Riverfront rules to get second look

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September 5, 2010

KATIE BRANDENBURG The Independent The Daily Independent Sun Sep 05, 2010, 01:04 AM EDT

ASHLAND — Officials are changing the rulebook for using Veteran’s Riverfront Park after a Christian music festival left some facilities worse for wear.

Rules for use of the park were set to go before the Ashland Board of Commissioners at its meeting on Thursday, but were delayed after incidents during Youthfest Presents Rock the River caused city officials to rethink them, City Manager Steve Corbitt said. It was the first festival to take place in the new park since the July 4 fireworks display.

The park is set to open to the public at the end of this month or in early October.

City Engineer Ryan Eastwood said that, overall, damage was minimal and wear and tear will be expected, but damage to city property won’t be tolerated in the future.

“It’s also opened our eyes to how we can maintain it better,” Eastwood said.

Damage included oil stains on the concrete of the riverwalk where a tour bus was parked and broken plexi-glass windows on new life ring cabinets, he said.

“They demolished a car down there, which none of us knew about,” Eastwood said.

The car was the remains of a “Smash the Car,” event that was part of the festival. Attendees got to take a sledge hammer to an old car. The car was also left at the park for several days after the festival took place.

Eastwood said he’s also concerned that towing the car from the park may have caused scratches on new concrete work.

But the damage was more “frustrating” than costly, he said.

Much of it will probably be able to be remedied by the contractor working on the park before workers leave, Eastwood said.

One possible change to park rules would require plastic or plywood to be placed underneath vehicles to prevent oil staining, Eastwood said.

Corbitt said rules will be based on those already set for Central Park with modifications considering the nature of the riverfront and lessons learned after the first festival.

Rules will probably go before the commission for a first reading at the next meeting on Sept. 16.

David Blair, chairman of the board of directors for Ashland Area Youth Alliance, said he didn’t notice damage to the park the day after the festival when he and several others met to have church on the river. The alliance partnered with Youthfest to put on the festival.

“Although there were some technical glitches, we couldn’t have done any better than what we did,” Blair said.

He said there weren’t any incidents with the behavior of participants during the festival and called it an uplifting and successful event.

Blair said he did notice the smashed car still at the park the day after the event, but said that part of the festival was organized by Youthfest.

Youthfest founder Nikki Thomas was not immediately available for comment.

KATIE BRANDENBURG can be reached at kbrandenburg@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.

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