Committee to Discuss Skate Park, Augusta Bottom Road

The Washington City Council Administration and Operations Committee will meet Monday, July 23, at 7 p.m. in the city of Washington council chamber.

Among the items to be discussed will be the design and bid recommendation on the skate park at Optimist Park.

The city is working with Hardcore Shotcrete Skateparks Inc., Joplin, to prepare design and detailed construction documents for the park.

Four tennis courts at Optimist Park will be demolished to make way for the skate park and six new courts will be constructed at Phoenix Park.

Nathan Bemo, owner of Hardcore, said once the design is complete and the city council awards a contract, the skate park could be built in 90 days, but noted construction would not likely start until spring. The skate park at Optimist Park will be designed for skateboarding, in-line skating and BMX.

The recommendation will be sent to the city council for consideration.

In new business, the committee will discuss a date for the annexation workshop. The annexation issue is a controversial one with a number Franklin County residents attending the last city council meeting to express their displeasure with possible plans that include annexing property east, west, and south of Washington city limits.

Council members vowed to “go to school” on the issue of annexation which includes a proposed workshop.

The committee will also discuss measures to be taken at Augusta Bottom Road.

Members of the Washington Area Highway Transportation Committee voted in June to recommend that the city council participate in matching a federal grant to construct a new Augusta Bottom Road in Warren County.

While Warren County commissioners have agreed to provide a local match for most of the road, they will not dedicate funds for the Augusta Parkway at the eastern end of the road which connects Warren and St. Charles counties.

That section of the road was rebuilt after it was washed out by the 1993 flood, which left behind large ponds on either side.

A Washington teen was killed when her car ran off the road and into the pond in 2010.