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Council approves removal of Saint John—s Park playground equipment; orders master plan and continued outreach
Summary
Following resident testimony about park safety and underuse, the council approved staff referral to remove aging playground equipment at Saint John's Park, direct a master‑planning process for the park, and continue coordinated outreach to address homelessness and park maintenance issues.
The Common Council approved the parks committee recommendation to remove aging playground equipment at Saint John—s Park and directed staff to prepare a master plan for the site.
Neighbors and users told the council the playground is rarely used and pointed to repeated disorder and public‑health problems in the park that discourage families from visiting. "This park is in a low‑income neighborhood...the park is filthy, people are loitering...there's hypodermic needles," one resident said. Other residents urged the city to fix maintenance and safety issues rather than remove equipment.
Why it matters: Saint John—s Park is one of the city—s older parks and sits in a neighborhood where residents, day‑care providers and organizers historically used the playground. Council and staff framed the vote as a pragmatic pause to allow a comprehensive master plan so that any new investments match current and future community needs.
What council approved: The parks committee had proposed removing the playground structure because it is among the oldest in the system, requires replacement and is not currently attracting regular use. Council approved the referral to staff to develop a park master plan and to coordinate with police and social‑service outreach staff on safety and maintenance issues. Staff told the council they already conduct a thorough cleaning of the park each week and that outreach coordinators have placed several chronically unsheltered people into permanent housing in recent months.
Public safety and outreach: Police Chief Davis said a stakeholders group formed two years ago that includes neighborhood members, shelter providers and other agencies. Chief Davis said calls for service in the park have fallen compared with 2021 and that enforcement and outreach efforts are increasingly coordinated. Parks staff said they now run a weekly deep clean in the park and that the new homelessness outreach staff have helped place several people in housing.
Next steps: Staff will produce a master plan for the park and return to the parks committee and council; any eventual capital project will be prioritized against other city projects and funding availability.
Votes at a glance: Council approved the parks committee referral to remove the playground and prepare a master plan; vote was adopted by council. The parks committee—s recommendation was passed to remove the equipment and plan for long‑term reuse.
