UPDATED: Redmond resident urges Council to vote against Initiative 1366 and quotes some alarming statistics about Redmond's low voter turnout

During last night's City Council Special Meeting on Initiative I 1366 a longtime Redmond resident Andrew Villeneuve spoke up against I-1366 in "Items from the Audience".  He specifically asked Council to vote on a Resolution to oppose I -1366 concerning state taxes and fees. His argument against I-1366 is here. After robust conversation, Council voted 5-2 (Myers and Carson) to oppose I-1366.  Myers and Carson believe the public is smart enough to decide how to vote without guidance from the government.

Mr. Villeneuve's presentation included some alarming statistics about "the abysmal turnout" to date in this year's election, as follows:

• Of the 28,168 registered voters in Redmond only 2542 ballots have been returned as of last night -- that represents a 9% voter turnout in Redmond so far.  
• Another way to look at it: "91% of Redmond's registered voters have yet to vote in this election"
• Fewer than 10% of the voters in King County have returned ballots in King County.

Attention Redmond Registered Voters!  Please take a few minutes out of your day to vote and mail your ballots.  Ballots must be returned by November 3. In case you didn't know, a drive-through Ballot Drop Box is located at City Hall for you convenience. No stamps required.  

Bob Yoder  

Opposing opinions on the traffic in Redmond

COMMENTARY:  The 'rechanneliztion' project on 166th is a complete fiasco, and the incompetents responsible for it should be fired, with the salary budget thus saved earmarked for undoing the damage they have wrought. 
The total failure of traffic planners to come up with solutions to improve the flow of north-south traffic on Willows, RedWood, or Avondale has turned 116th St/172nd Ave/111th St/166th Ave into an arterial, and the clumsy efforts made by Redmond's traffic planning department have made matters much worse. Traffic now backs up all the way from 80th to 104th after work, and the brain-dead placement of islands next to bus stops merely proves that the designers were clueless. 
In terms of any conceivable metric of utilization per unit area, the bicycle lanes on 166th are unjustifiable, and should be removed immediately, along with the islands. 
Bicyclists are Redmond's most ridiculously overserved minority, and a rigorous study to free up the space wasted on empty bike lanes elsewhere is long overdue--we may have once been the 'Bicycle Capital of the Northwest', but that was before we became the undisputed tacky downtown apartment complex capital of the region.
Someone with more sense than the current traffic department needs to look at the irrational and inconsistent speed limits on our streets--111th, with zero driveways or houses facing it has a limit of 25, while 51st, with driveways, has a 35 mph limit--higher than 166th or Redmond Way.

Anonymnous
Source:  recent comment published on a blog post dated 2/14/2011



OPPOSING OPINION, 2/14/2011
http://redmondcity.blogspot.com/2011/06/opinion-sidewalks-on-166th-ave-are.html

LETTER: Protecting Redmond's Streams and Groundwater Supply

PROTECTING REDMOND'S STREAMS AND GROUNDWATER SUPPLY

Over the years, I have tried to participate in Redmond's planning and development

process by commenting on projects, especially those that affect the environment.  I have

been concerned about water quality issues that affect our local streams and our

underground aquifer.  The city of Redmond has 5 wells that have a 1.8 BILLION gallon

annual water right. Two wells are located at Anderson Park. One is near Redmond City

Hall. Another is along Avondale Road and the most productive, Well No. 5, is on the

corner between Target and Home Depot.

In 2003, I participated in the writing and adoption of the Wellhead Protection

Ordinance that was meant to keep our drinking water supply clean and safe from

contamination. I attended meetings, made comments on the proposed ordinance and

testified at the public hearing. The Wellhead Protection Ordinance prohibited the storage

of hazardous material and fluids near wells.

I was shocked in 2009 when I read that Costco would be building a warehouse on

the old Redmond Delta gravel pit along 188th Avenue NE south of Union Hill Road and

that it would have a HUGE gas station.  READ MORE >>

Editor's Notice: Revised Mission Statement and Editing policy of this Blog

ATTENTION READERS AND VISITORS:

Mission Statement and Editing Policy:

UPDATED:  The "Redmond Blog" reports news and opinion of local governments, organizations and neighborhoods so that they can be more responsive and "in touch" with each other.  You are invited to send me your news, submit a Letter or write a COMMENT below a post. They are usually published. COMMENTS are moderated and publishing them may be delayed.  

