Damaged trails, bridges at Iowa City’s Hickory Hill Park a safety concern

IOWA CITY - Mother Nature has taken its toll on Iowa City's 185-acre nature sanctuary called Hickory Hill Park.

Dirt walking paths are eroding, wooden slats that level some of the trails are breaking off or buckling, and in one high traffic area where a 30-foot bridge crosses Ralston Creek, cables tethering the bridge to the bank have snapped.

The bridge has shifted five feet askew. One end now runs the trail into a tree, and both entry points have a gap.

'The problem is, if you are not really paying attention, there are safety issues,” said Alan Frank, 74, who uses the park multiple times a week.

Violent storms and flooding in the past two years have wreaked havoc on a park that attracts young and old for trail running, walking, bird watching and enjoying nature. The trails are getting washed out, and flood debris has dislodged bridges.

Advocates for the park have begun contacting city officials to draw attention to the damage and to speed up the timetable for fixing the park.

Several members of Friends of Hickory Hill Park, a volunteer group dedicated to preserving the park, said they will address City Council during a meeting on Aug. 19.

'As it stands now, the park is no longer accessible to handicap people,” said John Kardos, a member of Friends of Hickory Hill Park. 'You can't cross some sections without jumping.”

Iowa City had approved a $750,000 three-year, three-phase plan to repair Hickory Hill, including $600,000 from city funds and $150,000 from fundraising. That was supposed to begin last year, but the city delayed plans to fiscal 2016 due to flooding woes in other areas of the city.

'We do what we can to make sure it's safe, but they have to remember it's a natural area, and it's not going to be pristine by any stretch of the imagination,” said Mike Moran, Iowa City Parks and Recreation director. 'Plus, we've been hampered by two flood events the last two years, and that has taken precedence.”

One bright spot, Moran said, is the city has a budget of up to $60,000 to replace the most severely damaged bridge on the east side of the park. That project should be complete yet this fall, he said.

Zac Hall, the superintendent of parks for Iowa City, said he plans to walk the park with engineers this week to assess the damage.

Some Friends of Hickory Hill Park members felt other parks had taken priority over Hickory Hill, and they hope the city will provide money to allow the beginning of the three-year repair project to begin now.

'They have a plan for 2016, but we need some help now,” said Joan Jehle, the treasure for the Friends group.

John Thomas, a Friends of Hickory Hill member who wrote to City Council requesting funds, is asking the city to provide $50,000 for a design study that will be needed before the bridge and trail work begins. The design will look to protect the path from flooding.

'Basically, Friends of Hickory Hill Park feel the work on the park's bridges and trails should not be further delayed,” Thomas said in an email. 'By separating out the design phase, the first step in that process, we keep the ball rolling, and reduce the capital fund request for this year.