HUMBOLDT — Humboldt council members Monday night approved improvements to Hunter Park in the southwest part of town to make it more friendly to recreational vehicles.
B&W Trailer Hitches will provide up to $49,000 to pay for installation of eight camping pads, patios and utility connections.
Beth Barlow, a B&W representative, said enhanced camping facilities would be good for the hometown company and also help the city attract guests, “who will buy gasoline and shop in our grocery store.”
Barlow said the park’s entrance would need to be changed. Four large rock pillars now make negotiation with a large vehicle difficult.
Councilman Dan Julich said that concern had been addressed.
“The city will remove them and also trim trees” to a height compatible with campers and mobile homes, Julich said.
In addition to funding improvements, B&W will pay rental fees for its customers who use the park, Barlow said.
Another park upgrade was approved.
Humboldt Healthy Eco Systems group won a $5,000 grant from Kansas State University and will build a rock amphitheater in the park on the west side of the Neosho River and south of Bridge Street. A nature walking trail also will be a part of the project.
Sunny Shreeve, a councilwoman and eco systems member, said the simple open-air theater would host adult and youth outdoor activities, with emphasis on outdoor education classes. The nature trail will be about 100 yards long and wind its way through nearby wooded areas along the river.
Shreeve said Westar, from whom Humboldt purchases power, will provide volunteers to help with construction.
The bandstand in the downtown square will get a facelift, courtesy of Humboldt Downtown Action Team.
City Administrator Larry Tucker said materials for a new floor and repairs to the stand’s base had been donated. A new paint job also will be a part of the project, which volunteers will do starting with the first work day on April 14.
Visitors to Humboldt will find getting around town easier when 10 large directional signs are erected this spring.
The project, expected to cost a little over $4,000, drew unanimous approval of council members. Funding will come from money left in a bike route grant — $3,207 — and the city’s general fund.
The signs, primarily black and orange with some white lettering, will be 42 inches square with tops 10 feet above ground so they won’t create traffic problems.
