City Considers Park Purchases

— City Council committees discussed on Thursday ways to hit the ground running with the recently approved bond program.

Springdale voters approved selling $71 million in bonds to be used for streets, parks and fire stations. The bonds would be paid by a city sales tax.

“We want to get everything going as soon as possible,” said Rick Evans, chairman of the Streets and Capital Improvement Program Committee. “We know what our top priorities are and we have to make sure what we will have left for the rest of the money.”

The Council Fire and Police Committee decided to listen to recommendations by the fire chief and the mayor for the best locations for new fire stations. Plans call for the addition of a seventh fire station and for two stations to move to new buildings.

The City Council Parks and Recreation Committee recommended buying land for parks and set dates for public input. The city would have $17 million to purchase and develop parks with the option to spend some on improvement to existing parks.

The Parks Committee recommended to the council purchasing two properties for parks. The cost for the property would be about $2.77 million for 195 acres.

“I don’t think we could any better price than this,” said Eric Ford, an alderman.

One of the properties is in the southeast corner of the city on the southeast corner of the intersection of Don Tyson Parkway and Hylton Road. The park would be the priority for complete development, said Mayor Doug Sprouse.

The other property is on Ball Road between West Downum and County Line roads in the city’s northwest corner. The priority for this park, Sprouse said, should be adult softball fields. Softball fields in Tyson Park could be converted to youth baseball fields, he said.

“Our youth baseball program is growing by leaps and bounds,” said Rick McWhorter, parks and recreation director. “Converting the softball fields to baseball would help with our growing pains.”

The park locations came from Sprouse, who negotiated with property owners for a possible purchase. The negotiation only made the properties available but didn’t commit the city for purchase, he said.

“The decision to purchase those properties is up to the council,” Sprouse said.

The city will hold public input sessions to ask what type of facilities should go in the parks.

Meeting Information

Park Development

Springdale will hold public meetings on park development from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 13 and Sept. 27 at the City Administration Building, 201 Spring St.

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