LAKEPORT >> With the Lakeport City Council granting approval for The Westside Community Park Committee to begin the process of developing an equestrian area in the park, an effort is underway to gather as many ideas as possible. The committee initiated the planning process in August of 2014 after a first nod from the council.
Already the group has a conceptual drawing and brochure, created by Virginia Vovchuk, to present for comment. According to Dennis Rollins, Chairperson of the park committee “The purpose of the conceptual drawing is to help the community visualize what development might include and could possibly look like.”
Rollins emphasized that the current goal is to evaluate the needs of the various horse groups and work to develop a plan that can meet as many of those needs as possible. The concept will change as the process goes forward.
“We are eager to visit the many horse groups to discuss this exciting project and hear from them about how the park might meet their needs,” said subcommittee Chair Carol Thorn.
A subcommittee was established to oversee the process. Thorn, secretary of the Westside Community Park Committee, chairs the group. Other committee members are Carol Maxwell, a member of the organization’s board of directors, Jaxan Christensen and Sally Green. All are horse people and active in the county’s horse community.
“We may not be able to meet all of the needs due to space and financial limitation but we need the information Carol’s committee will gather to provide us with a starting point,” Rollins added.
Early suggestions for development have included an arena with spectator seating, round pen, trail trial obstacle training course, horse camping sites and parking for trucks and trailers.
“Additional suggestions will be added to this list based upon the input received though the subcommittee,” Thorn observed.
The park committee has requested Konocti Regional Trails Committee explore a potential trailhead from this area. The ultimate destination of the trail would be Bureau of Land Management administered land to the west.
Although considerable progress has been made, the park committee expects to put in considerable effort before the project is completed. Currently, the two biggest needs, according to Rollins, are raising funds and finding an engineer to create the plan. He noted, “This will be an expense project partly because it involves providing road access and water.” The Westside committee hopes that an engineer with an interest in an equestrian facility will offer services pro bono or on a reduced cost basis to help make this a reality.
The organization will hold a special meeting at the proposed site on Saturday, March 21 at 10 a.m. The purpose will be to view the site and receive public comment. The site is located at the west end of Westside Park Road.
Westside Park Road intersects Parallel Drive just north of the Kathy Fowler Auto Dealership in Lakeport.