Please send your Letters, opinions, stories and news by email to: redmondblog@gmail.com    Thanks for participating!

The HEADER PAGES at the top of this blog were edited today.

Bob Yoder

Steve Fields Restates His Viewpoint About Downtown Developers

UPDATED:  Steve Fields has received strong criticism and in some cases insult from a few supporters of Mr. Marchione's campaign.  This has been evident in Facebook social media, a few Letters to the Editor of the Redmond Reporter and a Letter sent to me by a Downtown developer.   

As a supporter and volunteer for Steve Fields I want to share some recent correspondence with Steve that answers criticism and misunderstandings about his views of downtown developers, as follows:  

And I quote Mr. Fields:  "I have never said and never would say anything against any group or person. What I have said is the city government listens more to developers then they do people in the community. And as a result the outcomes are not very good. My complaint is with the city government. Not any developer. We need balance. And I think that would be better for whoever develops and builds in our city as well. Their reputation would be enhanced."

Please visit https://electstevefields.com for more information about Mr. Field's vision for our city.  

Opinion by Bob Yoder

UPDATED: Thoughts from an engaged citizen about LWSD's facility plan and land acquisition strategy

COMMENTARY (by Susan Wilkins):  I agree that building a middle school at Redmond Ridge is a good idea since many students live nearby and they could walk to school.  The issue is that the district already has Evergreen Middle School (EMS) that those students can attend.  If the district's plan were to build the new middle school at Redmond Ridge and get rid of EMS, that would make sense, but the district's proposal is to tear down and rebuild EMS with space for 1000 students and that means that students who live in downtown Redmond and on the east side of Education Hill will be bussed out to EMS.  Evergreen is 3 miles outside the city limits on Union Hill Road. I live near Hartman Park and my entire neighborhood would likely be zoned for EMS.  The trade-off is that Redmond Ridge will get a "walkable" school and my neighborhood will be bussed to far-away EMS.  I don't think this is a reasonable solution.  Read More>>

LETTER: Why I'm Voting for the challengers in the School Board election

    I have been part of the Long Term Facilities Task Force since last December. It was run by an Associate Superintendent who acts as the Director of Facilities for the District.  I question her knowledge about facilities planning.  Our "experienced" school board has let her run the district's facilities planning for the past decade.  

    The plan that the task force was guided into proposing is nearly identical to the Feb 11, 2014 bond measure that failed.  It's just displayed in the planning table in a different order.  The task force will be presenting it to the board at the October 26 study session.  It is estimated to cost $775,000,000 - $900,000,000.

    The new plan will be horrible for Redmond.  It will add 400 more students to RHS. It will build a new middle school at Redmond Ridge - meaning that all current Evergreen students will be sent to the new Redmond Ridge Middle School. This means that 1000 middle school students from inside Redmond will be sent out to Evergreen.  So Redmond El, Horace Mann-east of Hartman Park, Einstein, parts of Rockwell and probably McAuliffe in Sammamish will be feeder schools for Evergreen. This is nuts.  

    During the Task Force meetings we were never allowed to discuss whether it was a good idea to build the new middle school at Redmond Ridge - the Assoc. Superintendent's response was, "We haven't yet decided where the new middle school will go."  She's inaccurate.  I did a public records request and it is clear that the new middle school will go at Redmond Ridge.

    The current Long Term Facilities plan is unsatisfactory because we have a school board that is asleep at the wheel.  If we vote our current board back into office, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves for the results.

By Susan Wilkins

Fall Membership Meeting for Lacrosse Players -- November 5

YouthGrades K-12

Join us at our Fall Membership Lacrosse meeting* to:

Learn about the Club and the upcoming 2016 Spring Season

Meet other players and parents

Enjoy refreshments

*Thursday November 5, 7:30-9pm

Lake Washington School District Headquarters

16250 NE 74th St, Redmond, WA 98052

Read More >>

OneRedmond Evolves to Meet the Needs of Business

By Dr. Eric Scroggins, Board President, OneRedmond  

Coming out of the great recession it was clear that Redmond’s business organizations were not meeting the needs of its members or supporting the health of the local and regional economy. Like all businesses at the time, the Chamber of Commerce, Realize Redmond and the Redmond Economic Development Alliance were all struggling to find a direction and financial footing.    

