City funding for a water park

[jermdog]

I was just reading the fayetteville flyer message board in regards to their new motorcycle rally being held in July that's dubbed "Bikes, Babes, and Bling". (I'm not even kidding) And the director of Fayetteville's A&P commission stated


By Tim Freeman on November 18th, 2009

Oh, and if anybody wants to build a water park, or a Six Flags (an organization which is now bankrupt), I would bend over backwards to get them some funding. Due to our limited budget for special projects, we could only fund a small percentage of the construction cost of something this massive–although if the interest was there I feel confident that the commission would do EVERYTHING it possibly could.


Now that's pretty cool. Looks like we need to get this ball rolling.
And if anyone is interested in the damned rally here's their site, http://www.bikesbabesandbling.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. It sounds like the biggest sexist thingamajigger I've ever heard of, but whatevs. Enjoy.

[A Savage spanke]

Are you talking about in Fayetteville or the swepco thing? Is this the skull creek idea?

[jermdog]

Yes in Fayetteville. It seems that the Skull Creek idea may work, but the logistics of parking and all would be near impossible. I'm thinking if we could get a land grant on mud creek on the W side of town it would probably be a good spot. There is lots of commercial land for sale out there and there is already a water source. Granted, that water smells like laundry detergent. Such is life.

[A Savage spanke]

Granted, that water smells like laundry detergent. Such is life.

Does playboating in soap count as showering? Because if so my water bill is about to drop

[jermdog]

Yes.

[riverchild]

where do i sign? I mean fayettnam is great but if we had a play park in the middle of town i may never leave

[hfunkhouser]

I emailed the Parks/Rec Director of Fayetteville to get some info on where this stands and find out what we can do to keep it moving. Has anyone been to Pump Station Park? I have a photo of a someone boofin' a 15' Old Town Disco off of the dam I'll try to find. The attempt wasn't COMPLETELY successful, but the boat, gear, and paddler were all recovered safely. Anyway, I was thinking that all would be needed to create a playable feature down there below it would be a few loads of recycled concrete and some volunteers to get it just right.....and of course enough water. Anyone else looked at this possibility?

[jermdog]

I thought about that place, also, along mud creek by Holcombe elementary there is an area about 3/8 to a half mile long that is designated as a "recreational floodway greenspace". It looks pretty good because the trail system goes to it and continues on the other side, but hasn't been finished through there yet. Another spot that may be along 540 between Wedington and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. There are 3 resevoirs there and some gradient, it would have to be totally built though.
As far as the parks and rec guys, I think that we would need to go higher. Tim Eubanks is the chair of the A&P commission that appropriates funding for things like this. They are basically their own entity that doles out money to what they deem worthy causes.
We should get a group together and have a meet and talk sometime. It would be way easier than trying to organize on the mb.
Jeremy

[hfunkhouser]

Perhaps it would make a worthy topic at the next meeting 1/25.

[jermdog]

Word up.
ATTN: Ryan Center
You hearing this? Bring it up.
I think he only gets on facebook anymore.

[dmcwhort114]

Not to discourage any organizational activities, but my guess would be that he was referencing a water park in the vein of Big Splash or Schlitterbahn since it was mentioned next to Six Flags. There's a lot more tax revenue there that he would be looking at as a return on the construction tax breaks that he's looking to give. Even the parks and rec departments have to make money for the city somehow (it's not all about looking pretty and providing recreational options).

[hfunkhouser]

In any case I'll try to get some good pics to bring with me of the Pump Station spot. It shouldn't be too hard to get the city to dump some big chunks of concrete onto the bedrock and then push it around as needed. I guess I'm partial because I live so close to it, but it seems cheap and fast. It would just use natural flow, so no pumps, gates, or admission fees. Parking already exists....I could go on, but I'll save it for the meeting.

[FarPastGone]

Where is the Pump Station Park? Dumping concrete onto the bedrock and then pushing it around as needed seems like it would result in a crappy feature.

I am sure a lot of people would have interest in this; Pack Rat and Lewis and Clark sell kayaks in Fayettenam and I bet they would see direct impact on sales if something were to happen. Pimp the idea to the University of Arkansas to get some type of naming rights on the playpark, Razorback Rapids, or something stupid so they can bill the school as one of the only schools in the nation with a playpark (plus their Outdoor Rec. dept. has interest in a training grounds that is reliable). You could probably get people to at least pay for the design and analysis, all that good stuff, then have the city pay for the construction of it.

Don't go half a** on it though.

Either way I find it hard to believe that San Marcos, TX has a playpark and Fayettenam has none, or maybe I don't mean believe, live with would work.

-Matt

[A Savage spanke]

I agree with matt on a feature being crappy if we just pushed concrete around. If this is going to be done then lets have something worth being proud of (besides the Ford of course). Andrew Humphreys tried to start up a U of A kayak club but I don't think it ever finalized. If we could get that put in it would be a postive step in seeking University assistance/money. Then again if we get a play park it sounds like this "riverchild" will be sticking around

[jermdog]

If riverchild is staying, I'm out. I hear him and that Loren have a child on the way.