Twin Lakes Dog Park -- Council Report

First of all, a special thanks to the 35 or so of you that took the time to come out to the Twin Lakes Shelter for our dog park planning meeting on October 28, 2009. We did not know what to expect in terms of numbers and were very pleased with the turnout.

If everything goes as planned, there will be a report about the creation of a "winter dog park" at the Twin Lakes Recreation Area (TLRA). As a Council report, we are informing Council members about the plans for this coming winter. We indicate that for the months of December 2009, January 2010 and February 2010, we will be opening the former swimming lake area of the Pirates Landing aquatic facility as a temporary winter dog park. The current dog park will be closed as an off-leash area (OLA). In the spring, we will conduct a second dog park planning meeting to see how it went and evaluate whether or not to continue this practice.

This report also presented a copy of the proposed rules and regulations that were handed out at the dog park meeting and posted on our website. We reported some of the concerns that were brought up at the meeting and indicated that we would continue to work with the users to develop a final set of guidelines or rules of etiquette.

Once the Council agenda is set and released to the public, we will post a copy of the Council report and all handouts for everyone to see.

Thanks again for your help!

Lake of the Woods Golf Course Closing? NO!

It probably started with a little rumor, but has since grown into emails and phone calls where golfers are asking if it's true that the City was closing Lake of the Woods Golf Course due to budget problems.

While it's true we do have budget concerns in the City and our department, we are in no way planning on closing any golf courses. Both LOW and L.A. Nickell Golf Courses are currently open and will continue to operate through this fiscal year and many more.

So, let's take advantage of this good weather and get out there and enjoy these two golf courses!

Bear Creek Trail to Reopen Nov 17

Ok, this has nothing to do with flooding, but it's something that trail users will be glad to hear.

As indicated in the below press release, the new Providence Road north extension will officially open with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Nov 17. This projected started at the terminus of Providence Road (near Vandiver) and continues to Blue Ridge Road. It required a bridge over Bear Creek and the adjacent BC trail. Due to safety concerns, the Bear Creek Trail was closed and users were re-routed....a long and difficult route I might add around this area. The new road project also provided better access to the trail in the Vandiver area.

We are glad to see this project completed and applaud the City's Public Works Department for their efforts in seeing that the project was completed on-time and that the trail was restored and improved.

Ribbon cutting planned for Providence Road expansion

(COLUMBIA, MO) - The city of Columbia invites the public to a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the new Providence Road north extension on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 3:30 p.m. The ceremony will be held north of Vandiver Drive on Providence Road at the new bridge. This project consists of a new roadway from Vandiver Drive to Blue Ridge Road, complete with a new multi-span bridge over Bear Creek and new sidewalks. The total cost for design and construction is $4.7 million. Funding comes from the following sources: federal Surface Transportation Program, Transportation Sales Tax, quarter cent Capital Improvement Sales Tax, Capital Fund Balance and development fees.

With the completion of this roadway and bridge, Bear Creek Trail will reopen to trail users on Nov. 17. The trail was closed during the construction while a new bridge was built over the Bear Creek.

Why does Columbia build parks during a recession?

Grasslands Park, 21 East Clarkson Road, was dedicated on Oct 10, 2009
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The below article was written by Michael J. Hood, Director of the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department. It was submitted to the Columbia Business Times.
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Recently, Columbia Parks and Recreation dedicated two new neighborhood parks — Grasslands Park at 21 E. Clarkson Road and Auburn Hills Park at 4101 Derby Ridge Drive. In addition, public park meetings have been underway for long-range planning of Bonnie View Park at 3300 Rollins Road and the new regional park in southeast Columbia, which consists of Philips Park and the Gans Creek Recreation Area. These parks are in the early planning and design stages, with development scheduled in the coming years.

In these tough economic times, several might ask the question: Why is Columbia building or acquiring more parks? The simple answer is: These parks were promised to the voters who approved the 2005 Park Sales Tax ballot issue. Columbia citizens voted to extend the 1/8 cent Park Sales Tax to fund specific park acquisition, development and renovation projects. The Parks and Recreation Department is working diligently to complete these projects and fulfilling our commitment to the voters.