In response to the very real challenges they faced, the three organizations with the partnership of the City of Redmond merged, incorporated and funded a new public/private partnership to lead business growth in the region.  OneRedmond was charged to do four simple things: 1) support our existing businesses, large and small, and their growth; 2) recruit new businesses to the community to diversify the economic base; 3) promote arts and events to enhance the vibrancy of our downtowns, and 4) work with the City to ensure that we are the most competitive area for business investment.  Read More >>

Great news from the Redmond PD. They nailed a prolific car prowler and burglar.

Submitted By Brian Hansford.
=========================================

We wanted to pass along news that after a careful and thorough investigation, Redmond Police arrested a man on October 13th for offenses related to six different Redmond cases and one King County case. Redmond officers also recovered a firearm that we suspect he stole during an alleged car prowl in King County.

The man is suspected of committing multiple car prowls in our community and was charged on Oct 16th with 2nd Degree Vehicle Prowling on four counts. He has also been charged with several other crimes, including theft and unlawful possession of a firearm, identity theft 2nd degree, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of stolen property 3rd degree. He is currently being held at King County Jail.

Thank you for being patient as we work these types of cases. Our officers work each case very hard and it takes time to comb through different files and process evidence, especially when cases overlap. Our local businesses were great about supplying surveillance footage and our officers coordinated well with each other, and handled some delicate interviews to complete this particular investigation.

More importantly, thank you for locking up vehicles and reporting suspicious behavior. It has made an impact!

Becky Range, Public Information Officer

UPDATED: Musings on the Elected's and Public's participation in affairs of our city

I  try to watch every Council meeting, will occasionally critique the Elected on my blog and send links of these posts by email to mayorcouncil@redmond.gov so they know "I'm not talking behind their back"; but most of all they can hopefully learn from what I've observed. Councilman Hank Myers labels me a gadfly because I have been doing this for years.  He values the gadfly role and on several occasions has thanked me.  Hank recently told me he reads my blog; I have a good relationship with him. Recently Councilmember Kim Allen thanked me on Facebook for being "a facilitator over all the years."  I value my relationship with Hank and Kim.  .

Other than Councilmembers John Stilin, David Carson, Hank and Kim I can't recall any other Councilmember giving me feedback on this blog. Though, once a long time ago President Hank Margeson told me he read it. The Mayor has appeared to ignore me over the many years I've been reporting.  He finally surfaced this week by email. Other than asking me for minor edits on a post, his email was less than encouraging to put it mildly. I think my main problem in communicating with John Marchione is he hates public scrutiny and only wants to hear constructive criticism behind closed doors. It's certainly not because I haven't emailed him on various issues over the years. My impression is the Mayor is too busy with regional and downtown matters to listen to the residential community. Some of his supporters say John always responds to emails. This has not been the case for me.      .

Our elected persistently ask (if not beg) the public for participation and feedback on the affairs of the city.  Marchione said in the mayoral debate he tries to reach out to the community with televised Council and Commissioner meetings, the Focus magazine, the city website and visits to the elementary schools.  John should be giving even more attention to the neighborhoods, especially with "the town turned upside down" from rapid development. He is weak on Public Outreach and rarely listens to the residents and for that sole reason I'm voting for Fields. Otherwise, I think he's a good city administrator and leader.   I do appreciate the one or two times he held a coffee at the Senior Center long ago,

John Stilin holds a coffee at Soulfood every Tuesday at 3 pm. Mr. Stilin,, Ms. Allen are members of the "Education Hill of Redmond" Facebook Group and at times participate.  Mr Myers is working with Ms. Allen to hold Q&A "listening sessions" in the neighborhoods. Councilmember Tom Flynn recently wrote an excellent piece in the Redmond Reporter. Of course our elected are getting copious feedback from the community with this election. For this, we should thank Steve Fields.

As stated, I've chosen to participate in the affairs of the city with my blog.  Like 99% of my neighbors I find it intimidating and usually  non productive to go to City Hall Council Meetings and participate.  Most of my neighbors don't even know the meetings exist or are televised. If they did watch a Council meeting many would probably find them scripted, stale, boring and above the level of the people.

However, this week's Council meeting was a breakthrough moment especially for the Mayor--it appears he's listened.  I've never heard him participate so much at a business meeting -- nor the Council so active and skillful in inviting him into the conversation. The Ombudsman Report was lively and broad. The dais was humming.  I only pray this will not be a one-time event.  You can see for yourselves by tuning into Comcast RCTV channel 21 on Tuesday nights at 7:30 pm. Or watch the meeting online here.

