FAYETTEVILLE — Each community park in the city — Bryce Davis, Gulley, Walker and Wilson — has its own vibe, said Ted Jack, park planning superintendent.
Walker Park historically has had a more physically active theme than the other parks, he said, and a hired consultant firm leaned into that idea when developing a plan for its future.
The resident-led Parks and Recreation Advisory Board approved a plan for the park Wednesday, which includes more than $27 million worth of projects. The city has $2.4 million dedicated to constructing and designing a first phase, Jack said.
Money is coming from a $26 million parks bond issue voters approved in 2019. Parks officials still have to figure out what features to include in each phase, largely depending on how much money becomes available and when, he said. At the current rate, completing the entire plan would take more than a decade.
TSW Planning, Architecture and Landscape Architecture created the plan for $94,500.
Resident feedback
Parks officials asked residents to prioritize what features they wanted at the park. The consultant firm divided planned projects by high, medium and low cost. From there, the consultants used resident feedback to rank each project within the three categories.
The consultant firm and parks staff interviewed residents, held public input meetings and group listening sessions and posted surveys online to solicit feedback. More than 200 people provided input in person with more than 1,200 online surveys submitted.
Residents said restoration of Spout Spring running along the west side of the park should serve as the highest priority among the most expensive projects. An improved restroom facility and a treetop adventure area ranked next highest among expensive projects. Residents also wanted a new main playground and pickleball courts.
A stage area for events ranked highest among medium-cost amenities. Residents also wanted an outdoor lounge area, a bouldering/climbing spot, more paved walking trails and a dog park.
Among the least expensive types of projects, residents asked for more benches and places to sit at the park, native plant restoration and improved landscaping, a bicycle and skateboard repair station, more soft surface trails and food truck parking.
Kathy Kisida, who lives west of the park, said she was most excited about the planned stream restoration and two dog parks. Kisida, 70, is retired and likes to grow flowers and vegetables and experience nature. She said she likes to take her dog for walks through the park and is often flustered there aren’t any areas to access the stream.
Kisida has lived next to the park for about 20 years and said she has noticed more children hanging out there in recent years. She praised the plan overall, saying she felt it fit the the diverse interests among a growing population, particularly for the south part of town.
“We do need our park improved,” Kisida said. “South Fayetteville has really grown as far as buildings and new families and children. They’ve needed to do this for a long time.”
What’s in the plan?
The firm divided the park into three general planning areas. The northern and eastern ends are designated as an “adventure play zone.” The western side is a “passive recreation zone.” The southern end, with its ball fields and courts, is labeled as an “active sports zone.”
New trails, entry ways, public art pieces and more parking lots are spaced throughout the plan. Many of the existing amenities, such as the disc golf course, splash pad and tennis and basketball courts, would remain.
In the “adventure play zone,” the disc golf course likely would get moved around to make way for a new network of trails that would run throughout the park and connect to the Razorback Greenway to the west, Jack said. That section of the park also would get two dog parks — one for large dogs and one for small dogs — next to the parking lot at Block Avenue and 13th Street. The senior center and community garden also lie within this area.
A treetop adventure area would serve as the northern gateway to the park. Concepts show a canopy walk over Block Avenue with the name “Walker Park” in bright letters along the walkway. Children would be able to use the canopy walks to get a treetop view of the park.
The treetop area alone has an estimated price tag of $1.25 million. Jack said the city would need some kind of development or funding partner to make the project feasible, given the limited amount of money the department will have for each phase.
The skateboard park also would be expanded. The consultant firm didn’t delve into how it would be expanded, but budgeted $975,000 for the project. Skaters who use the area are organized, the consultant firm told the parks board on Wednesday, and would play a significant role in its development.
New playgrounds also are planned next to the splash pad. Open fields for play would surround the playground and splash pad area. A deck overlook reaching the banks of Spout Spring would resemble the interactive nature area near Gregg Avenue at the Lower Ramble, within the Fay Jones woods downtown.
