Who put boulders in the park?

Davis Riverwalk's site is 7 acres along the Blackwater River, adjoining the 5-acre Town of Davis' Riverfront Park. Historically, visitors (mostly fisherman) have driven vehicles where they pleased to access fishing spots. And no one has really cared because they were not investing in the landscaping of the tracts. Both the Park and Riverwalk have been making small greenspace improvements each year for the past 3 years. The Town's Riverfront Park prohibits vehicles and is developing its greenspaces continually. Davis Riveralk allows vehicles to park sunrise to sunset in the Old Shopnsave parking lot. Behind this lot we have maintained a riverfront vehicle access point with parking, turnaround area and canoe beach. At this time, this location is the only spot a vehicle is authorized to park other than on the asphalt lots.

Both the Town Park and Riverwalk have experienced an increase in unauthorized vehicle traffic. This could be due to the improved fishing or the Town's landscape improvements, or both. Traffic is using Riverwalk to enter and drive through Riverwalk green spaces, usually continuing into Town Park property to do some 'tailgate fishing.' Some visitors do this because they find it convenient and some drive to the water because they have handicapped members in their party.

I have contracted to have boulders placed along the allowed vehicle roadways, effectively blocking vehicles from approaching the Town Park's riverfront locations on various paths within Davis Riverwalk property.

A plan for the future: Riverwalk and the Town Park will both have ADA accessible areas in the park. The beach parking area described above will eventually have an ADA-accessible walkway and observation/fishing deck, allowing us to restrict vehicles from that area. Until it does we will permit driving to that location. Our goal is to have no vehicles along the river or on green space. To make this work we will have ample free daytime public parking in Davis Riverwalk along with one or more ADA river access points.

Some folks will invevitably be disspointed by these restrictions in driving. They presumably would prefer to be able drive their vehicles freely on Riverwalk or the Town Park.

Hopefully a few boulders will curtail the offroad driving and parking. Hopefully the community will benefit more from these restrictions than without them.