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Hafer Park Pond
On October 12th, Edmond voters will go to the polls to vote on a sales tax increase. A small limited time increase that should once and for all put an end to the misconception that Edmond is against commercial development.
The proposed tax is ¼ of 1%. That means 25 cents for every $100.00 you spend in Edmond. And, it will only last for one year. No automatic continuance. No increase after one year. Nothing. 12 months and done.
What do the taxpayers of Edmond get out of this? An expansion of Hafer Park. An additional 22 acres south of the duck pond. No strings attached; no promises or future requirements for upgrades. That’s it, plain and simple. The fight over the most contentious piece of property in Edmond will finally end.
Former mayor Randel Shadid wrote in a letter to the editor of The Oklahoman on October 6th that this tax will force future obligations on the city, including a bridge to connect the existing park to this new area and another bridge from Bryant over the creek into this new section. Shadid states that these bridges will cost taxpayers $1.5 million to $2.5 million dollars. But this is nothing more than a scare tactic. This could not be any further from the truth.
There is nothing in the proposal that says access to these 22 acres is included in the proposal. A ‘Yes’ vote only creates a buffer of land between the existing park space and commercial businesses to the south. Period; plain and simple.
If the parks and recreation department want to develop the space further in the future, they can go through the capital improvements project process already in place for the city. If not, it can remain open natural space on the south side of the park just as much of the land on the east side of the park is currently.
Our editorial board believes that this is the right time and opportunity to accomplish two things at once: enhance our public park space through the acquisition of additional land; and, end the 20+ years of fighting over this parcel of land that has become the basis for anti-commercial rhetoric in our city. Go to the polls on October 12th and vote ‘YES’.