by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Legend has it that rock band guitarist Kerry Livgren, who wrote the song “Dust in the Wind” for the group “Kansas,” got his inspiration while attending his daughter’s softball game at Worden Park. 

Kerry Livgren – guitarist or softball fan?

Ok, that’s a lie. That song was made in 1977, and the complex wasn’t started until the mid-1990s. But it seems like a great story.

Worden Park, the athletic/recreation complex in northwest Wellington, has seen plenty of dust over the years. More than 30 years after Worden was first conceived in the minds of local recreation enthusiasts, the roads leading to and from the facility are still made of dust. Some officials believe the time is now to address the issue. 

Worden Park has been a work in progress for nearly three decades. One could argue it is Wellington’s version of the “Crazy Horse Memorial” — a South Dakota monument that started in 1948 and is far from completion to this very day.  

Worden Park continues to get built slowly, and most would agree it is now a fully-functioning facility. Today it has three softball fields, three football/soccer fields, a state-of-the-art go-kart track, two walking tracks, a playground, a couple of picnic areas, a paved parking lot, and 24-hour restrooms. Rarely is the facility not used. Even in the dead of winter, someone is using the walking track.

But there is one thing that has never been developed – decent roads leading to and from the complex. 

The Wellington Park Board hosted a community forum in September at the Memorial Auditorium to gauge what the public would like to improve as far as parks and amenities throughout town. There were several topics mentioned, including a splash pad, lights at the Sellers Park skateboard facility, and rebuilding the dam at Woods Park. But the longest topic of conversation revolved around Hillside Road – the dirt road that goes to and from Worden Park – and when it will be paved.  

Director of Public Works Jeremy Jones said for the past 15 years, it has been a topic of conversation. Yet, it has never progressed past the discussing stage.

The problem is the price tag. To get the road paved from the Wellington Christian Academy to the Worden Park entrance — approximately one/third of a mile — will cost the city of Wellington at least $400,000. That doesn’t include going west of Worden toward Crestview Road, which the Wellington Township owns. 

But paving the road is just part of the equation. The road will need to be widened. It needs curbs and guttering, and it needs to meet traffic specifications and flood concerns.  

Nobody knows exactly how much traffic goes down Hillside. Jones said it is not only Worden Park traffic but is used for agricultural purposes. It also serves as a thoroughfare for those wishing to get around Wellington on the north side and up the road north toward Wichita on U.S. 81. 

A Wellington resident quickly pointed out how ridiculous the road hasn’t been paved yet. 

“When you have 26 teams coming in for youth football games during a given weekend, it really is embarrassing how much dust people have to breathe watching a game,” the resident said. “It is a beautiful facility. Why not complete the process and get a paved road there?” 

Wellington Recreation Commission Director Cody White said that is an ongoing complaint his department hears from March to October.

“When we open the concession stand for a high school softball game, you can instantly predict what is going to be said by an out-of-town guest,” White said. “They will compliment the facility but then complain about the dirt road and the dust. Those complaints never subside until we close down for the winter.” 

During a study conducted by the K-State Research and Extension in Partnership with the Dare G. Hansen Foundation in 2019, out-of-town residents who came to Wellington for the first time were asked about their first impressions of the town (see story here).

Five Park City residents came in cars through the Wellington community between Jan. 5 to Jan. 10 in 2019, giving their views on how they saw the community. One of the comments was: 

“Worden Park is a very nice sports complex. Very clean, had restroom facilities, and well-maintained sports field. It was a little difficult to find because the only sign I saw for it was off a main road but it was further outside the town. The water tower and lights helped guide us there. Also, it seemed a little strange this nice newer sports complex only had access off of a dirt road.”

Bob Leftwich, a Wellington resident, was part of the original group that helped design Worden Park in the late 1980s. 

“Here’s the thing. When we try to save money, it comes back to haunt us later,” Leftwich said. “Worden Park is a billboard for the community bringing in visitors who lodge here, who sleep here. Worden Park serves as a valuable economic development tool, and we don’t have a decent road getting there.”

Jones said that to rebuild that road it would have to be first discussed during the city council budgetary process in 2023. That will start sometime in February. That would take some time to get information together. He guessed that work couldn’t start until 2025 at the earliest. 

Also, the road going west won’t be developed even if the city of Wellington follows through going east. 

There is also the need to establish alternate routes because it will take some time to construct the road.

“The problem we have as far as constructing a road is concerned, there is never really a downtime out there,” Jones said. “When one sport shuts down, another starts. That leaves the dead of winter, and that isn’t the best time to build a road.”

Still, it wouldn’t be the first time Wellington addressed a road that needed to be fixed for a very long time. Just invoke the word “Vandenburgh” as an example.

———

Here were some other things discussed at the Park Board meeting:

Other Worden Park issues: 

The park’s bathrooms are currently connected to the Wellington sewer system after years of using a lagoon system. Jones said this had been a long time coming and is now close to completion.

White said the WRC still plans to develop a fourth field for the northwest corner of the diamond complex. Currently, there are three fields. The fourth field will be developed into a baseball complex and have a grass infield. When that gets started is anyone’s guess. 

Also, it was discussed planting more trees at the park. Seth Henton, who works for city parks maintenance, said there is a program in place where several trees are routinely planted each year, but it is a slow process because trees don’t grow very quickly. One thing is for sure, the city isn’t planting any new pines (a whole different topic of discussion).

Pickleball 

One resident suggested building a pickleball court somewhere in Wellington. Pickleball is a sport in which it is a small court that measures 20×44 feet and contains a net in the middle. People use paddles to play on the court. It has become very popular in various other Kansas communities. It is about the size of a doubles badminton court and may not be too costly to build. 

Donut Bay

The continual deterioration of the dam at the south end of Woods Park has people wondering what to do next. Jones suggested building a dam to the north, which will require state approval. The other option is to dredge out Slate Creek and not have a dam. He said that might prove unpopular as many people like to fish at the park and feed the geese. 

Skateboard Park 

There was a couple of youth who came to the meeting to suggest lighting up the skateboard area at Sellers Park. They thought something could be automated to allow lights to go on and off at set hours at night. This would give them more time to skate. The issue is neighbors, Jones said, who don’t like the lights and noise from the park during those hours. But he would look into it. 

Splash Pads 

The ongoing discussion concerning splash pad was brought up again at the meeting. Wellington council member and park board member Robert Hamilton said it had been 10 years since it was first discussed. He said part of the problem is it brings up negativity from those who think it is in direct competition with the swimming pool business. It was suggested at the meeting that now that the pool has some issues and needs to be fixed, it would be a good time to incorporate splash pads with the facility. 

But there is a problem with parking there. Some liked it downtown, but there is opposition because it does not go with the overall aesthetics of the area. 

Then there is the cost which could range from $100,000 to $500,000. It would cost $90,000 to put in an enclosed system to reuse the water. Otherwise, Wellington could be losing 3,000 gallons of chlorinated water a day. 

Roundabout beautification

This issue falls outside the realms of the park board and is the authority of the Kansas Department of Transportation. 

Jones did say why nothing has been done aside from planting tulips at the roundabout.

“Part of the issue is as more and more roundabouts were being built, so was the creativity inside these roundabouts,” Jones said. “So the state has strict guidelines on what can be put in there.”

The city had ordered a “Welcome to Wellington” limestone sign which was to go in the middle and was going to have four signs outlining Wellignton’s amenities like “agriculture”, “aircraft,” and “railroad” around the center. However, it was nixed by KDOT, so the city punted on the project, Jones said. 

He said the city is looking at alternatives. 

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