Much of the Spout Spring branch and Razorback Greenway runs through the west side of the park, labeled as a “passive recreation zone.” The plan calls for restoring Spout Spring to a more natural state, with invasive plant species cleared out. The spring restoration has an estimated $500,000 cost. Jack said the city hopes to receive a grant from the Watershed Conservation Resource Center in Fayetteville to do the work. Parks officials may receive notice on whether the grant was approved next month, he said.
If so, stream restoration would make the list for the first phase, Jack said.
The western side of the park also would have a stage and large grass gathering space for performances and concerts. Parks officials described it as similar to the stage at Gulley Park that hosts its summer concert series.
Improving access
The southwest area of the park would have pavilions, a dumpster and an spot in the parking lot for nonprofit groups to set up mobile commands to serve residents experiencing homelessness. 7 Hills Homeless Center, The Salvation Army and their clients were consulted about what features they would like to see at the park.
The Salvation Army sits across 15th Street south of the park, and 7 Hills lies a little farther south on School Avenue. Clients often go to the park to eat meals or have a place to go in general.
Parks staff and the consulting firm seemed sensitive to the needs of people experiencing homelessness when soliciting their feedback, said Becci Sisson, chief executive officer of 7 Hills Homeless Center. Acknowledging homelessness exists is the first step in addressing the issue, she said.
The larger issue is residents experiencing homelessness don’t have enough places to go, and housing is unaffordable for many residents, Sisson said. But providing a place in the park for people to charge their phones and seek help from nonprofit groups is a step in the right direction, she said.
“I think parks should be beautified. I think it’s great,” Sisson said. “I think families should be able to go to the park and not be concerned about people they’re uncomfortable being around. But we’re going to have to make sure we have enough spaces for people to go, and we don’t have that right now.”
Alison Jumper, director of parks, natural resources and cultural affairs, said Wednesday the plan was designed to have more open areas, using the planning concept known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. Many residents in their public input said they often felt unsafe in poorly lit, secluded areas of the park.
Stephen Sheely, vice chairman of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, praised the design’s approach to the homelessness issue.
“There’s a line between criminal activity and having a park that’s open and accessible to anybody, regardless of their housing,” he said.
The baseball fields would be replaced with multipurpose fields in which a number of different sports could be played. In the past, Fayetteville Youth Baseball used the fields, but has since moved its games to Kessler Mountain Regional Park. Six pickleball courts would go just west of the fields. The horseshoe pit, sand volleyball and tennis and basketball courts would remain, with bocce ball and a playground included.
An outdoor lounge with yard games and a concession stand with equipment storage would serve as the “heart” of the park in its center, Jack said.
Jack said park planners will drill down into the details of the plan to come up the construction phases, and eventually present them to the parks board. The goal is to start construction in a year. Building out the entire plan will likely take several years, he said.
James I. Johnson of West Fork returns a shot Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, while playing pickleball with friend Sam Myers at Walker Park in Fayetteville. The city has developed a new strategic plan for Walker Park, featuring amenities such as pickleball courts, two dog parks, a treetop adventure zone, expanded skateboard park, converting the baseball fields to multiuse fields, new playgrounds and multiple spots for outdoor lounging. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
Residents play ultimate Saturday at Walker Park in Fayetteville. The city has developed a new strategic plan for Walker Park, featuring amenities such as pickleball courts, two dog parks, a treetop adventure zone, expanded skateboard park, converting the baseball fields to multiuse fields, new playgrounds and multiple spots for outdoor lounging. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
A drawing by TSW Planning, Architecture and Landscape Architecture shows a conceptual development for Walker Park in Fayetteville. The city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board supported a new plan for the park on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. (Courtesy/Fayetteville)
By the numbers
Cost estimates for the Walker Park conceptual plan are as follows:
• Overall estimated cost: $27,150,000
• Cost per acre: $366,892
• Phase I budget: $2,400,000
Source: Fayetteville
For more information on Walker Park, go to: https://bit.ly/faywalker
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