Opinion by Bob Yoder

OPINION: The PTSA School Board Forum was illuminating -- Watch it here before you vote!

Here's the LWSD School Board video.    http://www.lwptsa.net/school-board-candidate-forum/.

I went into the Forum leaning towards the challengers because I felt the incumbents were in there long enough and were going no where with passing the Bonds.  

I left the Forum deciding to vote for the incumbents -- Jackie Pendergrass and Chris Carlson.  Please watch the Forum and decide for yourselves.

If it makes any difference to you, Chris Carlson was endorsed by the Seattle Times.

I almost decided to vote for Tepper.  I liked his refreshing delivery, passion for passing the bond and commitment to the District.  I just found him hyper-focused on the Bond issue.  I really did like his answer to:  "should the Administration have a CFO"?  Carlson harshly dismissed it with humor.  Tepper nailed it with a strong argument for transparency. Posthumous is no CFO.  If she is, the Admin. should give her the title.  I found Chris Carlson wordy but he demonstrated greater substance on all the issues of the District.  

It was a shame President Pendergrass couldn't be there for the Forum.  But I found her challenger's responses were way too brief and shallow.  Even though Eric Laliberte is the Chair of Kirkland's Planning Commission he appeared too green for the school board job.  

Opinion by Bob Yoder

The Mayoral Debate is posted here on UTube. Watch it here!

For those who's schedules aren't flexible enough to watch the Mayoral debate on RCTV,  I'm providing the UTube  mayoral debate HERE

I've listened and I'm voting for Steve Fields.  Watch the debate and decide for yourselves.

For those of you who don't know, there is a convenient drive-through Ballot Drop Box at Redmond City Hall.  No stamps needed.

Bob Yoder

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WTbndDpkpkI&feature=youtu.be

The Mayoral Debate will be televised on Channel 21 and on UTube. It was fascinating!

The Mayoral debate last night was extremely interesting and engaging.  It was the ultimate of "community outreaches" except for the councilmembers not being on stage. (though I did see Councilmembers Allen, Stillin, Flynn, and Shutz there and enjoyed an excellent talk with Kim Allen).

Though it's too bad it took a debate to finally get the Mayor to visit and engage with the neighborhoods, his participation was helpful in understanding how he runs the city. Steve Fields performance was excellent, and a breath of fresh air that has been so desperately needed!  He has a world of wisdom. There is much we can learn from him.  He is sincere and an incredible hard working, intelligent challenger.  Our city is so fortunate to have Steve in the race. It's my belief he won the debate though the good news is you can decide for yourselves if you missed it.

The Redmond Reporter was there and we can look forward to their reporting this Friday.  But what is really exciting is the city taped the debate and it will be shown on TV (Channel 21) at the following times:

Fridays at 8pm, Saturday and Sunday at noon, Monday at noon, Tuesday &Wednesday at 2pm and Thursday at 5pm.

I also just heard that the city will be posting a video of the debate on YOUTUBE by end of business, Friday

Please, please, please try to find some time to view the debate to be better informed when you vote. You will find it's worth every minute!

Opinion by Bob Yoder

Editorial, By Bob Yoder

 I campaigned for Marchione eight years ago because I thought he was most qualified for the position.  Steve Fields is much better qualified for the position, than were Marchione's challengers eight years ago, and Steve has great credentials.   I support Steve Fields now because the town has been "turned upside down" in the last five years and there has been very little neighborhood outreach and representation of the people by the Mayor during this rapid urbanization..  Please vote  by November 3.  

OpEd: Marchione meets the qualifications for Mayor, By Sherri Nichols

I met John Marchione in 2004 when he and I were part of a group of volunteers who stepped forward to form the Lake Washington Schools Foundation. John was still working at Meydenbauer and was on the city council, but he still took the time to help do the heavy lifting involved in getting the LWSF started, serving as one of the original officers for the board. Based on my experience working with John on the foundation, I was pleased when he decided to run for mayor eight years ago, and volunteered to work on his campaign. I liked his vision for what Redmond could become, and wanted to help bring it about.  

