By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Plan designs for the new Hays Accessible Recreation Complex have been updated and a proposed groundbreaking pushed back since the fundraising campaign officially kicked off a little more than a year ago.
Volunteer Sarah Meitner, the mother of a special needs son, briefed Hays city commissioners on the project Thursday night, along with Kathy McAdoo, Arc of Central Plains exec. director and Brent Kaiser, Arc activities director and director of the local Special Olympics program.
The biggest change to the ARC Park to be located in Seven Hills Park, 33rd and Hillcrest, is the addition of a $180,000 parking lot and drop-off area, pushing the total project cost up to approximately $2 million.
The layout locations of a baseball field, playground equipment and splash pad have not changed.
“I know we’ll end up with school buses of kids here, along with baseball teams,” Meitner predicted.
The parking lot is 43 stalls – plenty of handicapped parking – plus a drop-off area that will have benches around it. We think that will alleviate the flow of traffic and the street parking.” An entrance and exit will be installed both on 33rd and Hillcrest.
Meitner, Kaiser and McAdoo have gone to door-to-door meeting nearby residents. They each said they have heard nothing negative about increased traffic from neighbors.
“I’ve talked to several of those people and even received a donation from one,” McAdoo told commissioners.
Commissioner Eber Phelps said he knows a family with a special needs child who travels in a motorhome because of the accessibility issues. “You could have people come off Interstate 70 that know about this. I hope that happens.”
Families seek out such facilities when a child just can’t handle a busy restaurant, according to Meitner. “They pack picnics even for small road trips because they know they’re going to have to find a park to play at.”
The Hays ARC Park can be recognized as a sensory-friendly and accessible playground on Google maps, which the group found out from an interested parent. “That’s what they search for.”
Now also planned for the park is a we-go-round, a wheelchair accessible, multi-generational merry-go-round.
The zipline will be extended to 60 feet. “It’ll be a fun showpiece that those kids without disabilities will say this park is pretty cool.”
A low hammock can be stood on for balance or used lying down by someone who is soothed by the back and forth motion.
A new sensory feature – similar to an oversized “Simon” game – will add another component to play particularly for children with vision or hearing impairments.
More shade structures and benches will added and other enhancements will have an artistic component.
She noted the accessible playground will also be important to parents who are in wheelchairs or have mobility problems. “They can be right there with their kids.”
The baseball field will have a scoreboard and bleachers.
“As we’ve done our research into the lack of baseball fields in our region, we know that we’ll have (Special Olympics) teams wanting to come and play at it.” Meitner suggested teams from Colby and Great Bend could meet in Hays to play each other.
So far, slightly more than $480,000 has been raised for the park with donations coming from about 500 individuals and businesses. Donors have included all Hays civic organizations and most of the schools.
“We’ve even gotten Girl Scout cookie money from three different troops,” Meitner said with a smile.
As fundraising enters a second year, donations are anticipated again from organizations in their 2020 budgets.
Several fundraising events are scheduled through the end of the year including a freewill offering barbecue Sunday sponsored by Trinity Lutheran Church and Downing-Nelson Oil at Hays VFW Post #9076, 22nd and Vine, from 11 a.m to 2 p.m.
At least $80,000 has been secured in quantified in-kind donations.
“We’re nearing the $600,000 mark, which isn’t quite enough, but remarkable for a year’s time.”
Now that there is money in the bank, the project is pursuing grant funding from outside the community, including national foundations.
Meitner is hoping for a donation surge around the upcoming Christmas holiday through a mailer with the goal for a spring 2020 groundbreaking.
“At this time we’re trying to get the baseball field and playground up concurrently this spring. The phase three splash pad may have to be postponed back to 2021 which is disappointing but we have to remind ourselves how far we’ve come.”
Originally, construction was anticipated to begin this month. Meitner said a flyer was recently mailed to all Ellis County residents explaining the delay.
Commissioner Sandy Jacobs is executive director of the Heartland Community Foundation, which awards grant monies to non-profit groups within Ellis, Trego and Rooks counties.
“It is wonderful how you are able to maintain your level of enthusiasm,” Jacobs praised the group. “I know it’s really, really difficult when things don’t come through the way you expect them to come. You have to keep that energy up. It’s probably driven by your passion.”
“I can’t say enough about all the work that you’ve done so far,” Phelps added. “I don’t think we can even imagine the impact the park is going to have.”