Residents complain of traffic, privacy and maintenance after troll art installed at Ryan Park

A steady stream of visitors to Ryan Park for a Thomas Dambo troll installation has prompted complaints from nearby residents about parking, crowding, sanitation and privacy, residents told the North Kingstown Town Council during public comment on Sept. 8.

The concern came into focus when Benjamin Folsom of 54 Lafayette Road said the project’s planning and logistics were “short sighted and grossly underestimated.” He said visitors were trespassing on private property, leaving dog waste and creating late-night noise and safety problems. “Driveways have been ruined,” he said. “Public urination midday occurred right on the Fuhrer Park sign while my children played in the yard.”

Why it matters: The installation has drawn regional visitors and local volunteers but concentrated traffic and parking at the Lafayette Road entrance to Ryan Park, residents said. Town officials told the council they expected an initial surge of visitors and are taking steps to shift parking and manage the site, but residents said the effects on nearby neighborhoods have been immediate.

Town Manager Ralph Mullis told the council the troll was presented to the council as an externally funded cultural attraction and the town supported it partly because it required no town funding. “We presented the idea of a troll to the town council because it didn't require any town funding,” Mullis said. He described the site-selection process: town staff proposed Ryan Park; the artist then inspected the park and selected the precise location within it. “He then walks the park with our recreation department. And his vision then becomes that is the spot for it,” Mullis said.

Mullis acknowledged the town underestimated the intensity of early visitation and the timing of the opening. He said organizers cut the ribbon the week before Labor Day and that contributed to higher initial traffic. He also told the council the installation was funded outside town budgets but “we are about $20,000 short” of promised outside funding, and staff are pursuing sponsors and tourism funding to make up the gap.

Residents and volunteers offered contrasting perspectives. Jim Finley, who said he walks Ryan Park frequently and serves on the leisure services advisory committee, described several visiting groups who “loved the troll” and said the installation draws families and regional tourists. Keith Fink, chair of the Leisure Service Advisory Committee, thanked volunteers and said the project put North Kingstown “on the world stage.”

Council and staff responses and next steps: Mullis said the administration has opened the Fuhrer Park lot, added temporary no-parking signs, placed additional directional signage and is encouraging visitors to use the Oak Hill lot farther from the troll. Recreation staff and public safety have discussed options including better trail signage to guide visitors to Oak Hill parking and temporary enforcement. Mullis said staff will continue to meet with police, the recreation director and public works to find additional mitigations.

No formal council action was taken at the meeting. Residents urged quicker operational fixes, such as adjusted parking controls, crosswalks, gates that close lots at night and improved signage. Several people offered to help as volunteers for crowd management or to advise on relocating or modifying the site if necessary.

Ending: Town officials said they will continue to monitor the site week to week and pursue funding and operational changes. The council did not schedule a vote on relocating the installation; staff said they would collect more data on visitor patterns and continue talking with residents and enforcement agencies.