New trail highlights opportunities at 12th Avenue Outdoor Recreation Area

“If you build it, they will come” is a line made famous in “The Field of Dreams,” a movie set in Iowa.

Well, it’s not a ball diamond created in a corn field, but a new recreation area in Clear Lake is taking off, thanks to the recent construction of a trail meandering through it.

The 12th Avenue Outdoor Recreation Area, known as the O.R.C. for short, is gaining popularity and use this year, according to Parks and Recreation Director Randy Miller.  And enthusiasm and plans to make the almost 20 acre site more diverse are continuing to evolve.

The name O.R.C. was chosen earlier this year by the P&R Board of Directors after the public was asked to submit ideas.  Miller said O.R.C. is actually a combination of suggestions which ranged from historical figures to recreational phrases.  “The Board wanted a simple name, but something that explained the area, too,” said Miller.  “The O.R.C. fit the bill.”

In the more than five years since the P&R Department began developing the area progress has been slow and steady.  In recent years major improvements have included grading and seeding for soccer and flag football fields and parking areas.   The north parking lot at the site is finished, while work continues on the south lot.

This summer an asphalt trail spanning about three-quarters of a mile was completed, inviting walkers, runners, bicyclists and those on roller blades to explore the area.  The trail consists of two large loops which now connect the north and south ends of the recreation area, 12th Avenue South and South 17th Street.

“The trail is open to everyone for - Read More Via e-Edition