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Residents push neighborhood board to ask park operator to stop Roundup spraying at River Road Park
Summary
At the meeting an attendee described recent Roundup spraying at River Road Park, raised health and pollinator concerns, and proposed alternatives and a neighborhood letter; attendees supported drafting a letter to the park board and new park leadership was described as receptive to community engagement.
A resident described seeing Roundup sprayed in River Road Park early in the morning and urged neighbors to ask the park operator to stop using that pesticide in favor of safer methods. "It was Roundup...7AM...the amount of people, pets, plants and pollinators that are there at that park...we can do better in 2025," the speaker said.
The speaker listed alternatives (30% vinegar, heat or manual removal) and said park staff offered routine explanations that did not satisfy her concerns. Community members agreed there was majority support for asking the park operator (referred to in discussion as the park board / Emerald Park) to adopt different practices. Volunteers agreed to draft a letter for the neighborhood board to review and to follow up with the park's new director, who was described as community‑oriented and meeting monthly with the park board.
Meeting participants noted that the park is not a city park (and thus may fall under a different operator), and organizers said they would draft a proposed letter and bring it to the neighborhood board to clean up and send. The group also discussed informal next steps such as meeting with the park director and raising the issue at the park board's monthly meeting.
