The days when Iolans can saunter down to the ol’ fishin’ hole — legally — may not be far off.
Iola Commissioners said Tuesday they were eager to see city land near Elm Creek converted into a fishing and recreational area.
The land is south and west of where the old Washington Avenue bridge spanned Elm Creek before it was demolished. The land also is near an area proposed for a fishing access as part of the Vision Iola planning process earlier this year.
Commissioner Bill Shirley noted the spacious area would need minimal prep work to open it up to fishermen, picnickers or other outdoor enthusiasts.
Commissioner Craig Abbott also suggested the city look at clearing away some of the undergrowth and weeds surrounding the nearby “little” Lake Bassola, a pond-sized waterway that might attract swimmers of all ages.
“We might as well look at the whole area,” Abbott said.
Shirley also noted that the secluded area could also be ideal as a dog park, where few, if any, residents could find reason to oppose the canine plan.
Earlier in the meeting, commissioners were told by Jeff Bauer that a preliminary plan to fence off a plot of land near South State and Irwin streets would cost about $14,000.
A resident who lives near that site voiced opposition to the dog park. Likewise Abbott, after being told the fence would be funded through a special projects fund made available by the city’s sales tax revenues, asked if spending that much money for a dog park fence was wise in today’s economy.
That’s why Shirley favored the dog park being placed south of Elm Creek.
“You don’t have any houses nearby,” Shirley told the Register after the meeting. “And you don’t have to contend with highway traffic.”
City Administrator Judy Brigham said that while developing the area for fishing would be an inexpensive fix, building a foot bridge to cross the creek would be a bit more costly. With that in mind, she said the city would look into potential state grants to fund a foot bridge.
IN ANOTHER Vision Iola-related issue, commissioners indicated that while they favor the plan and designs for proposed signage around town, spending $92,000 to do it all immediately might be out of the cards.
Brigham said replacing the four “Welcome to Iola” signs that surround the city in all four directions, plus eight wayfinding signs around town would cost about $78,000. Building monument-type signs at the entrance to Riverside Park and Meadowbrook Park would cost another $14,000.
“I’m not interested in spending that kind of money,” Abbott said.
Likewise, Mayor Bill Maness suggested the city upgrade the signs over time, “recognizing that we paid for this study and this is what the people came up with.”
He asked Parks Superintendent Berkley Kerr to continue investigating whether less expensive signs that maintained the design and style of those proposed by Vision Iola could be used.
IN A RELATED matter, commissioners were presented with a proposal for a shooting range on city land west and south of the Neosho River bridge on U.S. 54.
Developing that land would cost about $20,000, reported Ron Conaway, who brought up the idea of the shooting range earlier this year. Like the dog park, the lion’s share of that price also was for fencing, Conaway said.
Commissioners asked Conaway to visit with Sheriff Tom Williams to inquire about making a county-owned shooting range south of LaHarpe a public use facility. Currently, only law enforcement personnel are permitted to the use the county range.
