City Lake improvement projects expected to start soon

The community development department received the city’s approval on Tuesday night to receive a $140,000 grant that will allow them to move forward with the second and final phase of improvement projects that have been planned for City Lake.

The grant will help to fund the development of a new bike course that will feature trails with varying levels of difficulty

as well as a pump track, said Community Development Director Don Clark. It will also allow for the construction of new bathrooms, a disc golf course, a birder blind, a boardwalk and a bridge that will connect the north and south loops of the mountain bike trails.

The funds will be allotted to Ozark Off Road Cyclists, a locally-based nonprofit that will be responsible for overseeing the construction aspect of the projects as well as procuring the remainder of the necessary funds, as the total estimated cost for the project is $649,678.34.

These remaining funds are expected to come from the Walton Family Foundation as well as Borderline OORC, a local chapter of OORC.

“We are so thankful to the Walton Family Foundation for making the City Lake project possible, Clark said. “It is such a great amenity for the community and we are excited for our residents and visitors to enjoy another aspect of Siloam Springs.”

The organization has been working with city staff to make these improvements since the beginning of the first phase, for which funding was approved by the city board in December 2016. This phase largely consisted of developing the biking trails that are currently there, such as the soft surface Americans with Disabilities Act trail, which was completed in 2017.

The reason for making these projects a reality stems from the simple desire for continued growth in the area, much of which may not be possible without the altruistic acts of those contributing to the project, Clark said.

“We will have more to offer, so it is a quality of life project that will be beneficial to local residents and will draw others from outside of the community,” Clark said. “It is also a way to preserve the environment out there, because the topography and ecosystem are conducive to healthy activity and the city is committed to protecting that.”

Hunter McFerrin/Herald-Leader A sign displayed near the lakeshore notifies park visitors that the surrounding area is being protected in order to foster the development of a thriving butterfly population.

Hunter McFerrin/Herald-Leader For those capable of using them, this is one of several wall-ride features that exist on the mountain bike trails near City Lake.