More amenities sought for Greenway's north end

Grand Forks residents could see new amenities pop up along the north stretch of the Greenway if public opinion is favorable.

The city's Greenway Technical Committee is seeking input on proposals for two bocce ball courts and two horseshoe pits at the Seventh Avenue North entrance to the trails, and an expansion of the proposed disc golf course in Riverside Park.

"We want to know 'How do you envision the Greenway?'" said Kim Greendahl, the city's Greenway specialist. "(A future) decision may not make everybody happy, but we do want to know what you think."

The committee will meet again at 10:30 a.m. April 12 at the Grand Forks Park District building. If approved there, it would have to be approved by the City Council as well.

Disc golf

The Grand Forks Disc Golf Association proposed the Riverside course more than a year ago, and, after going through the Greenway committee, it won council approval in April.

Greendahl said everyone agreed on land set aside for the course in January 2012, but, when association members staked out the course this past summer, they found they needed more space.

The west end of the course made throwing discs into the hole too difficult, and the number of holes was too small to sustain interest, according to the expansion request.

When the original course was approved, some Riverside-area residents said they worried the course would encroach on natural areas of the park.

Greendahl said those residents and the rest of the community can weigh in on the expanded course. "We don't want them to think they gave (the disc golfers) an inch and they took a mile."

There is no estimated cost for the project, and disc golfers are looking into business sponsorship to cover some costs.

Courts and pits

The request for the bocce ball courts and horseshoe pits came from the Near North Neighborhood Association last fall, and they could be installed as early as this summer.

Installing the amenities "ups the value of the neighborhood," Greendahl said. "There really aren't any facilities in the area besides Riverside Park."

The courts and pits would be by the main trail on the wet side of the floodwall at the Seventh Avenue trail access, which has a parking lot on the dry side.

If approved, they would be the first Greenway amenities not located in an established park, and could set a precedent for how the Greenway is developed. If location becomes an issue, they could end up in one of the Greenway's four parks.

Both horseshoe and bocce ball are popular lawn sports that require participants to throw objects as close as they can to a set target. Greendahl said the chance of a trail user being struck by a wayward ball or horseshoe is minimal.

There is no estimated cost for the projects.

To give feedback: Take a survey at GreenwayGGF.com, or contact the city at greenway@grandforksgov.com , (701) 787-8781 or Greenway Division, P.O. Box 5200, Grand Forks, ND 58206-5200. The deadline is 5 p.m. April 5.

Call Jewett at (701) 780-1108; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1108; or send email to bjewett@gfherald.com .