remarked that since more events are being expected at LLCP, he and staff will be “making more sense” of the parking situation near the LLCP fields.
- Commissioner Fergie Stewart announced he is trying to attract media and dignitaries to a Grand Opening for the new playground at LLCP that would also act as a re-opening event for LLCP in early spring. The tentative date was set for Saturday, March 4. He is planning for a food truck, kids everywhere and activities for all ages.
Next meeting will be Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 6 p.m.