Blog Posts

HOLLERWOOD PARK MEETING - 2018.02.21

2/21/2018

Old dog, new tricks

In response to issues arising from the erosion of areas deemed "swampy" in our park, Park Manager Tony Tipton reached out to surrounding businesses to see what solutions they implemented. The solution he brought to the table was one using recycled rubber tire mats made from old tires. This is beneficial for our area due to the concentration of old tires that are littered in and around our waterways. Grants are available that could pay for 25% of the cost. Board members raised questions about what substances to put under the mat and if the waterway can drain sufficiently even with the mat. The board voted to proceed with applying for the grant.

Estill County and the money issue

Park manager Tony Tipton has recently been in contact with the new Estill County Judge Executive, Kevin Williams, regarding their payment obligation. Judge Williams expressed support for the project and assured Mr. Tipton that he would work to secure the funds within 90 days. We look forward to working with Judge Williams in regards to this project.

This Old House

Board member Ian Teal has been working on getting the building on the property fixed up in order to house our main office. He requested $220 for labor and materials in order to get the roof sealed and fixed up. Board member Dedra Brandenburg was working towards getting the electrical working in the building. She relayed to the board that she consulted with local electrician Bill Kramp from Lee County about getting the power on., He informed her that as it stands, the building will not pass inspection. He submitted an offer of $1700 in labor and equipment to cover overhauling the electrical system. Both motions passed.

The promise land

Governor Matt Bevin has instructed Government agencies to reach out to counties and projects in certain "Opportunity Zones" and let them know about upcoming funding opportunities. Park Board Chairman Craig Dawson was contacted by representatives from the SOAR organization about the potential for Hollerwood Park to receive funding. Mr. Dawson, in conjunction with representatives from Wolfe (and hopefully Estill and Lee), will work towards applying for funding. This application is due Monday, February 26th, so timing is of utmost importance.

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Hollerwood Park Meeting - 2018.01.31

1/31/2018

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Keeping the family together

Members of the board and local county governments have reached out to the Estill County's newly appointed Judge Executive, Kevin Williams. While Judge Williams acknowledges the tight fiscal situation that he has inherited, he did state that he is firmly behind the Hollerwood Park project. Estill County still owes the Hollerwood Park board for last years lease payment. We look forward to working more with Estill County and their new leaders.

I'd like to use a lifeline, Regis

When Estill County couldn't make their payment, members of the board reached out to other local government organizations. Our hope was that these other groups saw the promise in this project like we all do. Luckily, they did share in our vision and granted us funds. This not only allowed us to make our lease payment, but it also moves the needle much closer towards opening. If you are a supporter of this park, and know someone on the Stanton City Tourism Commission or the Wolfe County Tourism Commission, thank them.

Land of confusion

Tony Tipton, Park manager for Hollerwood Park, updated the board on some important items related to our physical property. He's been working with legal counsel to clear up some title issues that are still causing problems. They believe they reached a resolution, but some more work will be required. He also updated the board on possible land swaps with the Forestry Service. Tentatively, the talks seem mutually beneficial for both entities; us gaining important features and they would alleviate themselves of patrolling headaches. Tony will keep the board updated with further talks.

Make a list, check it twice

We went over outstanding items that are needed in order to get the park open. Issues of building quality, utilities, and internet dominated the conversation. We also reviewed new concepts regarding trail markers that can be deployed in the park. Many board members took action-items and will report back at the next meeting.

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HOLLERWOOD PARK MEETING - 2017.09.20

9/20/2017

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Prep for launch

Park Manager Tony Tipton has been meeting with the Forestry Service concerning some contested boundary issues in the park. We have come to a tentative agreement on where Hollerwood Park ends and the Forestry Service property begins. We will be posting more signs in these areas to let riders know that they are leaving Hollerwood Park. We will be posting some features that are closed to the border that are included and excluded from the park in a future post.

Widowmaker issues

The board discussed plans for shoring up areas of Little & Big Widowmaker. After much discussion, it was decided that the area needs a silt barrier. The board will be working with the local county governments to get a barrier purchased and installed.

Like a good neighbor

Park Manager Tony Tipton reached out to some of the private land owners regarding some other boundary disputes. After some discussion, he reached an agreement that avoided him pushing trespassing issues on his side as long as the riders are made aware that they have left the park.

Still waiting on the money

The board is still waiting to receive Estill County's portion of the lease payment. Letters have been sent from the County Attorney that currently represents the board to all Judge Executives and Fiscal Courts involved in the project. Members of the board have also made numerous attempts to contact representatives of the Estill County government in regards to the status of this payment. This is a serious issue that puts this project in jeopardy. We encourage all supporters of this project to reach out to the local government officials in Estill County and voice your support for the project. Here are the links you can use to contact these representatives:

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Hollerwood Park Special Meeting - 2017.09.06

9/6/2017

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Special Meeting

The board had a special meeting on Wednesday, September 6th. Special meetings are held to discuss specific topics and not typically open to general discussion. This special meeting was held to go over the lease payment for the park and to review sub-committee work on operational equipment related to a POS system and online storefront for purchasing tickets and other items at the park.

