Forty people attended the two-hour Parks Town Hall meeting last Tuesday to give thoughts on the future of Parks’ Master Plan. With Director Justin Huss not in attendance, Chair Bill Featherstone took charge of going over the director’s presentation, which covered the budget.
Commissioner Christian Super went over results of Parks’ Master Plan Survey, saying that with 219 responses and 71 self-identified locals, the survey was at a 4 percent response rate from the adult local population. Super said the Master Plan schedule might be pushed back due to Parks aiming for a 10 percent response rate.
Commissioners bantered about how best to get more responses, and the most voiced suggestion was to adopt an “on the grounds” approach; canvassing grocery stores, ads in local media, and door-to-door interaction.
Featherstone asked if anyone was opposed to Parks continuing surveys to gather more data, and no hands were raised.
Involving volunteers
Steve Beacham was concerned with the possibility of a volunteer force maintaining the spring parks in Eureka Springs and also questioned if there were a lack of city employees for Parks.
Parks Gardener Scott Miskiel responded that there was no proposal he knew of that would turn over maintenance of the parks solely to volunteers, and that Parks had received additional personnel. He said that he wants to facilitate people getting more involved and he has overseen volunteer assistance. A proposal for a volunteer program is yet to be discussed.
Downhill trails
The next question prompted Featherstone to speak about the downhill trails, saying that they have been successful.
When asked how commissioners could collect more hard data to know where visitors were from, Super said that they have data from the sale of tickets, but it is not complete as ticket sales for the downhill were once free.
Chris Fischer questioned how Parks defines success beyond “…stories of encounters.” Featherstone gave a history of the acreage that is part of the downhill trail project to its development. He said that if human usage is the gauge, then the project has been a success but opinions vary and a conservationist “may see that as something other than success.”
Featherstone also said that there would be a separate financial report for the downhill trails. He went over difficulties of attributing sales tax revenue specifically to the downhill trails but admitted that Parks could do more to gather that data through lodging and the CAPC.
Featherstone iterated that “we all have to come to some kind of mutual agreement on what success is.” In relation to the future of Leatherwood Park. When Featherstone described that the city has a Master Plan for Leatherwood Park and trails, Linda McBride cut in saying that they had failed to follow them. Featherstone responded that “opinions vary” continuing that the plans are “subject to change/fluid/living documents.”
Master planning
Pat Costner said that the Master Plans were to be reviewed on an annual basis and asked if that had happened. Featherstone said he was not saying that they had been followed to the letter and that it was unfair to say they had not followed it.
When Costner stood to further speak Featherstone moved to another individual who voiced that measuring success by human use is adding to the planet’s problems. He suggested that Parks mark off areas to different uses (conservation, human use, etc.) and keep half of Leatherwood Park non-developed to find a balance between high and low human impact.
Featherstone said that they would have zones at Leatherwood for uses, but that it could be changed.
McBride said Parks should hire a planning consultant to assist building a Master Plan. She continued that Parks could get a grant to pay for one and that the commissioners have the smarts to work with a consultant to make a Master Plan they will follow. A local voiced that a consultant may be able to help Parks gather the information they need to create the Master Plan as well.
Featherstone then called on Pat Costner again, asking for “not a long dissertation.” Costner rebutted that Featherstone had not given a format for public comment. She opined that the commissioners were not qualified to create a Master Plan and handed Featherstone a packet on what a Master Plan is.
Conversation on infrastructure continued as a woman spoke up about a wall on Cave Spring that had crumbled and repairs had not been done in years. Commissioners said they were not aware of this.
Miskiel agreed that there were infrastructure problems and that the Master Plan needs to have mid- and long-range preservation plans. He also suggested that Parks has someone knowledgeable in construction to assess damages. Commissioner Scott Bardin said that Parks needs a contingency fund for these issues.
Fischer asked if a moratorium on new projects with major footprint changes could be implemented until there is consensus on the first steps towards a contingency fund. He said plans and concepts were invisible to the public and commissioners, including future partnership with the Walton Foundation. He voiced concern that without knowing the “nuts and bolts” of that future partnership it was hard to move forward.
He also said that commissioners have been reminded that they were to review and update the Lake Leatherwood Master Plan and that they owe six years’ worth of review and updates.
Another local spoke up saying that there was not enough publicity about changes to parks. She suggested that if the community knew more of the general goings on that it would help make locals feel more involved.
Feeling disenfranchised
Glenda Moore read her letter that detailed how she no longer felt welcome in the parks due to development towards mountain bikers and not feeling safe with the trail conversions to multi-use (Miner’s Rock used as an example). Featherstone voiced frustration that the perception that Parks only cares about revenue is false.
He shared how even though he loved Miner’s Rock, he sacrificed his preference to allow that acreage of the park to be developed for tourism. His voice was notably raised saying that it was not about what “I want” and that he still finds time to walk the trails.
McBride asked if there was a plan for more money from the Waltons and if it had been discussed and planned with the commissioners. Featherstone said that neither commissioners nor anyone knew the final plans.
He outlined that there are conversations about a connected trail system between Leatherwood, Eureka Springs, and Black Bass “if it happens.” He finished saying that nothing would happen without the commission’s approval and that plans for a connection between major Eureka Springs Parks have been in the plans for years.