PDA

View Full Version : Wichita Kansas ORV Park



Brad S
01-23-2009, 04:00 PM
FYI, for all the Midwest wheelers...

City of Wichita, KS Considers Opening Offroad Park - October 2007

Wichita city officials are considering opening a $1 million off-road park on land the city owns near 85th North and 127th East. It could be weeks or months before they take a vote on the proposed action. The park would be on 160 acres the city already owns, and it would include tracks for motorcycles, ATVs, and 4x4s. There are also plans for a campground with utility hookups.

City of Wichita, KS Offroad Park Proposal - October 2007

BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR MEETING
Park and Recreation Department
11th Floor City Hall
Monday, October 8, 2007
3:30 p.m.

Item 2A: Proposed Off-road Motor Sports Park

Kupper presented the idea of building an off-road Motorsports Park in Wichita on 160 acres of City Property known as the Furley Landfill. Kupper commented that this type of recreational activity is currently the fastest growing sport today and that there are no other venues of this type in the surrounding area which forces many citizens to take their business to other parts of the state and even into Oklahoma. Kupper said that currently many citizens in Wichita ride their ATVs illegally along the flood-way and the river corridor posing many safety concerns, as these areas are not monitored.

Kupper said that there is an area within the proposed park that currently has power, which could be used as office facilities and on-site housing for the park manager. He said they are looking at possibly opening an RV park for those citizens coming from out of town who wished to utilize the park. Staff is currently researching various ways to create a buffer from the noise created at the park and its impact on the surrounding citizens.

If the Board approves of the idea, Kupper said that staff members would then visit each District Advisory Board (DAB) within the next two months to gather their input prior to taking the proposal to the City Council for final approval.

John Stevens said that he felt that the proposal was a good utilization of City property and a great opportunity for the community.

Miller asked if the entire park would be fenced to which Kupper said that they would be required to fence the park to control access. He said that the park would not have lighting and that as of now, they foresee keeping the park open year around. Miller asked if the site had to meet certain criteria to be tournament approved. Kupper said obtaining that type of license or approval is one of their goals for the future but that it might take them some time to get to that point. He said that ultimately they would like to invite national and regional off-road motorsports events to Wichita and have them hold their rallies at the venue. Miller asked about the proposed budget and what it would cost to build and operate the facility. Kupper said that they will apply for state funding to cover a portion of the costs and that they anticipate the expenses to be close to $1 million, but that those figures do not cover any additional fees to host rallies and tournaments.

Dey asked if the park would have controlled speed and safety rules in place. Kupper said that they would be teaching safety and would require all participants to wear the proper safety gear. Dey said he would like to see a helicopter pad at the facility for immediate transportation for anyone that might be seriously injured. Kupper said that they planned to have EMT on site with all necessary precautions taken to aid in accidents and injuries and that the landing pad is another option they could research.

Miller asked how the idea of this new ATV Park would fit in with the on-going Park, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) plan and what she should tell citizens who question why the money is being spent on this new park instead of waiting on the results of the PROS Plan to tell us what types of parks citizens in Wichita are interested in. Kupper said that the money used for the ATV Park would come from land acquisition funds that already exist in the CIP and that the PROS Development money has already been allocated in the CIP for future years. Creating this new park does not take away any funding away from the PROS Plan. Kupper said that he feels we cannot stop developing new parks and creating new ideas just because the PROS plan is not yet finalized.

Steve Wheeler, 13425 E. 37th. St.
Mr. Wheeler said he is very excited about the possibility of an ATV Park coming to Wichita. He said that his family is a member of the JEEPS Organization, but does not think that it will hurt their business at all. He said that his son, age 14, also rides and is equally excited about the park.

Motion 1: On motion by Miller, second by Stevens, IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED that staff will continue to explore the ATV Venue and look at all budgetary concerns to include any possible grant funding. Once staff has visited and presented the proposed ATV Venue to each of the DABs, they will bring the item back to the Park Board for a final decision.
Click here to View Proposal (http://www.wichita.gov/NR/rdonlyres/EA378983-E6B7-4DD7-B764-236A23521D32/0/WichitaOffRoadMotorSportsPark.pdf)

Response From Doug Kupper (Director of Parks and Recreation) via Email - January 23, 2009

Brad S: I was wondering what the status of the proposed offroad park here in Wichita was? Was anything decided on the project?

Kupper: We still have plans to build one.
We have requested Capital Improvement funds to pay for the matching of Federal dollars.
We are also hopeful that the Federal Bail out dollars will reach Wichita so we can get this done sooner rather than later.
Thank you for your continued support.