Park Place
The site will be ’spectacular,’ said one of its planners.
As far as Stafford Smith is concerned, Idaho Falls’ newest park will be its most spectacular.
Smith and his brother, Woody, donated a 9.4-acre piece of land for a park to the city along the west bank of the Snake River north of Sunnyside Road.
That stretch includes churning rapids, wading pools and an osprey nest on a nearby power pole.
“You can’t invent that,” Stafford Smith said. “Nature does it best. I think this park will become the crown jewel of the area.”
The park will connect with the city’s Snake River greenbelt via a running path and also be a part of the 400-acre Snake River Landing project being developed by Ball Ventures.
Smith, Ball Ventures and the city of Idaho Falls all have a hand in the design, which is still in the preliminary stages.
Ball Ventures had architects draft designs and showed them to city officials, who are still tweaking the plans, Mayor Jared Fuhriman said.
Ball Ventures also will help the city foot the bill.
“It’s going to be a team effort with both the city and Ball Ventures,” Fuhriman said.
What that final price tag is, though, remains to be seen.
“It’s way too early to quote anything,” said Eric Isom of Ball Ventures.
No timetable has been set for when the park will be completed, but initial landscaping should start in the coming weeks. Some trees at the site will be removed to make way for picnic tables and open, grassy areas in addition to leveling some hills close to the river bank.
“We want to open and expand the view,” Stafford Smith said, adding that picturesque views of the Snake River will be the park’s main draw. “This is not a small project.”
Once it’s completed, upkeep and maintenance at the park will be no small task, either.
Idaho Falls will be solely responsible for keeping the park clean and making any necessary repairs.
The city’s Parks Maintenance Department receives about $2 million for workers’ salaries, insurance, upkeep and equipment, Controller Thane Sparks said.
That funding undoubtedly will increase, Fuhriman said, and more workers might have to be hired, too.
“(The park) will come at a little bit of an expense, without a doubt,” he said.
Costs aside, Smith sees the new park, which hasn’t be named yet, as a beautiful gateway for Idaho Falls.
“I think this is going to be the spot to go,” he said. “It’s going to be spectacular.”
Did you know?
The city of Idaho Falls maintains 30 parks, comprising hundreds of acres throughout the city.
Story by Nick Draper. Originally posted at: Post Register
Tags: Idaho Falls, Parks
