Good News on the flying field front

[Randy Powell]

Well, I had a bit of good news (or at least potential good news) on the flying field front. Turns out a friend of my wife's is on the local county parks and recreation board (I knew her horseback riding would do me some good some day). I found out that the county finally talked the RC club into giving up their lease. And I got a lot more details. What the county is trying to do is build a sort of Mile Square Park with part of the property. The RC guys had leased about 200 acres of a much larger parcel. The county came in and bought the entire large parcel (about 2200 acres). Their plan is to turn the lower half of the land into a bunch of horse riding trails and a county run horse arena (using a couple of hundred acres on the low end) and turning the upper end (about 1800 acres worth) into a sort of motor sports park with a 100 or so acre buffer in between with picnic areas and such. The motor sports park (as they are calling it) will include a bunch of stuff. An amateur motocross track, an RC car track (both paved and an off road courses), the RC flying field (an now, hopefully, a CL circle or two). They are even going to have a sort of outdoor model train area that will be at least partially covered. There is also a plan for a skate park to be added and some other stuff including bike trails, possibly a manmade small lake for RC boats  and some other improvements.

This is a former tree farm that, due to poor soil composition, just never really produced all that well. I guess they got it cheap.

Anyway, I contacted the parks development supervisor and she seems very nice and very interested in a proposal for CL circles to be added to the mix. I get the sense that they just want to put all this stuff in one area to make it easier to keep an eye on it and less multiple areas to maintain. The really good news in this is apparently they have funding for it that had a stipulation that it couldn't be used for any sort of ball field. I got the sense that all the parks development over the past 15 years has been largely creating multiple ball fields of all sorts. They seem to have enough now.

Anyway, it may be nothing in the end, but I figure that at least they are willing to listen to a proposal and they have the cash for development so it may be worthwhile. At least she appears interested.

[James Mills]

Randy,

Congratulation, we managed to get one here in Springfield so anything is possible.  Keep the communication going and positive.

James

[David Miller]

Randy, That is good news for you and your area. Our MAA (Miniature Aircraft Assoc) local RC club has a leased area out by Benton City. We have 400' asphalt runway with grass on both sides. Also RC car track and airconditioned club building with complete kitchen facilities. A well house and just recently installed a maintenance bldg and handicap accessable restroom. Finally after my several years of trying we have permission to put in a CL circle. One grass field to start with. If I get a bunch on CL people to use it they will think about asphalt and more circles later. I think the county parks people are the best chance to accomplish something of this nature. Good Luck!
Dave Miller

[Randy Powell]

David,

Yea, I'm not holding my breath. But it's the first time they've showed any interest. They apparently got a pile of money for community parks stuff and the grant they got states that it must be used for community recreation only. So no ball fields since they are over their quota or whatever based on population. Anyway, they have been talking to all kinds of groups and are looking to be inclusive. We may get something out of this yet.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and preparing a presentation for the parks development board. As I say, it may end up that we are excluded, but you never know.

[Howard Rush]

Randy,

Dave Gardner has professional Autocad drawings of circle layouts for various prospective sites over here.  They might be of use to you. 

[Randy Powell]

Howard,

Thanks for the info. If it gets that far, I'll be contacting Dave and possibly the AMA. It sounds positive at this point, but like a lot to things, I don't want to get my hopes up. I'm waiting to hear back for the Parks people.