POA board talks trails and trailheads

Lynn Atkins/The Weekly Vista While some of the proposed trail heads are located in areas that already used for parking, the Tweety Bird Trailhead on Chelsea Road, near Prescot Road is not. Board members at last week's work session were told that this will be a popular area for walkers because the trail is fairly flat. There's a tunnel to go under Chelsea Raod already in place.
Lynn Atkins/The Weekly Vista While some of the proposed trail heads are located in areas that already used for parking, the Tweety Bird Trailhead on Chelsea Road, near Prescot Road is not. Board members at last week's work session were told that this will be a popular area for walkers because the trail is fairly flat. There's a tunnel to go under Chelsea Raod already in place.

Members of the POA board of directors talked trails and trailheads during their work session on Thursday. The board usually doesn't vote at work sessions; instead, they hear about issues that will come up for a vote at the monthly meeting which is scheduled the week after the work session.

A license agreement for the new Blowing Springs Connector will be on the agenda. The city has already approved the agreement. The connector is a 3-mile-long, 10-foot wide, concrete extension of the Razorback Greenway. It will run from Metfield Park to Blowing Springs Park. The Razorback Greenway extends to Fayetteville.

Judson shared some history of the project, reminding the board that the discussion of the project began in the early 2000s. In 2010, the first master trail plan for Bella Vista showed the connector, and POA literature sent to all members reported on it.

The plan for the connector is compliant with AASHTO standards which regulate sidewalk construction, but it doesn't match ADA (American with Disabilities Act) standards. Judson said the trail builders are not expected to comply with the ADA, and a small section of the new trail will be too steep for ADA standards.

Board member Jerry Hoover had some questions. He said he has received several messages about the project and most were positive. But he has a background in trails and he doesn't believe the AASHTO standards would apply to the connector. He wants to see the trail meet ADA standards and wants to see that in the agreement.

He also questioned the section that allows organizers to charge a fee for events on the trail without compensating the city or the POA.

Hoover believes there will be maintenance costs even though POA staff promised that no additional funds would be spent on trails.

Board member Teah Bidwell agreed and wanted the agreement to state that the city will provide necessary maintenance on the connector. She would also like to see ADA compliance.

Both Hoover and Bidwell said members were asking about lights on the trails, but Judson said lights were never a part of the plan. Some members who live in the area would object to lights, he said.

Judson said the POA is already maintaining some of the areas where the trail will be built, including a portion of Blowing Springs Park, so new funds will not be needed. Other areas are brush and won't need maintenance.

Board member David Whelchel, a professional golf course architect, was asked about the safety of trail users close to Brittany Golf Course. He said the trail has been moved out of the "zone of danger." That doesn't mean that no ball will ever go in that area, but it means that only an occasional ball may. Other areas near other Bella Vista courses are probably more dangerous.

Whelchel asked if the rest of the Razorback Greenway is ADA compliant. Several board members and a few audience members said there were several very steep hills on the Greenway that can't possibly comply with ADA.

Judson pointed out the city has already passed the agreement without insisting on ADA compliance. The section that is outside of compliance is only 200 feet and has a 5 percent grade.

There was also a discussion of trailheads that also need an agreement signed by both the POA board and the city. In most cases, the POA is already maintaining the trailheads, Judson said. Some are established parking lots, like the lot just before the gates into Blowing Springs.

"If we don't have sufficient parking, they are going to find their own parking," Judson warned.

Construction costs for new parking areas will be covered by the grant funds that are dedicated to trail construction, POA staff attorney Doug McCash said.

Most new lots will be gravel, although even gravel lots need a small paved area for handicapped parking, Judson said. A few trailheads are on private property, including lots at churches and the Historical Society property.

When the agreements come up for a vote tomorrow, Hoover said he would ask to table them until his questions are answered and concerns addressed.

Also at the Thursday meeting, the board will vote on the fee schedule that was included along with the assessment increase as part of the 2020 plan. If passed, the fees go into effect on March 1 and will not be changed until early 2023.

Judson told the board about the latest budget proposal. In October, an election to increase the assessment was coming up so the POA staff developed two budgets for 2020. One, which was later adopted, did not include any increase in assessments or changes in usage fees. The second budget was based on the success of a proposed increase.

After the assessment fee was voted down in November, the board adopted the "fail budget" for 2020, but then organized a second assessment election with a slightly different proposal. In January, that second proposal passed and the existing "pass" budget was revised. General Manager Tom Judson listed a few goals for the revised budget. One was to keep the budget lean and fulfill any commitments made to the members, including the distribution of the new assessment funds between operating expenses, reserves and paying off debts to the water department.

Two capital projects were added: repairs around two bridges on the Scotsdale course and a replacement pump on the Berksdale course. A few capital projects were removed, including a replacement for the small dog park which was destroyed in flooding last fall, new pickleball courts, a new archery range and a replacement rental boat.

The board will vote on the budget at Thursday's meeting.

General News on 02/26/2020