The Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission on Tuesday agreed the city's newest park won't be available for private events due to limited access in and out of the park.

The resolution calls for Deborah Cooper Park, which is located on Adrian's Island, to be developed and maintained by the commission as a "passive park," meaning people can't rent the park for private events.

Parks Director Todd Spalding said he had talked with officials from the Jefferson City police and fire departments and they agreed holding private events could present problems since the only way in and out of the park is by the Bicentennial Bridge.

Spalding said they might consider holding small fundraising events for scholarships parks offers, but nothing else.

"We never planned for this park to be rented out," Spalding said.

In a related matter, the commission approved a change order with the engineering firm Bartlett and West for additional plan and design work not to exceed $24,000 for the park. The additional work includes design for security lighting in the park as well as plans for an additional storage facility. Funds dedicated to development of Deborah Cooper Park will cover the additional expenses.

The first phase of work on the park included putting in trails, restroom sites and clearing trees. The second phase will consist of an outdoor shelter to be delivered and installed along with a life-size chessboard, commercial hammocks, a vault toilet and other amenities.

JJ Gates, Parks Resources and Forestry Division director, said the hammocks could be installed by mid-May and the shelter, which would be placed over picnic tables at the park, could come in around the first part of June.

With the completion of the Bicentennial Bridge linking the Capitol complex to Adrian's Island, parks officials wanted to find a way to measure usage of the newly acquired recreational area. To do that, pedestrian counters will be installed in the coming weeks.

Parks officials said understanding how people navigate the city can help make decisions about infrastructure and facilities. It can help them understand where people are moving, gauge how people use public facilities and measure marketing efforts.

City Engineer David Bange was at Tuesday's meeting and told the commission they are continuing to work with Ameren Missouri to get electricity to the park. Commissioners said they might consider adding some call boxes for added security measures, and Spalding said they do plan to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) installed in the park along with an emergency call button.

An AED is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can potentially stop an irregular heartbeat and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest.

Print Headline: Parks panel: No private events to be held at island park

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