The Wichita Design Council has approved a composite material to replace Cowtown's boardwalk.

The board voted 5-3 in favor of the controversial decision.

The debate focused around authenticity between the plastic material and a Brazilian Ash called Garapa.

The man-made material is about $2-$3 per square foot more expensive than the Brazilian wood, but it lasts 40 years, while the Brazilian Ash will only last 20 years.

"It's pretty split, and there were a lot of people on our board that could have gone either way, so at the end of the day it's what's best for Cowtown and the city, maintenance wise," said Phil Meyer, Chairman of the Wichita City Design Council.

They'll replace about 6,000 square feet of boardwalk. That puts the material cost alone to be between $12,000 to $18,000 more expensive for the plastic material, but the maintenance for the plastic material is expected to be cheaper.

The Cowtown Historical board also voted in favor of the decision, 6-5, but the volunteers for the western museum wanted to use real wood.

Cowtown needs to make some changes to be ADA compliant. Part of that means making changes to paths around the outdoor museum. There are plans to make some paths out of stamped concrete. The material for the boardwalk in question, would be butted to concrete.

The recommendation now goes to city council for a final vote. It is expected to take this up in three to four weeks.