Public track discussion comes up at PR meeting

During public discussion at Monday’s Boulder City Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, a local couple brought up a topic that has not come up in the past. That being the constructing of a public track.

At the beginning of the meeting, Catherine Call spoke about her desire to see a track built at Veterans’ Memorial Park. She said they started a petition and at just one location were able to garner nearly 100 signatures.

“Everyone we’ve talked to has been very interested and supportive,” she said. “Here in Boulder City, we have the high school track (which is closed to the public) but no public track that’s open to community members.”

She said ideally four acres would be needed, noting the undeveloped space west of the splash park. To reduce cost, she said it could be a dirt track but what’s being sought is something on flat ground. As a new mom, she said she runs with a stroller and would like a safe place to do so. In doing research, she estimates the cost at $200,000 for a dirt track to several million for a synthetic track.

Later in the meeting, Call’s husband, Dr. Taylor Call, spoke on the need and benefits of having a community track. He said there is a shortage of public tracks throughout the Vegas Valley, which he said is odd compared where he came from, Seattle. He feels a public track would benefit youth programs as well as bring people to town to use it.

“It’s a need for Boulder City,” he said.

Since this was not an agendized item, the couple were told that the commission could not comment or ask questions but suggested they seek putting the item on a future agenda.

The next morning, Parks and Recreation Director Julie Calloway said, “Adding a track at one of our parks has not been on the city’s radar.

She added that there are a few requests on the Capital Improvement project survey from the website but prior to those “there has been communicated interest.”