Even though these issues were promised, does it still make sense to keep funding what some might think is a nonessential service? Although life and safety issues are critical, consider that Columbia's parks:

• are used by 90 percent of Columbia residents
• increase property value for surrounding homes
• preserve green space and natural habitat
• contribute to a community’s quality of life (helping to attract and keep employers and jobs)
• provide affordable or free family recreation
• provide a place for community events
• provide avenues for fun, relaxation, stress relief, enjoying nature and exercise

A national poll commissioned by the Trust for Public Land in July 2009 asked more than 2,000 U. S. adults this timely question: During this period of economic difficulty, have you and your family changed how much you make use of public parks and playgrounds? The results revealed a definite increase in the use of public parks and playgrounds, especially among park users with children in the household.

Some might also wonder if this is a good time to be buying park land. Alan Front, a senior vice president of the Trust for Public Land, was quoted in the April 27, 2009, Los Angeles Times as saying: “Property values are not today what they were a year ago. So every dollar that is invested…probably buys a little bit more habitat, a little bit more recreational trail, a little bit more scenic vista than it bought a year ago. For bang for the buck, there’s never been a better time.”

The acquisition and preservation of parks and green space is something that must be done when the opportunity presents itself. Communities that do not take opportunities to preserve valuable natural resources when they can might ultimately have regrets. Stephens Lake Park is a great example of taking advantage of such an opportunity. Columbia voters chose to preserve it for a park rather than letting it be developed for commercial ventures. Stephens Lake has become a popular destination for Columbians; on many days you will find it filled with people splashing on the spray-grounds, walking the trails, fishing and otherwise enjoying the park. It is host to weddings, family celebrations and community events.

It is difficult to think of Columbia without a Stephens Lake Park or even a Cosmo Park. More than 50 years ago, the City Council made the decision to turn the old municipal airport into a regional park that is now home to some of the finest athletic fields in the Midwest. These sports fields generate hotel room bookings, restaurant visits and retail sales that would otherwise go elsewhere in our state.

So, as you hear announcements of new park land purchased, new parks developed or renovations of existing parks, it is our hope that you see it as a reminder that your Parks and Recreation Department is working hard to keep its commitment to those projects and facilities that were approved with the Park Sales Tax. Difficult choices must be made during this trying economic period, but when it comes to ensuring the health of our planet — and our children and grandchildren — some choices just shouldn’t be that hard. After all, a promise is a promise.

Park/Trail Restrooms Open for the Winter

On October 12, I wrote a rather long post regarding the closing of our facilities for the winter. That post explained all of the details regarding why and how facilities are closed. However, after a few Park Patrol members (and some of our staff!) kept asking questions, I felt we needed something short and sweet on which restrooms will be kept open from now until mid-April.

Only 4 restrooms will stay open this winter:

1) MKT Trailhead restroom at Scott Blvd
2) MKT Trailhead restroom at Forum Blvd
3) Stephens Lake Park restroom located between the Collins & Gordon Shelters
4) Cosmo Park restroom located between the Nickell and Lamb Shelters

This is a change from previous years and is a result of a cut-back in the department's budget. We usually keep more restrooms open including the exterior restroom at Stephens Lake Park's Riechmann Pavillion, the restroom at Comso-Bethel Park, the Dexheimer restroom in Cosmo park, and the restroom at Nifong Park. However, in an effort to help save city funds, we felt that closing these facilities would impact the fewest number of users as compared to any of the four restrooms that were kept open.

Hopefully, by this time next year, the City's financial situation will have improved enough that we will be able to open up a few more restrooms for the winter.

Tiger Night of Fun at Hearnes Center

Check out the Missourian video from Saturday night's Tiger Night of Fun at the Hearnes Center. Lots of cute kids and even better comments!!!

A special thanks to the recreation staff for putting on such a great event each year. With their help and those of the sponsors, especially the University of Missouri, this event just keeps getting better each year.