Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Residents urge board to reject siting of lift station in Walters Park; parks board requests more analysis
Summary
Residents and park users strongly opposed relocating Lift Station 4 into Walters Park, citing tree removal, wildlife loss and a lack of public outreach. After a staff briefing, the parks board voted to request additional environmental and fiscal analysis before recommending a preferred site to the city manager.
Erin Wheeler, chair of the Park and Culture and Recreation Board, opened the March 4 meeting and set aside time for extensive public comment on a proposal to relocate Lift Station 4 into a portion of Walters Park.
Residents who live adjacent to the park told the board they had learned recently about the city's plan and urged staff to seek alternatives. "This is ugly as sin," said David Mercer, describing cleared trees and diminished bird life that he said have degraded the neighborhood park. "We're watching this happen to us, and we have we're powerless to do anything about it." Janet Ikeda, a 40-year resident, said she and neighbors collected roughly 500 signatures in one week opposing use of the donated park meadow for utilities.
The hearing followed a staff presentation by Justin Knox, public works utilities engineer, and Jen Burbage, director of parks, culture and recreation. Knox said the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
