UPDATE: There will be a meeting addressing the changes at the old council chambers in City Hall downtown this Wednesday at 4 PM.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxskDOCdkmc[/youtube]
There are several things wrong with the events leading up to the meeting at Sioux Falls’ Terrace Park on Friday June 10, 2016. You will hear many of the complaints in the video but consider the plans and the outcome.
Destroying Spellerberg Park wasn’t enough for this administration, now this.
The Sioux Falls Park Department is planning a major change to a historic city landmark, again. We understand updating to keep something safe but once again in the history is being forgotten or rewritten because it happened before the management took over.
Notice in the discussion how the neighbors found out about this update just hours before the destruction-construction equipment was to show up. An afterthought story in the Friday Argus Leader talking about how the Historic Preservation Board DENIED the changes. So what does the Parks Department do? Put weird pressure on the protesting neighbors until they walk away defeated.
Let’s consider who was informed of the upcoming change, not the people who consider this their neighborhood park but just a small ring of “landowners” touching the park area. Instead of the Cathedral neighborhood, just 4 block landowners?
A Master Plan was drawn up by our friends at Confluence. Look at the straight line concrete path dissecting the park. It no longer is a meandering wander through the park but a let’s get through there fast. Why do we have to go to a park and be in a hurry? What’s the use?
Consider these paths have been treasured for 80 years. Why do we have to destroy them because a designer doesn’t understand the history of the rock and our attachment to it. Why do we have to always destroy what we do not understand?
There are many things this park management could do to keep the integrity and charm of the park but these things will not be considered because Don Kearney and Mike Huether must think use of our natural stone is messy and icky.
Parks are for people and they should be safe but why must we make them sterile?
We find it fitting to be destroying this park just to have the best view of the T. Denny another monstrosity to out of control egos.
The motto of Sioux Falls Parks Department: WE MUST CONCRETE OVER EVERYTHING IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS!
After watching the video, and having experience with how SF Parks and Rec ‘plans’ things, I will first say this, there are many holes I could shoot in their arguments about changes and cost.
First off, they say the train is out of the station and the contractor is lined up so any changes at this point are really not doable. Huey. Contractors deal with change orders all the time. I think the EC alone had around 2,000. Heck, even when I had a community development loan to make improvements to my house, the city inked about 4-5 change orders. Change orders are a reality of any project.
As for coming back to reset the path they plan to tear out. LOL. The Parks department practices this double speak all of time. Once those paths are torn out, they will be gone for good. I would highly suggest that any plans to reset the paths should be done in writing with attorneys signing off on it.
Either way, they path really doesn’t need to be torn out. If you look at the overlay of the park and the plans they are making, the path that the residents want to keep can easily remain if they simply grade up the path with new concrete, something that would actually cost less, instead of more. Also, since the ADA compliant paths are being put in, there is no reason to tear out these paths.
Once the city destroys something, it will be gone forever, don’t think they will bring it back. It reminds me of the sour grapes they had over Drake Springs, so they scaled back the original plans of how bid the main pool was supposed to be to stick to the outdoor pool people.
The Parks department has a record of vindictiveness and if you don’t believe me, go ahead and let them make you empty promises and find out for yourself if the paths return. Because they won’t.
A version of this plan was promoted back in 1991 or 1992. Same old arguments, same twisted logic. One way I helped stop some of the Park Board’s not-so-brilliant ideas (including this one) was to de-fund the budget request for said projects. Perhaps a couple of current councilors can give that a try. The Park Board gets all it’s money from the City Council and while Park Boards have some unique powers, they must get the money from the city council.
I would agree Matt, I have told councilors over the years if they are not happy with some of the decisions departments are making, they need to cut off the purse strings.
Sounds like leveling for another city owned hotel to me. Everything during this mayors reign is country club snob. A park near less privileged neighborhoods is under assault. Keep your rodeo on the west side of West Street.