Funding approved for park, trail projects

BENTONVILLE — The Bentonville City Council has approved spending money for park design and a trail realignment.

The council approved a $338,375 agreement with EDG for the schematic design and construction document phase of the future Southwest 28th Street Park. A budget adjustment of $65,000 to recognize a grant from the Walton Family Foundation for design services also was approved.

The passive park will include a destination-style playground, a splash park, a dog park and the city’s first dedicated cricket pitch, Wright said.

A $59,357 bid from 81 Construction for the Wishing Springs Trail straightening project also was approved by the council. The money comes from a Walton Family Foundation grant awarded in 2017, Wright said. Sections of the trail near West McNelly Road will be rebuilt, according to council documents.

The Parks and Recreation Department wants to improve the trail path from the parking lot to the bridge at McNelly Road, according to city documents. The current path doesn’t provide a “quality user experience and leaves users guessing how to proceed when they reach that area of the trail,” city documents say.

The work will straighten a trail intersection and remove another trail intersection near the parking lot, leaving a path more direct and less confusing, according to city documents. The change also will be beneficial from a safety standpoint for residents who use the trail, Wright said.