By Carol Cole-Frowe
The Norman Transcript

Jogging and walking trails, natural open areas and children’s play areas are some of the varied amenities planned for Ruby Grant Park in northwest Norman.

The Ruby Grant Park master plan, designed by Joe Howell of Howell and Vancuren Landscape Architects and Site Planners, blended input from two public meetings, a random mailed survey of 2,000 respondents and a Web-based survey to craft the plan for the park.

“The objectives were to include a maximum of recreational opportunities,” Howell said. 

“This is a compilation of all the comments and public input.”

The 148 acres is bordered by Franklin Road on the north, 36th Avenue NW on the west, Interstate 35 frontage road on the east and the half-section line on the south.

Norman Parks Board commissioners approved the three-phase master plan at their Thursday evening meeting, amending an open 10-acre area in the northwest portion of the park to include five unlighted soccer practice fields planted with bermudagrass and recommending lighting along the paved and natural trails that are planned to wind throughout the park. The plan will now go to the city council for final approval but no funding mechanism has been identified to make the improvements.

Input from two public meetings indicated there was strong desire for preservation of natural vegetation, habitat and streams and that lighted, athletic fields were not desired.

“Jogging trails were on everybody’s lists,” Howell said.

A 3.25-mile,10-foot-wide, multi-modal concrete trail throughout the park would accommodate joggers, walkers and bicyclists, proposed for the first phase. A natural surface cross country trail is proposed for the second phase.

Howell said he met with the University of Oklahoma to talk about developing cross country trails.

“We came to a very good resolution,” he said.

Parks Board Director Jud Foster said there is a possibility the university may step in and build the cross country portion.

“If the City builds it, it would be in the second phase,” Foster said.

Martin Smith, OU director of men’s and women’s cross country and track and field, acted as a technical advisor on the design.

“The design that you see now ... is very positive,” Smith said. “It’s my opinion that this is a very solid design.”

Smith said when the multi-modal and cross country trails are built, there would probably be an increase in interest from school age through college age cross country participants.

“There is a need,” he said that is not being filled. “It’s a place you could go and run and it’s safe and fairly uninterrupted.”

Smith said the area would be large enough to host up to a Big 12 Championship, along with high school and college dual meets.

“But it would not be big enough to host national track ...,” he said. “It has the potential to host the Oklahoma state championship.”

Native plants, trees and grasses would be emphasized throughout the park.
There are plans to remove two compromised earthen dams along the streams, which are headwaters for the Little River. A small lake would be created in the northeastern part of the park.

About 400 parking spaces would be provided on three sides and would not encroach on the park.

About 35 percent of the site area is proposed to remain in a natural condition with limited management to improve habitat, plant diversity and control noxious plants and animals.

There would be two picnic pavilions with one as a focal element near the west entry and another in the northeast area near the Ruby Grant Memorial.

The 35-acre area in the center of the park will be left open for a variety of activities. Howell said it had been overgrazed pasture in the past, but would likely be covered with buffalo grass, a finely textured native grass best known from shortgrass prairies.

Parks commissioner Dennis Brigham said buffalo grass would be a good choice if it’s not mowed too often. He recommended using bermuda grass in areas used for sports.

“It’s kind of an ugly grass if its maintained and mowed,” Brigham said of the buffalo grass. “If it’s a clay site ... it’s probably a good choice.”

An amphitheater would be built in the northeast portion that would seat about 3,000 to 4,000 people, with a restroom located at the back. Sound buffering berming would be provided along Interstate-35 to the east of the auditorium.

The stage area would be at the north end of the amphitheater with a sloping lawn for seating requiring a minimum of sitework.

A sculpture garden and a wildflower meadow are also proposed on the east side.
A 4-acre dog park is planned abutting the southeast parking area.

“Some times you can accommodate a minority request without interfering with a majority request,” said Marsha Ferrier, Parks Board chairman.

The Ruby Grant memorial would be at the site of her burned-out house in the northeast portion. Plans include planting the site with roses, Grant’s favorite flower.

Parks Board commissioner Jeff Marley recommended the change of the northeast open area to unlighted soccer practice fields, and asked that they be “crowned” with a bermudagrass turf.

Marley talked about the overcrowding of soccer fields, especially in Brookhaven Park. He lamented that he should have filled the council chamber with soccer people.

But another commissioner warned that “people wanted a passive park” in the surveys.

Three phases are planned for the park, totaling about $9.9 million before the amendments by park commissioners.

The first phase would tentatively cost about $3.8 million and include site grading and preparation, landscaping, utilities, two sets of restrooms, the southwest parking lot, adventure playground, northeast parking, a 10-foot multi-purpose concrete trail, pedestrian bridges, Ruby Grant Memorial, northeast pavilion and signage.

Phase II would cost $2.7 million and include site grading, landscaping reconstruction of the north pond, the southwest pavilion near the entry, southwest and northeast picnic shelters, the southwest restroom near the playground, Splash Pad, disc golf, a cross country course and parking lots in the northwest and north central areas off Franklin Road.

And Phase III would include landscaping, the southwest and southeast parking lots, northwest restrooms, amphitheater, garden area, skate park and dog park. It would cost an estimated $3.4 million.

Cost for the amendments is not included.

Foster said there is no funding set up to create the park at this time.

“There are some ideas being tossed around in the community,” Foster said. “If the City were to develop this with the capital (improvement) fund, it would probably be more than three phases.”

The land for Ruby Grant Park was bequeathed to the University of Oklahoma Foundation by Ruby Grant, a teacher, with the understanding that it was to become a park. It appraised at more than $2 million.

The OU Foundation sold the 146 acres to the City of Norman for $750,000 with the understanding that the City would consider the feasibility of putting a cross country course on the property.

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