Park also briefly visited by Governor Kristi Noem
By Garrick Moritz, editor
Last week, revised plans for the Palisades State Park improvements were announced and Governor Kristi Noem visited the park for a brief tour.
Local park supervisor Luke Dreckman and regional park supervisor Jeff VanMeeteren spoke with the Gazette the day of the tour, though Governor Noem did not invite the Gazette to join her on the tour, declined an offer for an interview afterward and did not visit Garretson itself, citing time constraints.
“We’ve taken a lot of the input we got at the public meetings here in Garretson and we’ve revised our initial plans to be, I think, even more ambitious than the original,” VanMeeteren said. “As you can see in the new graphic, we’ll be including a lot more day use structures, more picnic shelters, more playground structures, and some more tent camping and youth group tent camping sites.”
They will also be constructing a new park entrance on the previously mentioned proposed site. This new entrance will lead from Minnehaha County Highway 109
and east on 256th street (a Red Rock township road, which they are proposing to have at least partially paved).
“The problem with the current road and entrance building is that it simply isn’t adequate to our needs right now, and when the expansion is complete it will be even less so, as most of the new park campgrounds and amenities will be in that zone. That is not to say we won’t maintain what we have, and we will be most certainly doing that. Many people at the public meetings expressed concerns about closing the old entrance, and concerns that it might limit the access of emergency services. That’s the last thing we want to do.
“Emergency services such as fire fighters and the ambulance are vitally important to the park and the people who stay with us. Our first responders are the best of our citizens, we applaud the work they do and appreciate them. Without their service, we could not have a functional parks system. We will maintain the currently existing service roads that connect to the ‘golf course road’ and ensure that emergency service has access to the parks as a backdoor.
“In the future however, if there is an emergency situation on, say, the disc golf course or the archery range, it would probably be much faster for the ambulance or fire service to use the new entrance as it will be closer to go in from that way. When the expansion is done, more than two-thirds of the park will be located in the new area. If there is an emergency situation on the northeastern zone, the traditional area of the park, then they can use the service road. We’ll be happy to help in any way we can to work with emergency services and provide them with whatever access they need, at their discretion.
“This expansion will very much change the entire landscape and scope of the park, since we’ll be more than doubling it in size. Another reason we want the Welcome Center and new entrance where we’ve planned, is because you’ll be able to stand on that hill and see nearly the entire park laid out before you. Looking north and east from that spot, it’s really quite a view.”
Plans are to demolish the old entrance approximately in the fall 2024 to the spring of 2025. In that zone they plan to place a new parking lot as well as an outdoor amphitheater just slightly north and west of where the entrance is currently, as well as a road that will lead north to some further camping spots.
However, VanMeeteren said that “planning and designing of the new park infrastructure is far from set in stone as of now as we are still in early days.
“Also, there will no doubt be challenges in making what looks right on paper work in reality,” he said. “As you can see on the map, we don’t have a single straight road in the park, and that’s because we want to work with the lay of the land as it is, not impose our will upon it, preserving the park’s natural beauty as we build. Inevitably, as we go forward we will find challenges and change our plans accordingly.”
Governor Noem signed legislation authorizing a half million to the expansion project. VanMeeteren said that funding will probably get them through phase 1 of the project.
“We’re planning this in phases we know will be sustainable,” he said. “Our first year, phase one, is almost exclusively trees and turf. Planting trees, planting grasses and cultivation for beautification of the undeveloped region of the park. Then we’ll be doing more planting, which will be mostly habitat plots and pollinator plots, again developing the land for use while both preserving and enhancing the park’s natural beauty. The next phase will be road building. New road systems and new trail systems, both biking and walking. We’ll be starting with gravel, and then hopefully paving that. We’re looking at fall of 2020, spring of ‘21 to start with that. Then once the roads are built we start construction, building cabins, including some modern cabins with kitchens and bathrooms. We’ll also be building what we call comfort stations, which are bathroom and shower facilities. In fall of ‘22 and spring of ‘23 is when we want to start construction on our new entrance. It’s also when we want to finalize the bike trails and pave. Fall of ‘24, spring of ‘25 is when we would demolish the old entrance and obliterate part of the road there, construct the new parking lot, and build the amphitheater. Again, all of this is not set in stone, but it’s the working plan as of right now. A lot depends on the state government, and how much funds we’re appropriated. Also, it could depend on donations. If people or organizations wanted to donate to our foundation, it would also expedite the expansion. Right now, we’re planning modestly, to complete our goals over the next five years.”
Speaking of those goals, VanMeeteren reiterated that he would be extremely happy to work with the City of Garretson, our Parks Board, and commercial club to join the trails and trail expansions, both walking and biking to the City of Garretson.
“I’ve been involved with several such projects in other state parks here in South Dakota and it does nothing but benefit both the State Park and the communities they connect to,” he said.
He also made note that one service that Palisades State Park is unable to provide to its campers and has no plans to do so at present, is laundry service. People who stay longer than a week often need laundry services and it would be a real opportunity for a potential entrepreneur in Garretson.
