100 acre rest stop

[britpip]

On the edge of our city, there is a rest stop that used to be a park from 1908 & even had a pavilion where entertainments were held. Over time, though, it all got overgrown with trees & brush & eventually all that was left was a little rest stop right by the road with a couple of picnic tables. Anyway, since I found out about the park, from my history book, I've been thinking it might be a good place to detect, but the weather hasn't been consistently good enough to get out there & I didn't think the kids would be entertained enough not to wander off...

Well, last week, I noticed the city guys out there cutting & burning the brush & I wondered what they were up to. Turns out they are going to make an RV park out of it, along with a tot lot & all kinds of stuff. And they've found out, as they're cutting & burning, that there's a LOT more land in there than they thought (I kinda thought looking at a map and/or ariel photos would have told them how much is in there, but apparently not LOL). Now they think its about 100 acres altogether, with at least 1 creek running through it...

So I stopped by there this afternoon, just to have a look at it & what's open already is HUGE! I mean, I'd have to do some serious gridding to cover it & they are talking about having the RV park pads poured pretty soon.

What do you think? Does it sounds like a worthwhile thing? Anyone want to come over & help me search?

[Shooter7Mustangok]

I'm on my way !! but where am I going lol.. I would kill for an opportunity like that if ya want some help Im available....

[blackhole]

One never knows? what is waiting around the bend,until you travel that road. Good luck!!!

[britpip]

LOL, Shooter... we're in Girard, KS - its right in the SE corner of KS

[SeabeeRon]

Go for it Brit!!

[blackhole]

Find it girl!!

[rascal]

That sounds like MD heaven.

[Magic Fingers]

Go for it Chris!
Did you ask the workers about who to ask for permission?

[britpip]

Originally Posted by Magic Fingers

Go for it Chris!
Did you ask the workers about who to ask for permission?

No, not yet - there wasn't anyone to be seen when I stopped by there earlier... a few smoking brush piles but no workers. Maybe I'll stop by the city office tomorrow, after I drop Alex at school...

[Magic Fingers]

Originally Posted by britpip

No, not yet - there wasn't anyone to be seen when I stopped by there earlier... a few smoking brush piles but no workers. Maybe I'll stop by the city office tomorrow, after I drop Alex at school...

I sure hope they let you detect it. Keep me posted.

[britpip]

This is the local newspaper article about the proposed RV Park, along with a pic...
http://www.girardpress.com/news/x162...future-RV-park

[Shooter7Mustangok]

Well Im only 2 hours from there..and I have an extra machine if you got a friend.. 100 acres is a lot to cover... kinda like a hunt I have coming up in March..Family has owned the property since 1896...... 2000 acres and there used to be a small town on it I can hardly wait...You want help you hollerI'llcome a runnin :-)

[britpip]

Well, I went in & asked at the city office this afternoon, but she said she would have to ask the city administrator & get back to me.

She just called & told me, the administrator talked to the city attorney & he said no. She also told me that the attorney is also saying that they don't want anybody metal detecting on any city property at all - including the park. And that if anybody did find anything, it would belong to the city.

Well, that's the end of that then. And the end of my idea of detecting the empty lot next to the city library where there used to be a church & the empty lot next to the basketball court where there used to a school & under the bleachers at the baseball ground.

I told her I was especially surprised because I know there's a guy who regularly detects at the park. She laughed (yup - laughed) & said "Oh well, all I can you is that the attorney said no"

[booker]

I will be there in about 3 hrs

[britpip]

So... where do you think the city ordinances would be? (I'm English - I have no idea what I'm doing, here, folks!) The City Hall? Library? I sure would like to see for myself! I looked online & this is all I found...
http://www.girardkansas.gov/ch2.html - nothing about metal detecting there...
This is the land I'm talking about

The proposed RV park is the center (yellowish) area. This is a 1/2 mile section! The area in green is the existing 9-hole golf course & the red is the county fairgrounds.

And here are some pics I snapped of the area they've cleared so far (this is a TINY part of it!). This would be on the north side of the area, approx in the middle of the area that is next to the road...

[Bennym]

When you told her about the other guy detecting and she laughed.... and said well the attorney said no.....
I think she was saying... well if you don't get caught, and we don't know......

That's the way I read it.....

[Ed in KC]

It's better not to ask anyone's permission to metal detect on public property.

Last year in Overland Park, Ks., someone called the Parks Dept. to ask permission to detect, and after the request made it to the Parks Commissioner, who decided that he didn't want anyone doing that in the parks, metal detecting is now outlawed, even though people had detected the parks for years with no complaints.

Here's a link to the old post (the newspaper link doesn't work anymore):
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showt...+overland+park

[Lightningjack]

Originally Posted by britpip

Well, I went in & asked at the city office this afternoon, but she said she would have to ask the city administrator & get back to me.

She just called & told me, the administrator talked to the city attorney & he said no. She also told me that the attorney is also saying that they don't want anybody metal detecting on any city property at all - including the park. And that if anybody did find anything, it would belong to the city."

I would definitely do some more checking on that, maybe call the police department and ask-they should know the laws on detecting. If it isn't posted or on paper I don't think they can enforce it-(Just by what one man says) Thats just mean!!! They could make an exception since there developing the land anyway.

[booker]

Being public land I would play dumb and go hunting till someone ran me off

[bmattioli]

Originally Posted by booker

Being public land I would play dumb and go hunting till someone ran me off

Exactly what I would say as advise..

Bruce