Wednesday, September 20, 2006 8:59 AM EDT
BOB WHITE The Kentucky Standard
Fundraiser set for Sept. 30.
No great hurdles seen so far.
That’s what Bardstown Assistant City Administrator Larry Green told City Council following inquiries made with state and federal agencies about a proposed whitewater park for Bardstown.
Interest in the concept of reconstructing an old rock dam on Beech Fork for recreational purposes has grown since the idea was first announced a few months ago by members of Bardstown Boaters, a local paddling club.
Following a formal presentation of the group’s plan to construct a whitewater feature at the dam lying immediately west of the New Haven Road bridge across Beech Fork, Green said he began doing some “homework” by checking with agencies dealing with water and dams and looking for possible sources of funding.
“The talks were encouraging,” Green said of discussions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “They said it’s not their dam and said it would be no big deal so long as (the whitewater feature) wasn’t causing erosion.”
Kentucky’s Division of Water expressed interest in the project, but Green said “no red flags” had been raised following talks with those officials.
While doing his homework, Green discovered Land and Water Conservation Fund grants available for recreational projects such as the proposed parks. Bloomfield was denied a $50,000 grant request from the federal fund earlier this year to help renovate its park system. The fund generally allocates about $400,000 annually to Kentucky cities for recreational projects in matching grants of $5,000 - $15,000.
The maximum allowable amount of Land and Water Conservation grants is $75,000, Green said.
With the possibility of obtaining additional funding for use in raising the dam for an increased raw water pool, Green said he was encouraged about the whitewater park idea.
No one at the city level has spoke against the whitewater project and few questions have arose relating to it since proponents provided the city with what many have considered an impressive amount of information.
“There’s no questioning the amount of legwork (proponents) have put into this,” Councilman Bobby Simpson said.
During the discussion phase, questions have risen relating to increased traffic associated with the proposed park along U.S. 31E.
Councilman John Royalty said the city needed to determine if the whitewater feature would increase traffic near the bridge and address those concerns with the state highway department early.
City Financial Officer Mike Abell doubted any traffic concerns to come as a result of the proposed park.
“I’ve seen four or five of these and it’s usually groups of four or five boaters that use them at any given time,” Abell said.
It is unclear if a single whitewater feature along the river would increase auto traffic in the area, but proponents aren’t discouraged with such concerns.
“I’m just glad the discussions continue and that people are beginning to research the idea for themselves,” Spalding Hurst, president of Bardstown Boaters, said.
Hurst said on Thursday that a special feature was added to the club’s Web site for people to comment on the park.
The feedback page, found at www.bardstownboaters.com, will enable proponents to keep track of concerns and log public opinion and support for the proposal.
Green said the next step necessary in the park project was to compile a plan and design for the park to submit to state and federal agencies for review.
Bardstown Boaters isn’t waiting for local government to hire an engineer.
In an attempt to raise funds for a preliminary whitewater park engineer’s visit, estimated at $7,000, the group is hosting a fundraiser Sept. 30 along the Beech Fork.
The paddling poker run is a 7-mile event in which paddlers contribute $20 to the pot, collect cards along the route and play the best poker hand in an attempt to win half the purse.
Hurst said he hopes with fundraisers such as the poker run, enough money can be raised to soon have an experienced whitewater park engineer visit Bardstown.
Hurst said preliminary talks with engineers have been encouraging.
“They said we couldn’t have a better site,” he said.
Information on the poker run can be found at the Bardstown Boater Web site.
Bob White can be reached at 348-9003 Ext. 116 or by e-mail at bwhite@kystandard.com.
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