Committee asks council and staff to ensure pump track won’t intersect pedestrian paths in Hunters Brook/Marshhollow designs

Amanda Cahill, a member of the Park and Recreation Committee, told the group she was concerned that the City Council presentation downplayed the committee’s extensive input on Hunters Brook and Marshhollow parks and left a safety issue unresolved.

"I would just hate for that to move forward and, feel kind of responsible if anything were to happen," Cahill said, pointing specifically to the risk of a pump track intersecting pedestrian walkways and asking whether committee priorities had been conveyed accurately.

Committee members said they had prioritized several design elements at earlier meetings and expressed frustration that a council summary characterized concerns as "minor." The Chair and staff said the council acknowledged the committee’s input and that final designs will offer additional opportunities to address specific concerns during the consultant-led design process.

Committee members discussed whether to list precise caveats in motions or to rely on meeting discussion to express priorities. Staff said including a motion phrase such as "incorporate the changes as discussed" is a common way to capture committee intent without enumerating every point, and staff agreed to raise the pump-track intersection safety question with the consultant and bring findings back to the committee.

The committee did not take a formal vote on park design changes at this meeting; members requested that staff ensure the consultant addresses pedestrian/bike conflict points in the next design review and that the committee receive updated design materials before the next advisory action.