Eight years later, the vision is not yet complete, but the pieces are coming together, and I still think John Marchione is the best leader for Redmond. John is a man of integrity who is always calm and thoughtful. I have a science and engineering background, so I appreciate that John is a wonk; he’s happy to dig into the technical aspects of city planning, and can always tell me why a certain choice was made, and what the tradeoffs were. Every time I talk to him, I learn more about how a city works.

John is always clear about what he’s going to do, and he accomplishes it. He really believes that the mayor’s office is non-partisan; he works with Democrats and Republicans, and both speak highly of him. He’s endorsed by elected officials of both parties. I’ve had the opportunity to talk with city council members and mayors from cities near Redmond, and all appreciate working with John. In our current political environment where it seems that nobody cooperates and nothing gets done, this is a rare quality.

I want people in government who understand problems, think clearly about them, consider options, and cooperate to implement concrete solutions. I know John Marchione meets those qualifications, and that’s why I’m voting for him.

UPDATED: What is the job of city commissioners from the perspective of a citizen

UPDATED OPINION:  From my frustrations with the Administration and emotions stirred by the elections, I want to apologize for what I said in a Letter to the Editor of the Redmond Reporter and a blog post about "the
Marchione commissioners appearing to be "Yes Men".  They are valued citizens in our community and play an important volunteering role in the deliberation on the issues of our city.  They are not elected representatives and should not be treated with the same scrutiny that comes with the job of Mayor and Council.  For that, I apologize.

What bothers me is why is it so difficult for the Administration to attract citizens to these commissions?  One would think that with the town "turned upside down" by our rapid growth that citizens would be running to apply for these prestigious volunteer jobs.

I've followed  the council meetings very closely over the years and at times will criticize our elected and the government to activate change, but I always try to offer solutions.  For the first time last year I applied for a commissioner post.  Actually, I also tried to be a member of the Community Advisory Committee for Education Hill years ago under the Ives administration.  In both attempts to join in on "the process" I was "told to go away".  Needless to say I was bothered and my failure to be accepted to a commission, in part, led me to believe that you had to be "like minded" to be included in the Marchione commissions.

Currently, there are three commission jobs open -- two for Parks and Trails and one for the Library.
I've noticed in the city press release the Administration is posting the agenda for these positions. (I don't recollect seeing the agenda when I applied). Describing the job description in detail is valuable. I'm not sure making the agenda known will improve the diversity of the commissions and attract more applications but at least the public will know what's expected of them and how they function.

Bob Yoder

City Seeks Volunteers for Parks and Trails Commission (with a note from the blog editor)

October 9, 2015

Redmond, WA – The City of Redmond is recruiting new volunteer members for the Parks and Trails Commission. Two positions are currently open for residents that live within the city limits. Applications are now being accepted and eligible residents are encouraged to apply by October 30, 2015.

For over 25 years, the Parks and Trails Commission has improved the quality of life for the Redmond community by advising the Mayor and City Council on parks, trails, and recreational facility planning and programming in the City. The Commission also interfaces with the broader community, so that it can represent community members’ interests to the City Council. Currently, the Commission is providing recommendations on the 2016 Update to the Park, Arts, Recreation, Culture & Conservation Plan, the Downtown Park design, the Recreation Buildings Master Plan, and the upcoming budget.

Commissioners serve three-year terms and attend monthly meetings (first Thursday of each month); participate on special committees and attend public meetings and events; cultivate community engagement around Parks and Recreation Department projects and programs; and occasionally meet with City Council and other commissions, as appropriate.

To learn more about the Parks and Trails Commission, or to apply, download an application at redmond.gov/Government/BoardsCommissions/ParksTrailsCommission. Applications can be mailed to the Office of the Mayor, City of Redmond, PO Box 97010, Redmond, WA 98073-9710 or faxed to 425-556-2110. A copy of the community service application is also available in the Mayor’s Office on the fourth floor of City Hall.

There is no deadline for applications but interested citizens are encouraged to submit an application by October 30th. For questions regarding the Parks and Trails Commission volunteer position, contact Carolyn Hope, Park Planning & Cultural Services Manager, atcjhope@redmond.gov or call 425-556-2313. This press release is available on www.redmond.gov.

