Ames residents will have the opportunity to rent canoes, kayaks and paddleboats at Ada Hayden Heritage Park starting Memorial Day weekend.

The Ames Parks and Recreation Commission approved a request from JAX Outdoor Gear at their meeting Thursday to rent the boats for either half-hour or hour intervals on weekends.

The hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If the venture proves to be successful, JAX may expand the rentals to weekday evenings.

Marshal Toms, manager of JAX Outdoor Gear, said he approached the Ames Park and Recreation Commission about the possibility of renting watercrafts at Hayden Park in spring 2004.

“It was in the early stages before the park was open,” he said.

Toms said JAX plans on renting the watercrafts through Labor Day, but will evaluate the popularity of the rentals at the end of the summer.

“If there’s an interest, we’re not going to turn people away,” he said.

JAX will transport two of each type of watercraft to the park every weekend, and no outdoor structures will be constructed at the park.

“We’ll be very minimal out there,” he said.

Because of the startup costs JAX has incurred with purchasing the equipment, the Parks and Recreation Commission voted to waive the customary 10 percent gross sales payable to the city of Ames for 2005.

Nancy Carroll, director of parks and recreation, said the commission has heard several requests from residents about the possibility of boats being available for use at the park since it opened in August 2004.

“Because we haven’t had this local access to an open body of water, a lot of people don’t own their own supplies and equipment,” she said.

“I feel like it’s a service that will potentially meet the requests that are out there.”

Carroll says it is a win-win situation for the city, JAX Outdoor Gear and Ames residents.

“We think it’s a bigger win here for the taxpayer if we don’t get into this business right now, we do see how it goes publicly, and also how viable it is for JAX,” she said. “Any time that public and the private sector can partner, we think that’s a big win.”

Carroll said the rentals will run on a trial basis this year and their success will be evaluated at the end of the season. If there is enough popularity, the commission will re-evaluate allowing other businesses to come in.

Because of safety issues, JAX requires renters be at least 18 years old and must wear life jackets at all times on the watercrafts.

Jaci Wirt, ISU graduate student in veterinary medicine and a user of the park, said on-site rentals would allow for more people to use the park’s lake, especially those who don’t have their own boats or a vehicle to transport one.

“It’d be more accessible to everyone,” she said.