Goethals Park in Richland soon will be transformed into a wild playland where children can roll down grassy hills, burrow through tunnels or have secret club meetings in a tree fort.
It's just one way the city hopes to give makeovers to small neighborhood parks that a year ago were on the chopping block for being underused.
"This is the opposite of surplussing," said Phil Pinard, planning and capital projects manager for the Parks and Recreation Department. "That issue is dead. We went through that. The consensus is we don't want to get rid of our parks."
As the result of a parks use survey done in 2008, Goethals and a handful of other parks would have been closed to consolidate park land in neighborhoods where parks were considered too close together and some were being underused.
Westwood, Barth and Greater Years parks would have been declared surplus and sold to save money on maintenance.
Many residents were outraged at the idea of their neighborhood parks being closed or sold, and after months of debate, the city decided earlier this year against closing any parks. Maintenance money for all of the city parks is being kept intact at 2009 levels in the proposed 2010 budget.
"It's nice to see the city is listening," said Janice Williford, who lives near Westwood Park and was a vocal opponent of any city parks being sold or closed in last year's debate. "I hope they follow through with what they're planning -- the idea of making parks more attractive so they're used instead of shutting them down."
Pinard said the idea is to make each park unique so that they have different things to offer and will draw people and activities.
The plan is to start with seven parks in one of Richland's older neighborhoods and then branch out.
Eventual plans could include turning the Goethals and Abbot shelterbelts into linear arboretums with exotic trees and interpretive panels; a community garden or trailhead in Greater Years Park; a tot lot in Barth Park; and installation of skateboarding features in Craighill Park to give kids a safer place to gather than using the streets.
But all of that will take time and money, and the only funding in place is the grant to create a natural play area in Goethals Park, Pinard said.
In the meantime, he's collecting comments and ideas from residents to create a master plan for the parks between George Washington Way, Goethals Drive, Aaron Drive and Lee Boulevard.
The city had a meeting Thursday attended by about 40 people. Pinard also will take comments by letter or e-mail.
To submit a comment by mail, send it to Pinard at 500 Amon Park Drive, Richland, or e-mail ppinard@ci.richland.wa. us.
w Michelle Dupler: 582-1543; mdupler@tricityherald.com
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