A People's River

Lush trees, serene walking trails and a canoe launch area are each part of four conceptual design plans being used to guide the development of an Arkansas ( pronounced Ar-Kansas in Kansas) River park and beautification project in Derby, Kansas.

"We have a river that's a wonderful resource and we want to take care of it," said Beth Dyer, the city's grant writer who has applied for two grants totaling $27,500 to pay for the project.

Each of the designs, with their own themes--from honoring local veterans to educating the public about the area's watershed--were revealed to a group of interested citizens and state and local government officials this spring.

The area being considered is about 1/3 of an acre located near the river on Washington Street. The project is a joint effort between the city of Derby, a city of about 20,000 people just outside of Wichita, and the National Parks Service.

While the ideas, designed by Kansas State University landscape architect graduate students, are still in the conceptual stages, they may act as a guide to help determine what the next step in developing the area will be. About 30 people--mostly community members--so far are involved in the planning process.

The first plan, designed by Kansas State grad student Michelle O'Brien, incorporates the natural habitat of the surrounding area and focuses on bringing nature to a predominately industrial area. It offers a series of winding walkways along with a straight path that leads directly to the canoe launch.

The second design, created by student Tracy Schnurbusch, focuses on the river and its rich history. It has a central pathway with several alcoves throughout surrounded by vegetation with seating and informational signs about the Arkansas River. Different areas of the design feature characteristics of different river areas, from evergreen trees to tall grass prairies and trees native to the eastern deciduous forests.

Lara Barnes' design focuses on environmental education. "The whole concept of my design is it is designed around the shape of the actual watershed we are in," she said. She intends her design to educate visitors about the watershed, using various informational kiosks throughout the park that would be strategically located along the water quality monitoring stations already in place. The kiosks would show current information on water quality stages as they are monitored, Barnes said. A promenade would be built a few feet over the water so visitors could step out and take a look up and down the river. Current storm drainage in the area would be moved so it would flow along the natural vegetation, preventing additional pollutants from flowing into the river.

The final plan, developed by Tyler O'Donnell, honors local veterans. The development signifies each stage in a veteran's life--from their youth, eagerness and open-mindedness, represented with a wide path in the beginning of the park--to a narrow walkway signifying choices made. That path then leads to a veteran's memorial, with tall columns in a circle and large boulders, representing the destruction of war, O'Donnell said. From there visitors move to a bridge that stretches across a portion of the water, with visitors unable to view the ground below, leaving them feeling as though they are "soaring" over the river. This, O'Donnell said, signifies being "lifted up in the knowledge of your sacrifice."

Barnes said that in coming up with their designs, the students gathered a variety of information from and about the area. They looked at the location of current city parks and determined there were none west of K-15. They also discovered the closest canoe launch areas to Derby are 63 miles to the north in Hutchinson and 30 miles to the south in Udall.

The students also looked at other issues, such as pollution and ways to decrease the amount that flows into the river, and each of them incorporated handicapped accessible areas into their designs.

Mary Hanson, from the National Parks Service, told residents, many of who are concerned about how the proposed development would affect their properties that abut the area, that the city is not looking to purchase any private properties to make the project a reality.

Mike Payne, of Arcon Corp, said he was concerned about the trucks that haul to and from Arcon, located adjacent to the proposed area, and young children in the area. "What is the plan to have industry and people using the park coexist?" Payne asked.

Hanson said the issues brought forth are all to be considered before coming up with a final plan.

Some residents also expressed concern with hunting in the area, fearing children would be in danger. "We're gonna put a park down there and we've got gunfire?" asked Kris Atcheson.

Again, Hanson said the plans were conceptual. "We'll have to take that into consideration."

While some people may still be opposed to the project, others had a change of heart. "If it just stays with the park, I'll help you plant the trees," said Dave Rosendale, originally concerned about disrupting wildlife.

To view the designs online, visit www.arch.ksu.edu/rolley.

Jennifer Newton Reents is a freelance journalist and editor in Wichita, Kansas. This article originally appeared in the Derby Informer in Derby, Kansas.

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