The City of Arlington Parks and Recreation Department recently began a renovation project at Clarence Foster Park in west Arlington. The 15-acre park, named after the former Arlington City Council member and Water Commissioner when Lake Arlington was built, is beginning to look better than ever.

The project, slated to be completed in August 2014, will include a new 8-foot-wide, concrete "Hike & Bike Trail" that circles the park, with 5 new benches along the route. The lighted trail also ties into existing trails in Kelley Park and Rush Creek Linear Park.

In addition, the Clarence Foster Park will have a new, shaded playground with separate areas of equipment designed for 2 to 5-year-olds and 5 to 12-year-olds, and eight stationary pieces of exercise equipment for adults located in four separate locations adjacent to the trail.

The added security lighting on the trail, fully-renovated playground, drinking fountain, benches, trail improvements, and the new exercise equipment were funded through the 2008 Bond Referendum.

PARK IMPROVEMENTS:

• Shaded playground with separate areas of equipment for 2 to 5-year-olds and 5 to 12-year-olds
• Eight stationary pieces of exercise equipment for adults (located in four separate locations adjacent to the trail)
• Drinking fountain and ADA picnic table. A new concrete pad for the existing picnic tables
• Eight-foot-wide, concrete "Hike & Bike Trail"
• There are 5 new benches located along the trail.
• Lighted trail
• Lighted parking lot

"The new parking lot, grading and drainage work are a part of the Rush Creek Flood Mitigation project area, which includes 3 parks: Kelley Park, Clarence Foster Park, and Rush Creek Linear Park. It was all wrapped into one large-scale project along with improvements to public water supply lines and sanitary sewer lines," Park Project Manager Kurt Beilharz said. "It gave us a great opportunity to improve the connection from the trail loop in Clarence Foster Park, over to the existing trail spine that runs through Kelley and Rush Creek Linear parks. Clarence Foster Park and the natural open space immediately east of it is now a beautiful place to go walking/jogging, bike riding, bird watching, and more."

For more information on the Clarence Foster Park project contact Kurt Beilharz at 817-459-5478 or [email protected]