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Renovating the Edwards County Fairgrounds allowed students to put what
they learned in the classroom towards a tangible goal. Students in the
department of landscape architecture that took a master planning class
in the spring 2001 semester under Louis V. Mills, Jr., Ph D. were allowed
to have input in a proposed park improvement of the Edwards County Fairgrounds
in Rock Springs, Texas.
The project was developed through collaboration between the Edwards
County Economic Development Board and Texas Tech University department
of landscape architecture. The evaluation served as a class project and
a chance for students to have their education applied to a real life problem.
Edwards County Attorney Allan Ray Moody provided some background information
for the project. There are existing agricultural facilities including
the rodeo arena, dance platforms and livestock barns. Other facilities
include baseball fields, the community meeting center and the sheriff’s
department radio tower. There are 48 acres total.
 The
Edwards County Economic Development Board, Inc. is pleased the master
planning class assisted with the project. This venture is one of the largest
public projects in Rock Springs. The board also emphasized the potential
impact on the community both economically and socially.
In March, eight students from the class, along with Dr. Mills, traveled
to Rock Springs to attend a town meeting concerning the renovation of
the fair grounds. Members of the area’s rodeo association, little
league board and concerned citizens attended the meeting. This allowed
the students to understand the needs of the community.
One of the students, Bryan Janhsen said, “it was nice to see the
excitement of the people.”
The group also took a look at the actual grounds. One landmark the city
wanted to emphasize on the fair grounds was the Devil’s Sinkhole,
which houses over four million bats in the summer. The town’s hope
is that this may become a major lure for tourists to the area.
After the trip to Rock Springs, the class split up into five groups
and began designing renovations. All the finished projects were then sent
to the Edwards County Economic Development Board.
Master planning student Amanda Wilkinson said, “This was the first
project that has the possibility for tangible results. It gave us insight
towards a possible career.”
Sabrina Turner, a student in the department, said, “this project
allowed us to observe all the obstacles that face the developers of the
renovation. I wish more classes allowed students to participate in real-life
projects. These would better prepare students for work in their fields
of study.”
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