Residents share ideas for improving Fayetteville parks

FAYETTEVILLE -- Another disc golf course. A more modern municipal swimming pool. A new dock for canoes, kayaks and sculling boats at Lake Fayetteville.

Those were some of the ideas about a dozen residents had for improving Fayetteville parks during a public input meeting Thursday at the City Administration Building.

At A Glance

Residents who missed Thursday’s meeting can still share their ideas for improving Fayetteville’s parks by calling the Parks and Recreation Department at 479-444-3471. Written comments can be sent by email to parks_and_recreatio… or by mail to Fayetteville Parks and Recreation, 113 W. Mountain St., Fayetteville, AR 72701.

Source: Staff Report

The input officials received could be used in an application for an outdoor recreation grant from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism later this year.

Roy Rom was one of four members of the Rowing Club of Northwest Arkansas to lobby for improvements to the dock and marina at Lake Fayetteville on Thursday.

Rom said the land around the lake has numerous amenities for the public, but the lake itself is underused.

He and others suggested renovation to the marina, a new covered dock, a better place to store boats and, perhaps, more restrooms.

"If Fayetteville will build it, the rowers will come," Rom said.

Eric Whitehead suggested modernizing the Wilson Park Pool or even adding a new swimming pool at the city's planned regional park.

Robert Davis said a professional-grade disc golf course has potential to draw tournaments and tourists to town.

Ryan Miller recommended making mile marker zero of the Razorback Greenway a more visible landmark.

All of the projects would be eligible for the grant the Parks and Recreation Department plans to apply for.

Outdoor recreation grants must be used for land acquisition, park facilities and/or open-air structures. The projects that use grant money must be available for public use forever and must be accessible to disabled residents. The maximum grant award is $250,000, and cities must match any money they receive.

Alison Jumper, Fayetteville's park planning superintendent, said the city has received $535,000 in outdoor recreation grant money since 1998. The money has helped pay for the development of Braden, Bryce Davis and Sweetbriar parks as well as a skateboard park in Walker Park.

The city's last grant award, in 2009, helped pay for playground equipment, benches, a pavilion and sidewalk in Doc Mashburn Park, 1582 Fairlane St.

Jumper said, even if projects mentioned Thursday aren't included in the city's grant application, they're good to hear about.

"The input that we receive, it's great for the grant, but it's also something we can use during our normal budget process," Jumper said.

The application deadline for outdoor recreation grants is Aug. 28.

The Fayetteville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and members of the City Council must approve the application before it's submitted to the Parks and Tourism Department.

Jumper said she expects to hear back from the state sometime next spring.

NW News on 06/26/2015

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