Disclosure:  I applied for a Parks and Trails Commission position last year and my application was put on file and ignored.  This was the first and only time I applied for a commission job.  At the time, the press release announcing the job did not include the Administration's agenda for the position.  (I've highlighted the agenda in bold).  I believe knowing what the agenda is a big improvement for those citizens applying.  For one, it is more transparent.  Bob Yoder  

Opinion: The silence of Mayor Marchione on neighborhood issues is deafening

It's a rainy day and I am without work so it's a good time to express my observations and feelings again about how I think our elected councilmembers and mayor run our city and how they could improve.  I will admit that I have become picky and pestering especially with the mayoral election underway so my apologies for being a Monday Morning Quarterback, but unfortunately I am one of the rare everyday citizens that is engaged with local government.

The city council meeting last night was one of the most functional meetings I've seen in a long time (with the exception of the Mayor's silence -- which I will address soon.)  James Johnston, a neighbor shared his expertise during Items for the Audience for improving the noise problem from Marymoor Park concerts.  This same neighbor is very vocal on the "Education Hill of Redmond" Facebook Group and several councilmembers are finally paying attention to us through this vehicle.  It would be great if all our neighborhoods (including the Downtown neighborhood) had a Facebook Group for input but so far the City government hasn't facilitated this and continues to miss out in how we feel. The City of Kirkland has "neighborhood associations" which organized a Council Candidate Debate.  Redmond neighborhoods aren't even close.  Fortunately Councilman John Stilin has found the Education Hill facebook group and has observed and participated in it.  John Marchione and Council have been dealing with the Marymoor noise for over 8 years without results; it finally took chatter from the Facebook Group to help John Stilin identify the problem and bring it to the attention of government.  The discussion with King County during the Council Meeting was truly one of the most productive and thorough deliberations I've seen for a neighborhood issue.  Stilin and the Council in general shined.  It would have been healthy for the city if our government was just as functional on "city growth issues."  But, it's too late for that and a contested mayoral race is on.

What was glaringly noticeable last night at the Council meeting was the Mayor's lack of participation and representation during the Marymoor deliberations.  The Mayor was full of "Thank You's" and minor management of the agenda.  He looked weak and is weak in this regard. While council certainly wasn't under Marchione's grip last night, the Mayor was complacent and non-responsive to the neighborhoods on the important Marymoor issue (as he is on the Downtown neighborhood growth issue.) He also has a problem conveying his representation on regional issues during council meetings.  He is touted for being a leader on regional issues but he rarely brings up the specifics of his representation locally during council meetings, OP-ED's or the like.

In a Steve Fields Q&A that resident and blogger Paige Norman conducted, Mr. Fields was asked:  "What do you think is the primary role of the Mayor in Redmond?"  Mr. Fields answered:  "The Mayor is the only full-time, elected position that exclusively represents and answers to the people who live in Redmond. This creates a unique position. The citizens need to trust the leadership and the word of the Mayor." 

 "Full time" .  "Word of the mayor"  "Represents and answers to the people"  Fields nails it.  

The Mayor needs to take notice and be more open and representative for the people. His silence is deafening. Thank you Mr. Fields.  

Opinion by Bob Yoder 

Parents/Community Members Needed for LWSD High School Math Adoption Committee

High school math curriculum under review

Redmond, Wash. – Lake Washington School District reviews its curricula on a planned ten-year cycle. Each year several different curriculum committees may be at work. The district’s goal is to provide up-to-date, research-based, appropriate materials to help children learn.

Committees of people with teaching and subject matter expertise help meet this goal. Diverse perspectives and experiences are represented. Teachers, administrators and parents serve on the committees.

This year, an adoption committee will review the 9-12 math curriculum. The district seeks parents/community members to serve on this committee.  Read More >>

UPDATED OPINION: The Downtown Park is diminished by lack of parking

The City of Redmond's "Focus" magazine was recently mailed and featured a two page piece on the Downtown Park.  In it they state:  "The Downtown Park will be a highly visible gathering spot for our entire community".  They failed to mention that there is very limited parking near the Downtown Park so it will be impossible for the ENTIRE COMMUNITY to use it.

This park costs $37,000,000 and it will be used almost entirely by the tenants nearby, not the community at large.  Even Councilmember Richard Cole once said that the Downtown Park was intended for the downtown residents and not the neighborhoods.

As I recall, Steve Feilds told me the Park was designed by very expensive planners from outside our city; and if he were to have it his way he would use city planners, not outsiders.  Also very few of the downtown residents were engaged in the design.  Fields would engage the greater community.

But it is what it is...

By Bob Yoder