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Off-road vehicle use approved at park

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 City council members started the ball rolling to allow off-road vehicles to use the east side of Nichols Park Tuesday night. The city will be setting up rules and regulations governing that operation before the vehicles will be allowed.
That approval was met with concern by Rhnea and Jim Stoy representing the Henryetta Riding Club.
They pointed out in 2006 the organization and city applied for a grant to put riding trails in the park with most of those trails on the east side of the turnpike. "We agreed to provide the 20 percent for the city with half through locally raised funds and the rest in labor," she said. That agreement was to prohibit any motorized vehicles opening it only to hikers, bicycles and horses.
Stoy said club members set out the trails spent, "thousands of hours cutting trails through the park."
The city failed to complete the paperwork for the grant said city manager Ted Graham. That meant no state funds were ever used in the project.
The Stoys said there could be problems with motorized vehicles and riders on horseback using the are. "It is inherently dangerous. It has been done in some places but lots of times, people won't ride if they know there will be four-wheelers there."
"We want it to be all inclusive," Graham said. "We are not making you leave. The area is going to be used by horses, walkers, and ATVs. If a conflict is going to exist, we can manage through that."
"We are talking about 300 acres and we have to look at what is in the best interest of the city," said councilman Bill Goodner. "This is an opportunity to open it to ATVs and that is a popular sport. We stand to make a considerable sum of money to help the city."
Stoy said the original intent was to have a contribution box for people to put money in for upkeep and promote the area. "We couldn't do it once the city didn't do their part."
Bruce Jones told the council that there is a concern over accessing that side of the park. "There is only one place to go through and it is under the turnpike." He urged the council to look at working with the Turnpike Authority to obtain an overpass linking the two sides.
Jones also said a view needs to be toward developing trails at Jim Hall Lake as well.