Lease Payment

Three of the four counties have paid their portion of the lease payment. The board is still waiting to receive the payment from Estill County. The invoice was sent to Estill County in July, but after two fiscal court meetings, the Estill County Fiscal Court has yet to approve their contractually obligated portion of the lease payment. The board was presented with the meeting minutes from October 2014 when the Estill County Fiscal Court approved the lease payment, which has a term of 6 years. The board will continue to ensure the lease payment is paid and that Estill County contributes their portion.

Storefront & POS System

Board members Dedra Brandenburg and Chad Birch presented research done by them, along with board member Joe Crawford, regarding waiver systems, point of sale systems, online storefronts, and permit design, rules, and costs. More research and work is needed in some of these areas, but the board is on track to have their day-to-day sales needs met.

Next Meeting

We encourage everyone who is interested in this project to come out to the next meeting on Wednesday, September 20th.

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HOLLERWOOD PARK MEETING 2017.08.23

8/23/2017

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State Fair

The attendance at today's meeting was low due to many people involved are representing their respective counties in Louisville at the State Fair. Both members and attendees of our board are very involved in their communities, so we hope they all have safe travels to and from home this week.

Trail Cleanup Day

Jeff Dozier and James Neukam headed up our trail day on August 12th. The group worked closely with the Forrestry Service this time to get quite a bit done. We also had a chance to have an on-site discussion with the Forrestry Service about disputed features and land borders. We made a lot of progress with the trails and with the property lines today. We call this a success.

Fixing the Swamp

All four counties have been working hard to fix the issues at the swamp. Each county has contributed their road crew and materials to work on this issue. We estimate that we're 90% complete with this project.

Signs Up!

We have signs up! This has been one of the key hurdles to opening the park. These were mostly deployed at our trail day. We have signs stating when you're entering/leaving the park, as well as other informative signs to guide you through property and warn you of some of the hazardous areas.

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Hollerwood PArk Meeting 2017.07.19

7/19/2017

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Public Concerns

The board meeting started out hearing questions and concerns with the park from citizens who live in the area of the park. Concerns were raised around safety, violators, property boundaries, and economic impact. Park manager Tony Tipton, Powell County Judge Executive James Anderson, business owners in attendance, and members of the community that support the project helped address each concern as they were raised. This was important for the board to help them understand the issues that may be raised once the park becomes fully operational.

Concerns About Sandlick

Jeff Dozier from The Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway addressed the board with his concerns around the trespassing in the Sandlick area. Signage was the solution that has been proposed to address this issue. He also offered his support to assist in funding for signage. John Kazmierski from the U.S. Forestry Service also weighed in on his concern around the degradation of the non-system roads that are currently in the Forestry Service area, some of which are running through creeks. While John is working with Powell County Judge Anderson on an alternate route in the area covered by the forestry service that would be designated as a system road, the signage solution is still required to ensure the riders know where to go and where not to go.

Park Manager Tony Tipton has been working hard on the park. In addition to mowing and lawn maintenance, he also worked on securing the site through improved locks, fixed the garage door, and worked on the water pump and electrical systems. He's also been working with the currently land owners to identify good spots to install camping sites. Their historical knowledge of the utilities infrastructure is extremely helpful in this effort. New trespassing signs and security devices have also been installed on-site.

Trail Day

We'll be hosting another trail day on August 12th. Here is a description of the event:

Activities we plan on accomplishing are:

Trash pickup
Cleaning existing trails (before the trees bloom too much)
Brush cutting
Placing boundary signs to let people know when they're leaving the park.

Equipment needed:

Gloves
Pruners
Weed-eaters
Hedge-trimmers
Chainsaws
Trash bags

Updates to the event will be handled on the Facebook event. If you plan on attending, please respond that you will be 'Going' on the event.

Next Meeting

If you want to know when we meet again, we manage our meetings via our Hollerwood Park Facebook page. Come join us at our next meeting.

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Hollerwood Park Meeting - 2017.06.21

6/21/2017

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Working towards opening

We're still working diligently on opening the park. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The big items left to knock out are:

Boundary issues
Building issues
- Clean up
- Utilities
Trail issues
- Still having issues at 'the Swamp'.
Administrative issues
- Signs
- POS system
- Vehicle stickers

Once we get these cleaned up, we will be ready. Look for more information soon.

Next Meeting

If you have any questions or concerns, come out to our next meeting.

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Hollerwood Park Meeting - 2017.05.03

5/3/2017

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All Squared Up

We are all caught up with our lease payments. Estill County finally came through with their portion of the lease payment ($18,500). We will be issuing our check to the lease holder as soon as possible.

'X' Marks The Spot

Park Manager Tony Tipton produced a new map that lists all trails and routes that leave the park. Points are reflected on the map at the exact point where the trail leaves Hollerwood. The map also highlights other properties by adjoining land-owners and shows the challenges that are still in place. This is the map that the local governments and the board will be working from in order to resolve trail issues. This is a key item to have for our trail planning and rescue planning.

