Paddleboats now a part of Lake Cap Bedell in Van Buren

story and photo by Marla Cantrell
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It took a little paperwork to get Noah Steffy’s pedal boats in the water. But the issue was resolved in March when the Van Buren City Council amended an ordinance prohibiting boats on Lake Cap Bedell in the city’s park.

Since then, Steffy, owner of Floating Rock LLC, has worked to get a concession stand and pedal boats on the lake. The process is now complete and Steffy believes the operation will soon catch on with residents and tourists alike. He also thinks the addition to the park could be a selling point for those looking to relocate to the area.

The city park has an impressive playground on one side and the Van Buren Boys and Girls Club on the other. The lake is at the entrance to the park. At one time there was a popular public swimming pool, but the prohibitive cost of repairs shut it down and it now stands empty, enclosed by chain-link fencing. Voters turned down an initiative to build a new pool several years ago.

Steffy thinks the three pedal boats now in the water will help fill the gap left by the empty pool. Water is a big draw, where people come to fish, and others walk the trail which circles the 11 acre lake.

The boats are available Tuesday through Sunday. The cost, which is per boat and not per customer, is $10 for one-half hour and $15 for a full hour. Group rates for special events are also available and on the first Tuesday of each month single parents pay only $3 for a half-hour ride.

Steffy decided to expand into Van Buren after his first pedal boat venture at Carol Ann Cross Park in Fort Smith proved successful. Since he opened at Carol Ann Cross Park in June of 2009, he’s had more than 2,000 customers and paid 15% of his gross receipts, exclusive of taxes, to the city.

“Last season alone we paid Fort Smith a total of just under $2,000,” Steffy said.

He has the same arrangement with Van Buren and has signed a contract that will not expire until 2012.