The public comment section of the Little Rock City Board meeting Tuesday was interesting. Five people spoke in person and one email was read against the idea of putting a Topgolf or similar bar/driving range in War Memorial Park. The comments begin around the 55-minute mark.

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Mayor Frank Scott Jr. has pushed this idea out through a request for bids on a lease of 18 of the 90 acres once used by the now-closed golf course. He did so without notice to the City Board, Parks and Recreation Commission and R3 task force that studied the use of the park property. Public response to date has been overwhelmingly negative.

Dillon Ashcraft talked of the R3 task force that studied redevelopment and specifically considered including the economically distressed corridor along 12th Street in plans. A Topgolf would not be “inclusive” of this community. “Such an expensive private entertainment option directly adjacent to an impoverished neighborhood is absolutely class warfare,” he said. “Put an end to this bad plan.”

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He said the city should adopt policies against ground leases of public property. He, and others, also said they had no objection to Topgolf in the city, just not on public park property.

Rushton Dobbins said he didn’t see the benefit of putting a “niche events center” in a place where every citizen can use the space freely now.

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Kyle Neumeier said public land should be available to people of all means, not ceded to a private company for a venture many may not be able to afford. The lease will give up a chance to make War Memorial a better place for many generations. He said he couldn’t imagine his children going to Topgolf 20 years from now, but could imagine them playing on ballfields and “enjoying public outdoor space.”

Leif Hassell, who said he lives seven blocks south of the park and walks there regularly, said the park is the largest piece of green space in the center of the center. “To cede a fifth of it to a private corporation to turn it into something that in 10 years will be an empty building is a ridiculous proposition.” He said it would draw more people from west Little Rock “than from south of I-630 where I live.”

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Kristin Alexander has advocated previously using part of the acreage for gardens, native trees, fruiting plants and other Central Park-type amenities. She said she’d like to see her idea discussed for the park. She also cited a city parks department survey on War Memorial use that drew 1,731 responses. Walking, hiking and biking trails and a dog park were the top vote-getters from a checklist. Of 474 open-ended answers, a zoo expansion, skate park and amphitheater were mentioned. But 135 were for green space. Only 102 of 1,700 responses mentioned a golf course. Only 10 mentioned a place like a Topgolf, she said.

The people have spoken, she said. They want “free, open public access, not commercial development” with a strong emphasis on green space.”

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An email was read from Yolanda Dreher, who opposed commercial development of this size in the park. She feared the venue being contemplated by the mayor wouldn’t be affordable or accessible for the elderly and poor. She said “nothing remotely like this” was discussed during the task force study of park uses and she said she was concerned about the impact on the zoo. She also faulted seeking bids for the project amid the coronavirus epidemic.

Near the end of the meeting, City Director Capi Peck said she wanted a resolution prepared for the next Board meeting that would call for the R3 task force and Parks and Recreation Commission to “look at this and weigh in.” She said she wanted an “easy mechanism” for residents to be heard.

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Mayor Scott said several times in responding that her idea was “obsolete.” He said nothing could be done with public land until it goes to the Parks Commission and also before the city board. Feedback will be possible then, he said.

(Tuesday’s meeting was a good example of how that is not always true. The deal to continue a recycling contract without glass recycling was a last-minute change adopted without notice to the public and without board debate.)

Peck noted the parks commission hadn’t met since March. Scott said no decision had been made, only a request for proposals. “We do not even know if anyone will apply.”

Peck said she was getting mail and calls daily in opposition.

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“That’s just part of the political process,” Scott said. “It would be putting the cart before the horse by making that type of decision and more than likely be obsolete because it has nothing to do with the current process. Just want you to be sure you’re aware of that.”

“OK,” Peck said.

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