The City of Richmond is currently considering a proposal by a Maryland-based company -- Go Ape! -- to install a "ropes course" in the naturally wooded, undeveloped area of Byrd Park behind Dogwood Dell’s stage and the Carillon.
Last week the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported on this story. Naturally, this sort of unusual news prompts a few questions, beginning with -- what’s a ropes course?
At its web site Go Ape! tells us:
“We build treetop adventure courses up in the trees using ladders, zip lines, walkways, bridges and tunnels made of wood, rope and super-strong wire. We have the world's best zip lines.”
Before its facility in Rockville was installed the company built several ropes courses in the United Kingdom. Based on those experiences Go Ape! adds (at its web site):
“All of our courses are friendly to wildlife. The wood chips we use in our zip line landing areas create habitats for small creatures and the undersides of our platforms have provided the perfect shelter for nesting swallows and other unperturbed birds.”
J.R. Pope, the director of The City’s department that oversees parks and recreation said, “Go Ape! would build the course, staff the course, maintain the course and assume all liability, whereas the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities would insure that Go Ape! follows all the terms of the contract.”
In Rockville Go Ape! has its customers sign a waiver saying they will not hold the company responsible for injuries. But who believes that should there be some catastrophe that a determined personal injury lawyer would really pass up the opportunity to reach into The City’s deep pocket?
After all, as it stands now, Go Ape! and Richmond would be partners in the venture, and the land would still be owned by The City.
Hey, if people want to pay money ($55 in Rockville) to swing from trees, why not? Sounds like fun. But true nature-lovers, as well as the neighbors who live close to the park, might suggest this granola theme park activity -- with its considerable liability potential -- seems like it would be far better situated on private property.
Asked if the ropes course project has been approved by his department, Pope said, “The proposal is currently being reviewed and modified as needed for the city.”
For this project to be established in the section of Byrd Park that Go Ape! wants to use, it will mean changes would have to be made. Trees would need to be removed; lots of underbrush would have to be cleared. How those changes would affect the wildlife there now is something we can only guess at.
The deer that populate that area tend to retreat from man-made noises. So the changes would probably chase some species off, while they might invite others in. Of course, how much noise would emanate from the ropes course we can only guess at, too.
It should also be noted that while the ropes course experience is outdoors, its communing with nature quotient is hardly that of hiking, bicycle-riding or bird-watching, etc., which don’t require massive landscaping. Those rather quiet activities simply leave the park as it was.
Tracy Hundley helps in publishing the Carillon Civic Association’s newsletter. Apparently the association has not yet taken a position on this proposed development, in part because it has heard little or nothing from Pope’s department, so far.
“I've been hearing from neighbors and the idea is getting mixed reviews,” said Hundley, who added that one of her neighbors is putting together a petition to circulate that will challenge the wisdom of allowing for such radical changes to the park.
However, the regular users of Byrd Park might advise that giving up this accessible, publicly-owned sanctuary from modernity isn’t worth whatever it will add to the park or to The City‘s coffers.
Back to the private property point -- one has to wonder why Go Ape! doesn’t cut a deal with a property owner along the river. Or, maybe the company should simply buy some land and keep all the profits. Why does it have to go on public property?
Bottom line: How much value do Richmonders place on having publicly owned, undisturbed wooded lands in the middle of their city?
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