Antelope Valley’s Park Gets Some Details

By: Mr. Wilson on November 26, 2007
Lincoln's "Central Park" gets some details in today's Journal Star. Actually, there aren't really any surprises. If you have followed the Antelope Valley news over the past few years, or if you have read through the AVP website, you'll recognize most of the plans. The pricetag for the park comes in at around $7.6 million, a little less than half of which is being taken care of by the 2015 Vision folks. The only thing that bothers me about the park -- and it has bothered me since Day 1 of this project -- is the water. Will it be filtered upstream to help keep it clean? How will we assure a good presentation both during dry spells (low water) and wet spells (high water)? These aren't unanswerable questions, but what concerns me is that folks have been asking those questions for years now, and nobody official has chipped in a response. The park will need a name. Right now a portion of the area is called Trago Park. It's not clear if that name will stick, or if the entire park will renamed. If you were to name this new park, what would you call it? Note that the easy "Antelope Valley Park" is probably out since it would be too easy to confuse with the existing Antelope Park.

Comments

See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.

Dave K
November 26, 2007 at 3:48PM

Hopefully it’s as beautiful in 30 years as Centennial Mall is now.

DianeK
November 26, 2007 at 3:52PM

I’m sure it will be, Dave!  😊

I was curious about the parking areas for those going to the Big Expensive Ditch Park. Would that be put in somewhere on the north end, in Trago Park?

Mr. Wilson
November 26, 2007 at 3:58PM

DianeK: Check out this document (PDF). There is parking along the west side.

foxspit
November 26, 2007 at 5:08PM

As I read the story I began to wonder if the public fundraising phase for this new park could also include raising funds to renovate Centennial Mall.

I also wonder if if the $7.6 million really will “maintain the park forever” as they say. I would think it would take more money than that to both build and then perpetually endow a fund for maintenance and upkeep.

Isotope
November 26, 2007 at 6:42PM

Foxspit - I also doubt that they’re setting enough aside to maintain the park. But why should they operate any differently than they do now? Parks and Rec is already strapped financially, and looking at cutting more services (the P&R;Advisory Bd has been discussing this quite a bit lately) - now they add this big park! I think we’re piling a lot on our Parks Dept without giving them adequate resources to take care of things city-wide.

Fletch
November 26, 2007 at 7:02PM

If it’s to be like Central Park, do there need to be murders and rapes and other malfeasance going on there as well?

beerorkid
November 26, 2007 at 8:21PM

gotta be honest here.  Not much of a “Lincolnite” when it comes to caring about the city, it seems fine to me, but this looks pretty darn cool.

Fletch
November 26, 2007 at 9:05PM

I think it looks pretty cool, to be honest. I do have a question about how much taxable land will be coming off the property tax rolls to do this, but it would look cool. I typed my earlier post because it’s just not every day you can throw “malfeasance” in a sentence.

Bubbles
November 26, 2007 at 9:34PM

Can we call it Gotcha Again Park?
Or maybe WSYMA (We Spent Your Money Again) or Snookered Park?

foxspit
November 26, 2007 at 9:48PM

I like the idea a lot, especially the concept of involving private funds to pay for it and help maintain it, particularly if an endowed fund can be created for the perpetual care of the park. I wish something like that had been done for Centennial Mall.

Fletch
November 26, 2007 at 11:13PM

Of course, we need it to be well-endowed. That goes without saying. Stands to reason that when your capital building is known as the P***s of the Plains, that your park should be well-endowed as well.

beerorkid
November 26, 2007 at 11:21PM

schwing

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