At the Corinth Parks and Recreation Commission regular session on May 18, 2010, Aaron Quisenberry will present a proposal for creating a disc golf course at community park. Since the commission session packet is not currently posted, we don't have any details on the proposal. However, at a meeting about 2 months ago I believe, the possibility of a disc golf course being installed west of the Community Park South parking lot near the maintenance building was introduced.
This session of the board will consider the plan as subsequently submitted by Quisenberry. If that plan is similar to the plan introduced a few months ago, I would expect it to meet with a favorable review. Both the council and the Parks Commission have stated in the past that Disc Golf would be a desirable amenity for the City. When the course in the North Community Park was rejected, that had more to do with the process (or actually lack of) in getting the plan going, than the plan itself.
This time around, the proper processes are being followed. And, frankly, I think the idea has great merit. It will certainly provide a recreation activity that anyone in the city can use. Today, the bulk of community park is dedicated to baseball, softball and football/soccer fields. You have to be a part of an organized league or other group to have access to these facilities. The addition of a facility that is available all the time to anyone in the city would be, in my opinion, welcome.
Showing posts with label Corinth Community Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Corinth Community Park. Show all posts
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Disc Golf may not be gone
After all the drama of the last several months with the Disc Golf Course in Corinth, and the council vote to reject the course on the hill at community park - we could still wind up with a course in Corinth.
The volunteer that worked on the original course is proposing a course on property west of the soccer/football fields - west of the parking for them as a matter of fact. This time, the request is following the proper procedures: it will be considered at a meeting of the parks commission on March 16, 2010.
I have not seen the plan yet. The area proposed to contain the course appears to usable, and would provide some challenge for the players. It is not as suitable as the original site on the hill, however, it would still be a nice area for a course.
It would still provide a nice amenity for the city. It will be interesting to see what the plan is that is being pitched.
The volunteer that worked on the original course is proposing a course on property west of the soccer/football fields - west of the parking for them as a matter of fact. This time, the request is following the proper procedures: it will be considered at a meeting of the parks commission on March 16, 2010.
I have not seen the plan yet. The area proposed to contain the course appears to usable, and would provide some challenge for the players. It is not as suitable as the original site on the hill, however, it would still be a nice area for a course.
It would still provide a nice amenity for the city. It will be interesting to see what the plan is that is being pitched.
Disc Golf Course decision
We have a decision on the Disc Golf Course on the pavilion hill at Corinth Community Park: the council voted to stop the course.
It was a very difficult decision for me. On the one hand, the volunteers installing the course contacted the city administration, pitched the idea, and received permission from a city official to proceed with the project. Through no fault on their part, the city official did not have the authority to authorize the project. On the other hand, by this point the proper process had been completely ignored, and for my part, I was unable to find a truly compelling desire on the part of residents to complete the park. When I went door to door and spoke to people, almost none even heard of the park and the controversy. While some (less than fifty percent) agreed the park was a good idea and should go ahead, their comments were almost always that "it may be a good idea: I will never use it, but it may be a good idea". In all cases they only wanted the course "if it won't cost the city anything".
Ultimately at the point I had to make a decision for my vote, that cost factor and the lukewarm reception the idea received caused me to vote against the course. The final vote was 4-1 to dismantle the course.
I simply could not be sure that the volunteers would be able to deliver on a "cost free" course for the city. Although the materials had already been purchased, the cost of ongoing maintenance, while not high, was not negligible either. We would have to rely on the volunteers to make it work.
When members of the trails committee expressed that they did not wish to participate in making the trail and the course coexist, it seemed that the only action would be to keep the existing trail and dismantle the course.
It was a very difficult decision for me. On the one hand, the volunteers installing the course contacted the city administration, pitched the idea, and received permission from a city official to proceed with the project. Through no fault on their part, the city official did not have the authority to authorize the project. On the other hand, by this point the proper process had been completely ignored, and for my part, I was unable to find a truly compelling desire on the part of residents to complete the park. When I went door to door and spoke to people, almost none even heard of the park and the controversy. While some (less than fifty percent) agreed the park was a good idea and should go ahead, their comments were almost always that "it may be a good idea: I will never use it, but it may be a good idea". In all cases they only wanted the course "if it won't cost the city anything".
Ultimately at the point I had to make a decision for my vote, that cost factor and the lukewarm reception the idea received caused me to vote against the course. The final vote was 4-1 to dismantle the course.
I simply could not be sure that the volunteers would be able to deliver on a "cost free" course for the city. Although the materials had already been purchased, the cost of ongoing maintenance, while not high, was not negligible either. We would have to rely on the volunteers to make it work.
When members of the trails committee expressed that they did not wish to participate in making the trail and the course coexist, it seemed that the only action would be to keep the existing trail and dismantle the course.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Safety could be the deciding factor for Disk Golf in Corinth
At the recent Corinth Trails Committee meeting some information on safety was presented by a resident attending the meeting. Basically, the PDGA guidelines on Disc Golf Course Design discourage building fairways that cross heavily trafficked trails, paths or sidewalks or cross those the same passages blind.
I'll get some of the links up here soon.
At this point, as far as I am concerned, safety is going to be the main issue going forward. We already have a problem in terms of how the project launched without proper input from the Parks and Rec Commission or the Council. As we go through the belated process of public discussion, we will have to sort out the costs and safety issues.
