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Neighbors group seeks council resolution to host ‘nature playground’ at riverfront block
Summary
COT Neighbors United proposed building a nature playground on a grassy block in front of Old Man River along the Riverwalk, asking the council for a resolution or MOU to speed grant applications and clarifying that the group expects to fund construction without using city general‑fund dollars.
Amanda Sheppard, representing COT Neighbors United, asked the council to endorse a nature‑play playground at a small grassy block in front of Old Man River near Munz and the Riverwalk.
Sheppard said the group would find funding and build the playground without drawing from the city’s general fund. “It would not cost you any of the dollars from your general fund or anything like that,” she told the council. She described a nature playground as a largely unstructured play area — stumps, logs and natural features — that accommodates a wider age range than typical play equipment.
Sheppard and other advocates identified a site with seven existing trees and no adjacent parking lot, and said COT Neighbors United or a nonprofit partner could serve as the grant applicant and provide in‑kind match (DPW maintenance time, programming hours). She named Lindsay Gelsky of COT Neighbors United as the project designer and said Gelsky could provide design work at little or no cost.
COT Neighbors United asked the council to pass either a simple resolution confirming city support and permission to use the site if funding is obtained, or an MOU with the nonprofit. Sheppard said a single resolution would be simpler for grantmakers and avoid drafting separate MOUs for each funder.
Council members asked follow‑up legal and operational questions. The city attorney and council asked staff to confirm whether the block is designated parkland and to review any legal limits on installing play equipment. The council’s president asked that the city attorney check the parkland designation and report back. No resolution or vote took place at the meeting; council members said the discussion answered most safety and maintenance questions and that city counsel would review legal issues before any formal agreement.
Advocates said ongoing maintenance would be modest: DPW currently mows the block; the nature playground would use mulch and require periodic top‑ups rather than weekly mowing. The group said any required grant match could be supplied in kind (staff time, volunteer programming) rather than cash.
The council signaled willingness to consider a formal resolution once staff and the city attorney confirm parkland status and other legal conditions. There was no formal council vote on the item at this meeting.
