FAYETTEVILLE -- A company previously denied permission to set up a one-day water slide on Fayetteville's Dickson Street has persuaded the district's merchants' association to support the event and gotten a nonprofit organization to resubmit an application to close the street.
The for-profit group Slide the City charges $15 to $60 for tickets to slide on a 1,000-foot water slide, depending on the number of slides and whether tickets are purchased in advance or the day of the event.
The latest application asks to close Dickson Street from St. Charles Street to West Avenue for an event to be held 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 30.
The company also applied to hold the event near Pinnacle Promenade in Rogers but its application was tabled twice by the Rogers Transportation Committee, most recently March 10.
Fayetteville officials initially turned down Slide the City because the city doesn't close streets for for-profit companies, Sharon Waters, parking and telecommunications manager, said previously.
Slide the City since announced a partnership with Fayetteville nonprofit Soldier On Service Dogs. The nonprofit raises and trains service dogs for soldiers who have post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. The dogs are given to veterans in Northwest Arkansas for no charge.
Angie Pratt, director of Soldier On Service Dogs, said the organization would receive $60 for every volunteer it provides for the Slide the City event. It also will receive 18 percent of the ticket price for every person who uses a 10 percent coupon the nonprofit organization will distribute.
Soldier On Service Dogs submitted the application requesting to close Dickson Street. Pratt said she is optimistic that the event will be approved this time.
Nichelle Jensen, Slide the City event director, didn't return messages left for comment.
Darrin Wright, Fayetteville parking and telecommunications field operation supervisor, said street closing requests go through various city departments and division heads before ultimately being approved or denied by Mayor Lioneld Jordan. There is no timeline on when the decision will be made regarding the request, he said.
In Rogers, the city's Transportation Committee makes decisions on street closings. Committee members asked for more information about how much Slide the City expected to profit from the event. It also requested more information about parking and said the company would have to have approval from the Arkansas Health Department.
Pratt said the event will not be held in Rogers if it is approved in Fayetteville. She said she doesn't know whether Slide the City will ask the Rogers application be considered again if the event is denied in Fayetteville.
The April 9 application to Fayetteville includes a letter showing an approval from the Arkansas Department of Health for the event, Wright said.
A letter of support from Dickson Street Merchants Association also was included with the application, Wright said.
It reads in part, "We believe this event has the potential to be a major regional attraction, drawing people of all ages from throughout the region to Downtown Fayetteville, which will result in significant positive economic impact for the City of Fayetteville."
Slide The City has held water slide events in Salt Lake City, West Palm Beach, Fla., and Boise, Idaho. Events are also planned for Scottsdale, Ariz., and Phoenix this year, Jensen, Slide the City event director, said previously.
NW News on 04/15/2015