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Resident criticizes process, urges a return to 'dream park' engagement
Summary
Public commenter Tara Darnell told the commission she felt excluded from meaningful design engagement and described the proposed plan as underwhelming compared with community-built origins; some commissioners echoed concerns about who gets a seat at the table.
During public comment, Tara Darnell told commissioners she had attended meetings, submitted written feedback and did not feel the current process captured the community-led vision she expected for Kids Crossing. "I don't feel engaged at all," she said, urging deeper outreach and a design that would draw people from across the city.
Tara added, "This isn't a dream park," contrasting the current concept with other waterfront or community-based dream-park efforts and saying the proposed plan felt more like a standard playground replacement than a distinctive, community-crafted park. Commissioners acknowledged the criticism and discussed expanding engagement methods and using an equity rubric to reach underrepresented groups.
The meeting did not change the project's timeline, but commissioners asked staff to document outreach efforts and to consider additional community-engagement steps before the September decision item.