As the course is laid out now, it violates the PDGA principles in that it crosses a well trafficked multiuse trail in several places. I think this has to be addressed to have any chance of going forward. Issues of drainage and erosion control also have to be addressed. I think those are easier to handle, but could be expensive. I can't support adding any significant expense to the city budget to put the course in. We could be forced to spend to correct the problems presented by the de facto course - my gut feel is that will cost less than the design and construction work necessary to bring the course in.
I look forward to seeing the design changes that the Disc Golf volunteers would propose to solve the safety issues.
There is a Parks and Recreation meeting Tuesday February 16th at Corinth City Hall. The disc golf course should be on the agenda.
I'll get some of the links up here soon.
At this point, as far as I am concerned, safety is going to be the main issue going forward. We already have a problem in terms of how the project launched without proper input from the Parks and Rec Commission or the Council. As we go through the belated process of public discussion, we will have to sort out the costs and safety issues.
As the course is laid out now, it violates the PDGA principles in that it crosses a well trafficked multiuse trail in several places. I think this has to be addressed to have any chance of going forward. Issues of drainage and erosion control also have to be addressed. I think those are easier to handle, but could be expensive. I can't support adding any significant expense to the city budget to put the course in. We could be forced to spend to correct the problems presented by the de facto course - my gut feel is that will cost less than the design and construction work necessary to bring the course in.
I look forward to seeing the design changes that the Disc Golf volunteers would propose to solve the safety issues.
There is a Parks and Recreation meeting Tuesday February 16th at Corinth City Hall. The disc golf course should be on the agenda.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Disc Golf in Corinth
We've definitely had some interesting issues come up in Corinth lately. This one has created a real dilemma for sure. What happens when you have a good idea, go to the "right" people to help get the idea implemented, and then start putting your idea into action, then find out the "right" people took some wrong steps?
Well, in the case of the Disc Golf Course some volunteers set out to create in Corinth, you get angry residents and a city manager and city council with a fair case of heartburn. So how did we get here? I suppose a short description of when and how things happened will help. You can read a variety of news articles on the subject. All of them have some of the facts. From my reading, none of them have all of the facts - I don't think even I have all of the facts - and that is going to be an important point later...
This begins in late in 2008 when a resident of Corinth approached the Community Services/Parks and Recreation department of Corinth with an idea to build a Disc Golf Course. The volunteer planned on providing all labor and materials to build the course. The city staff involved thought this was a good idea: a new recreation opportunity at little or no cost to the city on property the Parks and Recreation already controlled. So, the volunteer got the go ahead from the Parks staff to start building the course at Corinth Community Park - which he did.
The course was "opened" during mid to late 2009 and started to get some players out on it. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, things were not so good. I actually do not know when the first complaint was registered. I do know that as a member of the city council I got my first indication that there was even a Disc Golf Course in Corinth in November of 2009, when I got an email asking who was in charge of it. So I asked some questions, and started getting even more emails on the subject.
Then I walked the course, while the baskets were still up. I saw some players getting started on a round on the course. After I walked the course, to say that I had some concerns would be a classic understatement.
My first question was "How is it that this never came before the Council?" And that is the crux of the problem here. An otherwise good idea is now reviled because it was never taken through the appropriate steps: review by the Parks and Recreation Commission followed by approval by the Council.
So now we are trying to go through some semblance of the proper procedure ex post facto. Some people are outraged that the council didn't just kill the project. This is where that statement I made earlier comes in - you know the one about how "I don't think even I have all of the facts". As a council member, I think it is wrong to make decisions without a good faith effort to get all the facts. We are currently doing this and bringing those facts back in front of the Parks commission and the Council.
In fact the next Parks and Recreation Commission session is Tuesday February 16th, 2010, and this Disc Golf Course is going to be on the agenda.
Well, in the case of the Disc Golf Course some volunteers set out to create in Corinth, you get angry residents and a city manager and city council with a fair case of heartburn. So how did we get here? I suppose a short description of when and how things happened will help. You can read a variety of news articles on the subject. All of them have some of the facts. From my reading, none of them have all of the facts - I don't think even I have all of the facts - and that is going to be an important point later...
This begins in late in 2008 when a resident of Corinth approached the Community Services/Parks and Recreation department of Corinth with an idea to build a Disc Golf Course. The volunteer planned on providing all labor and materials to build the course. The city staff involved thought this was a good idea: a new recreation opportunity at little or no cost to the city on property the Parks and Recreation already controlled. So, the volunteer got the go ahead from the Parks staff to start building the course at Corinth Community Park - which he did.
The course was "opened" during mid to late 2009 and started to get some players out on it. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, things were not so good. I actually do not know when the first complaint was registered. I do know that as a member of the city council I got my first indication that there was even a Disc Golf Course in Corinth in November of 2009, when I got an email asking who was in charge of it. So I asked some questions, and started getting even more emails on the subject.
Then I walked the course, while the baskets were still up. I saw some players getting started on a round on the course. After I walked the course, to say that I had some concerns would be a classic understatement.
My first question was "How is it that this never came before the Council?" And that is the crux of the problem here. An otherwise good idea is now reviled because it was never taken through the appropriate steps: review by the Parks and Recreation Commission followed by approval by the Council.
So now we are trying to go through some semblance of the proper procedure ex post facto. Some people are outraged that the council didn't just kill the project. This is where that statement I made earlier comes in - you know the one about how "I don't think even I have all of the facts". As a council member, I think it is wrong to make decisions without a good faith effort to get all the facts. We are currently doing this and bringing those facts back in front of the Parks commission and the Council.
In fact the next Parks and Recreation Commission session is Tuesday February 16th, 2010, and this Disc Golf Course is going to be on the agenda.
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