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Another park project is also underway, the Front Street Railroad Park, located on about 2.2 acres between the railroad tracks and Front Street. Ranging reporter Sonny Long met with Pat Kennedy, Yoakum’s Economic/Community Development coordinator, to discuss the project.
Q: Why is this project on the front burner?
A: In the 2007 Master Parks & Recreation Plan this was the top priority project identified by those surveyed. We sent out 8,000 surveys in bank statements. I went to all the social service clubs, made a presentation and got them to fill out the survey. We had the survey on our Web site.
Q: How did interest in the project develop?
A: When we started updating the travel guide there were some old pictures that surfaced, and a ground swell began about some of the old things we had here in connection with the railroad. People embraced the concept.
Q: What are the initial phases of the project, and how is it being financed?
A: For fiscal year 2008, we wanted to acquire the property, clean it, and fence it. There was $90,000 included in the Yoakum Economic Development Corporation budget for the last three years for this. We’ve accomplished this goal.
Q: How much of the costs included purchase of the land?
A: We purchased the land from Union Pacific Railroad at 60 cents a foot, for a total of $67,676. Initially they said we couldn’t build a park on the property, but we showed them the old photos and told them about the overwhelming community support, and they relented. City crews cleaned up the property, and they took numerous truckloads of concrete and other materials off of there.
Q: Talk a little about the fence that will be constructed along the track side of the property?
A: The Yoakum City Council has awarded the bid to construct the fence to H&N Fence Company and Construction of Sweet Home. Its low bid was $23 per linear foot for a total base bid of $27,600 for the estimated 1,200-foot fence. The fence will replicate the one shown in a photograph from the 1900s. The fence should be up by the end of July.
Q: Talk about development of the property now that has been acquired and cleaned up.
A: The updated Master Parks Plan has earmarked $150,000 for park development in 2009. We are starting to discuss with the city development of the Front Street Railroad Park. We need to decide where we go from here.
Q: What is the concept of the final look of the park?
A: The community is united in trying to make it look like the old photographs of the 1900s. It will be more of a place to go and relax, maybe a sitting area, a nature area, a place you can go to read a book, things like that.
Sonny Long is a reporter for the Victoria Advocate. He can be reached at 361-580-6585, by e-mail at slong@vicad.com