City Council votes to rename all-abilities park Boundless Journey Adventure Park
Construction has not yet begun on Farmington’s planned all-abilities park, but the project already has undergone a name change.
Members of the City Council voted during a Nov. 28 meeting at City Hall to change the name from Boundless Adventure Park to Boundless Journey Adventure Park. The council had voted Feb. 21 to adopt the first name, which was one of four finalist names chosen by a naming committee and submitted to the council for consideration.
Councilors unanimously approved the name change with no discussion as part of the consent agenda.
Assistant city manager Shana Reeves said the change was prompted by a letter the city received on July 17 from the Stark & Stark law firm advising Farmington officials that their use of the name Boundless Adventure Park could result in a trademark infringement claim being filed against the city.
Reeves said she did not know where the law firm was located or who it represents. But an online search for the firm shows it operates offices in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Another online search revealed a company called Boundless Adventures operates aerial adventure parks in Massachusetts, New York and Wisconsin.
To avoid any delays to work on Farmington’s all-abilities park that such a legal challenge might generate, Reeves said city officials decided simply to change the name, adding the word journey. The addition of that work is intended to reflect several elements, she said — including the city’s “Jolt Your Journey” marketing campaign and the idea that the park itself is designed to serve as a journey for users.
She said city officials also wanted to keep the new name as close as possible to the old one to honor the initial naming process, which was the product of months of work. The naming committee came up with several possibilities, and an online survey of local residents was conducted to solicit other suggestions, drawing 285 responses. Ultimately, the list of suggestions was narrowed to the four names that were presented to the council in February.
More: Farmington City Council gets look at construction documents for all-abilities park
Reeves emphasized that while the naming committee’s role was important, the authority for naming the park rests with the council, and that was why city officials opted not to go through the entire process again.
The $13 million project, which will be located at 317 W. Apache St. at the site of the old Tibbetts Middle School, is intended to serve as a recreational attraction that provides universal accessibility and all-inclusive amenities for play, therapy and fitness.
In late September, the council approved near-final construction documents for the first two phases of the 8-acre project, which will closely mimic the natural landscape with a series of simulated buttes, mesas, canyons and boulder-strewn hillsides. A construction contract for the first two phases was put out to bid in October.
Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.
This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Trademark infringement claim prompts city to change name of new park
