Commission recommends staff evaluate donated 'wind phone' for Grandview Forest Park

The Gig Harbor Parks Commission recommended that staff evaluate a proposal to accept a donated "wind phone" for Grandview Forest Park after a presentation from a member of the public.

The presenter described a wind phone as "a disconnected telephone placed in a peaceful natural setting" that offers visitors "a way to deal with grief and communicate with lost loved ones," and said the idea originated in Japan. The presenter asked the commission to consider Grandview Forest Park as a potential site and offered to take responsibility for repairs and maintenance if the city accepted the donation.

Commissioners discussed placement, privacy and durability. Several members said they preferred a simple, low-profile installation rather than a fully enclosed booth to limit maintenance and vandalism. "I actually am more supportive of the simpler ideas than we just first started with," one commissioner said, noting concerns about longevity in local weather and the potential for theft or vandalism.

Staff said final site approval would come from operations staff and that certain installations could require a building permit or a donation agreement similar to bench-donation policies. Parks Manager Jennifer Harrow explained she had consulted the operations supervisor and that staff would prefer mounting the phone on a post rather than affixing it to a tree.

Parks Chair Louise Steven moved that the commission recommend staff further evaluate placement and the process for receiving the item into the city's park system; with no opposition, the commission recorded the recommendation. The chair said staff should determine whether the item would go to council for final acceptance or could be handled at the director level.

Next steps: staff will review location options with operations, confirm permitting and maintenance expectations, and return to parks with a formal recommendation and any documentation for acceptance or donation agreements.