Up on Cripple Creek

Much discussion took place regarding the creek on the main entrance trail. The board discussed the issues with severe mud and swamp-like conditions after rainstorms and the difficulty we might have in rescuing stranded vehicles if they were to get stuck. Possible resolutions ranged from simple rocks to help shore up the bottom to the construction of a bridge to bypass the creek entirely. Judge Anderson (Powell County) agreed to have someone from the road crew go out and assess the situation in order to see if they can remedy the issue.

Signs, signs, and more signs

We still have rules, liability forms, and signs to acquire and deploy before we open. The board heard from James Neukam (board member) about the research he has done in to signs. The board agreed that James should head up this effort. Discussion also took place about road crossing signs, ATV traffic alert signs, etc.

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Hollerwood Park Meeting - 2017.02.15

2/15/2017

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Money, Money, Money, Money

Park Manager Tony Tipton sent out a letter to the Estill County Judge Executive and Fiscal Court regarding their late payment regarding the lease we have on the park. We hope this will be resolved upon the next meeting of the Estill County Fiscal Court, which will be on Monday, February 20th at 6:00.

Run, Forester, Run

Mr. Tipton is also working on getting Mitch Frisbee to the park to aid on property boundaries. Mr. Frisbee is a professional forester who has previously worked on boundary issues on this land in years past. His knowledge and experience will help expedite the process of defining this key piece in getting the park open in the Spring.

Trying to make it ours

We are still pursuing opportunities with the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo) to try and acquire the funds to purchase the land out-right. This has been an issue with trying to secure grants for this project. Once we own the property, we should be able to accelerate our development plan... So let's hope this works out.

volunteers needed - trail day!

We are looking to hold a Hollerwood Park trail day. We plan on meeting on Saturday, March 4th, at the Sun Oil building (on KY Highway 1036) at 10 a.m. Activities we plan on accomplishing are:

Trail clearing
Hardening trails
Flagging new trails
Boundary identification work

Tools will be needed for various activities. Some tools needed are:

Gloves
Weed eaters (blades preferred)
Loppers
Chainsaws
Gas-powered hedge trimmers
Handheld GPS

If you need more information, please check out the event on Facebook or contact James Neukam at 502.609.6351.

Piece of the pie

Board member David Terrill brought up an idea of working something out with the property owners in order to get a deed to the building and some small piece of property to use as a foot-hold in our next round of grant applications. The idea is still in its early phases, so hopefully we'll have more information on it at our next meeting.

Next meeting

The turnout at this meeting was tremendous. It's always good to see the public's interest on this project on full display. If you want to know when we meet again, we manage our meetings via our Hollerwood Park Facebook page. Come join us at our next meeting.

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Hollerwod Park Meeting - 2017.01.18

1/18/2017

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I want to ride my bicycle...

Joe Bowen asked to use the Sun Oil parking lot for his off-road bicycle ride, tentatively called the "Rugged Red: Gravel Grinder". The event could bring hundreds of visitors to the area, exposing them to some of the scenery that helps make this park so special. The board had a lot of discussion regarding date of the event as well as insurance liability. The board will decide on this at the next meeting once Mr. Bowen provides a date for his event.

Fiscal house of cards

The board reviewed matters involving lease payments from the counties. A letter was drafted to send to the fiscal agencies that were causing delays in payments. The boards hopes to have this matter addressed in the next 30 days.

... At the end of the rainbow

Our project manager has been invited to the Red River Gorge Conference in March that covers federal and state grants and loan submissions. The hope is that some money can be secured to help ease our expected startup costs. We'll report more once we know.

Lines in the sand

We're trying to resolve some final key property issues that involve some trails. These are some of the hardest properties to ascertain ownership, which makes this a very exciting prospect.

Save the date

After a lot of work, a prospective opening date of Spring 2017 has been targeted. While this date is not set in stone, we are hoping to have everything in place to get the park up and running then. We're looking forward to the spring and letting everyone enjoy this gem in the mountains.

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Forward>>

Old dog, new tricks

Estill County and the money issue

This Old House

The promise land

Keeping the family together

I'd like to use a lifeline, Regis

Land of confusion

Make a list, check it twice

Prep for launch

Widowmaker issues

Like a good neighbor

Still waiting on the money

Special Meeting

Lease Payment

Storefront & POS System

Next Meeting

State Fair

Trail Cleanup Day

Fixing the Swamp

Signs Up!

Public Concerns

Concerns About Sandlick

NEXT

Trail Day

Next Meeting

Working towards opening

Next Meeting

All Squared Up

'X' Marks The Spot

Up on Cripple Creek

Signs, signs, and more signs

Money, Money, Money, Money

Run, Forester, Run

Trying to make it ours

volunteers needed - trail day!

Piece of the pie

Next meeting

I want to ride my bicycle...

Fiscal house of cards

... At the end of the rainbow

Lines in the sand

Save the date

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