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Neighbors ask council to shrink Drew Nielsen Park scope and prioritize crosswalk improvements at 13th and Colby
Summary
Residents asked the council to reduce the planned footprint and cost of the Drew Nielsen Park renovation and to prioritize a safety-enhanced crosswalk at 13th and Colby; Parks Director Bob Leonard said the project used an extensive engagement process and funding is designated for park work.
Neighbors and a nearby resident who has volunteered in Drew Nielsen Park urged the City Council to reduce the size and cost of the park renovation in order to reallocate funds to a crosswalk at 13th and Colby.
Holly James, who lives adjacent to the park and said she led a neighborhood effort that spent about $20,000 on a native-plant display garden, asked council to “change the plan to reduce the cost and the footprint” and suggested reducing the number of swings from five to two and keeping work within the existing footprint. She asked the council to “redirect funds to build an enhanced crosswalk at Thirteenth And Colby to increase public safety getting to the park,” noting neighbors have sought crosswalk improvements there for 15 years.
Parks and Facilities Director Bob Leonard said the department conducted what he described as “a more robust community engagement process than we've gone through for a lot of our other playgrounds.” He said staff believed the presented design reflected neighborhood input but acknowledged not everyone was satisfied and that the department conducted a second round of engagement in response.
Council members asked whether park funds can be reallocated to street work. Leonard said he would check with Finance but expected those park-designated funds could not easily be shifted to road projects: “This is money that has been set aside for park projects, not for road projects,” he said.
Council President Schwab noted that public-works staff are working with Providence Swedish and that the hospital has verbally agreed to purchase a rapid rectangular flashing beacon for the Colby crosswalk; public-works would perform engineering and streets staff would handle sidewalk and ADA improvements. The mayor’s office and staff said the crosswalk work was on a plan to restart conversations with Providence.
Council Member Ryan asked for an update at the next meeting on community outreach, project scheduling and traffic timelines. Leonard and administration staff indicated the project has returned to the council after community engagement and that schedule and funding decisions reflect established park-funding categories.
The council did not vote on the park ordinance at this meeting; third reading on Drew Nielsen Park was scheduled for the next meeting.
