Memorial Park Watch: Update
Local residents near Memorial Park have been watching the Park Board’s efforts to expedite a master trail and landscaping plan for Memorial Park. The Board has been working hard to bring a Plan forward: sought and won funding for the project, and has been pressing diligently to get the project completed.
Led by Scott Carpenter, Anne Maple and me, the Friends of Memorial Park gathered resident input at the Annual meeting, and brought those ideas forward to the City. We then attended three successive months of Park Board meetings to continue to urge that that input be considered as the plans for the park trails were developed in sessions held by City Staff.
The last sketch of the trail and landscaping plan, presented at the June Parks Board meeting, included 1. the completion of a paved pedestrian path around the 7th Street parking lot (to address the safety concern about bike riding through the parking lot); 2. the completion (at last) of the path that enters at the end of Elm and 5th Streets, which will now wrap round the back of the pool to connect with the pool entrance, and finally, 3. the addition of a new connecting pedestrian path from the dead end of 6th Street East.
These are all most welcome additions to the Park – and funds well spent! They will provide the structure needed for future landscaping and development of the park, as called for in the Park Board Master Plan.
After the trail plan is finalized and approved by the Park Board, bids will be received and its hoped that there will be funds left for the introduction of some trees and landscaping including shrubs needed to hide the solar panels that now lie exposed, just north of the pool. Its now hoped that trail construction could begin in July – I will keep you posted.
Hats off to Commission Chair Rick Vanasek, Board Member Grace Clark, Nathan Knutson and others for their leadership in pressing to get this project funded AND completed! And hats off to Council Member Betsey Buckheit for her close watch of this process and receptivity to neighborhood concerns.
Suzie Nakasian
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