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Resident asks board to review memorial plaque at Keizer Rapids Park; staff to bring naming guidelines
Summary
A Keizer resident told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board that a bright-blue memorial plaque at Keizer Rapids Park detracts from a river overlook. Staff said it will research the bench's history and bring the city's naming/donation guidance to the next packet for board review.
A Keizer resident asked the Keizer Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on April 8 to review the placement and appearance of a memorial plaque at Keizer Rapids Park, saying the plaque’s bright blue color disrupts the view from a riverside bench.
David Filbrick, introduced at the meeting as a Keizer resident, said the plaque — installed near one of the park’s overlooks — “clashes with its surrounding natural scenery” and was installed in a location that distracts someone sitting on the bench from the river view. He suggested moving the plaque behind the bench or attaching any memorial plaque to the bench itself and matching bench colors.
The request drew several board members’ recollections that the bench and plaque date from an earlier, less-standardized donation process. A board member said the plaque originally matched the bench in a bronze tone but was repeatedly vandalized and later painted bright blue.
Robert (parks staff) told the board he remembered the bench installation but not all details and that the department has since standardized a bronze-style plaque used on newer benches. “I need to do some research and see if I still have this person’s contact information and maybe have a discussion,” Robert said, and he committed to bringing the city’s naming/donation guidance to the next meeting packet so the board can review the written policy.
Filbrick provided a copy of an undated draft guidance from about 2007 that he said reflected earlier committee discussions; he acknowledged that it is not an official current policy but said the language suggested donations “should allow the existing natural scenery and architecture to dominate.” The resident urged the board to interpret donation recognition so it “does not detract from the quality of the park.”
Board members discussed options including (1) contacting the donor to request a different plaque or relocation, (2) moving the plaque behind the bench so it no longer interrupts the view for someone seated, and (3) repainting or replacing the plaque with the current bronze-style standard. Several members asked staff to document the bench’s installation history and any donor contact information before making a recommendation.
The board took no formal vote. Staff will research the plaque’s history, attempt to contact the donor if possible, and place the city’s naming/donation guidance in the next packet for the board’s review and potential follow-up action.
