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Council approves updated PROS plan amid public calls for more shoreline access and Pride outreach
Summary
The council approved an amended consent agenda that included adoption of the updated Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan. During public comment, residents urged the city to safeguard shoreline public access and to expand educational and celebratory efforts around Pride.
The University Place City Council approved an amended consent agenda on June 15 that included a resolution adopting an updated Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan after the mayor added the item to the consent list earlier in the meeting.
A pair of public commenters used the public-comment period to highlight related community concerns. Resident Oskar Ludden praised recent city recognition of Pride month and urged more local education and small events: "As a proud gay woman myself and a proud UP resident, I know that this was a moment that many proud UP residents had been waiting for," Ludden said, and asked the city to "do more on the educational bit" to reduce online negativity and celebrate equality.
Resident Gordon McCreary urged the council to consider shoreline public-right-of-way access and amenities in park planning. McCreary recounted a weekend observation tour along Day Island's shoreline and said it demonstrated the value of investing in public shoreline access, trails and amenities to ensure residents can use the waterfront: "I think we're very lucky to have that, and wanting to cut how important public shoreline access is, including the access points on the shoreline, the amenities that we provide at those so that people can stay there for an extended period of time," McCreary told the council.
Mayor Stan Fleming noted the amended consent agenda included adoption of the PROS plan and thanked Ludden for raising the Pride issue, saying the city has "no room ... for hatred or discrimination against any citizen". The consent agenda, as amended, was approved without objection.
Why it matters: the updated PROS plan will guide city decisions about parks, open space and shoreline amenities that influence access and recreational resources; public comment signaled resident interest in more visible Pride programming and clearer consideration of public shoreline access points within park and right-of-way decisions.
Staff follow-up: staff indicated the PROS plan was on the consent agenda for adoption and that specific implementation and any amendments would be pursued through the city's planning processes. Councilmembers and staff acknowledged the public comments and signaled willingness to follow up on the points raised.
