(OnFocus) The Wood County Parks & Forestry Department continues to take steps toward improving recreation at Powers Bluff County Park.
Phase 1 of the proposed 4-phase development project includes an entrance road, parking lots, welcome center, 3-acre fishing pond, and ice skating rink. Development will take place on property north of Powers Bluff to protect the cultural and environmental significance of the park.
[Related: Powers Bluff Capital Campaign Reworked as 4-Phase Project]
The County hired MSA Professional Services to develop a rendering of the welcome center, which will act as a trailhead. The welcome center would include outdoor patio space for year-round trail usage, a warming room, indoor/outdoor fireplaces, reservable gathering area, rentals, and bathrooms. This building is separate from a large multi-use shelter proposed in phase 4 of the campaign.
The cost estimate for phase 1 is $3.9 million, but certain cost-cutting measures could be implemented to lower this estimate, and the plan could also be completed in stages depending on priority.
Phase 2 would add snow making and lighting equipment for the tubing and ski hill so the park isn’t as dependent on weather at an estimated cost of $700,000. Phase 3 involves extending the entrance road from the trailhead shelter to the base of the hill, and relocating old maintenance structures to the bottom of the hill, at a cost of $375,000.
Phase 4 will cap the project with a multi-use lodge and parking lot at a cost of $2,350,000. The lodge features a large 300-person gathering area for events, an equipment rental area, concessions, and a first aid room. This building will be available year-round and will serve as the warming house for downhill skiing and tubing in the winter months.
The 4-phase project will be partially funded through grants. Powers Bluff was not selected this year for an Outdoor Recreation Grant through the DNR, which means phase 1 of the project will likely not commence until late 2020 or early 2021. The parks department will submit another grant application in May.
“We were very close, but didn’t make the cut this year,” said Chad Schooley, Wood County Parks and Forestry Director. He believes that having the phase 1 cost estimates and renderings will aid the grant process next year.
The rest of the project will be funded through private donations, grants, and county funds. In December, the Highway, Infrastructure, and Recreation Committee will determine whether to do a more in-depth study on potential donors.
While not officially part of the project, the Parks & Forestry Department is also working to add to the trail system at Powers Bluff. Last winter, it added 2.5 miles of multi-use trails for cross country skiing, which will eventually be part of a larger multi-use trail. This trail currently has a natural surface but will eventually have an aggregate surface.
The department also plans to add a 7-mile single track mountain bike trail and created a conceptual plan last year with International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), but doesn’t currently have a timeline for completion of this trail. The IMBA plan incorporates features that will attract large competitive biking events to the park, in addition to general day users throughout the year.
The push to provide additional trails, and subsequently a trailhead shelter, came from the park Master Plan and responses to public surveys.
“Overwhelmingly, people were very interested in trails of any sort,” said Schooley. “One thing that really stood out also was they wanted areas that would connect different parks.”
To contribute to the Powers Bluff development project, visit www.co.wood.wi.us to donate online or print out a form.
A Bluff Boutique craft and vendor event will take place Nov. 16 from 10-3 p.m. at Nepco Lake Shelter in Wisconsin Rapids to raise funds for the development project. A $2 donation is recommended.
Author: News Desk
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