Westview neighbors like park the way it is

Landscape architects Matt Matthiesen and Karl Van Cura presented these two conceptual drawings for residents attending Thursday night's Westview Memorial Park initial master planning session at Johnson Elementary School.

Neighbors of Westview Memorial Park -- Spencer's only arboretum-style park -- firmly expressed that they like their park the way it currently is, they want to keep it a "passive" park, but they'd like to add to or enhance what it currently displays during a meeting held Thursday night.

Local landscape architect Matt Matthiesen, the evening meeting's facilitator, showed the 13 residents and two Spencer Park Board members who gathered a site analysis of what is currently in the park. Bordered by West Ninth Street on its north, 11th Avenue West on its west, Johnson Elementary School on its east and railroad tracks on its south, Westview Memorial Park currently showcases three main groupings of evergreen and shade trees, three well-defined open spaces, and a city-owned pump house with two parking stalls in the park's northeast corner.

Matthiesen then presented two conceptual sketches (see Page 13) of what enhancements could be made to Westview Memorial Park. The first sketch offered an expansion of the park's tree groupings, three main focal point areas, enhanced perennial or annual planting beds, additional entrances on the park's north central and east boundaries, and extended parking along its eastern side.

The second conceptual drawing featured an enhancement of the existing shade tree areas, more defined open spaces and one more focal point area separated off with ornamental trees.

As shifting the west central Spencer park's annual beds to perennial gardens was suggested, Mark Lawson deemed them a "treasure trove" and asked that they remain. Dennis Brechwald, who lives across the street from Westview Memorial Park on West Ninth Street, noted he also thinks it's necessary to preserve the park's open spaces.

Matthiesen's notion to replace its current clay brick walkways, portions of which are in bad shape, with concrete pavers received a negative response from those gathered.

"I'm probably one of the younger ones here, but I do go through this park once in a while, either on my bike or walking, and it's kind of nice to just sit for 20 minutes and do nothing and let the world pass you by. My concern would be if you take away too many of those trails -- and how many benches are going to be disappearing with them if you throw that away -- my wife couldn't make it. She said to make sure that you do something with those benches, to improve or add more, because there's not enough," said Mark Lawson. " ... I first moved here 32 years ago, and this park was already here. I remember bringing my kids here. We took family pictures here and we meandered. ... After you go through the park, you realize there was a purpose for those trails. Because there's a tree here for this person, there's a flower pot for this person and there's a story for everything in it."

"I would be more supportive to say, 'Hey, let's organize a weekend to pull these bricks and replace them and put them back down there,'" Lawson continued. " ... That would be my main concern with all these plans, that you take too much away or take away from the original plan of that park. Because it is a just sit back and do nothing park. We don't want the kids in there tearing it up."

When Matthiesen indicated he plans to present a walkway realignment concept during the next meeting, which has yet to be scheduled, Lawson added there is currently a trail for bikes that runs the perimeter of the park. If the park's inner trails were to be paved, he said it would only invite bikes and skateboards inside.

When meeting attendees were asked what they don't necessarily appreciate about the park currently, "the railroad" was met with a round of laughter. Karl Van Cura of Midwest Design Group in Sioux City said it could be screened from view more. The fence and shrubs to the north of the railroad track area, which catches debris, was also mentioned. When one woman mentioned she'd had children jump out from behind the bushes in this area and scare her grandchildren, it brought to light that the fence and shrubs might pose a security issue. Adding a few security lights along the park's southern border was mentioned.

When asked what they would like to see added in Westview Memorial Park, Kim Bates said she liked the idea of a new east entrance for the park. Brechwald mentioned he prefers its curving interior trails because they slow down bicycle traffic in the park. Another neighbor suggested adding a bench along 11th Avenue West.

Those attending the master planning session indicated they would not like to see a shelter or structure erected in the park.

"We've talked lots tonight about passive recreation, going out and walking and sitting. In that sense, art really fits into that philosophy," Spencer Park and Recreation Director Delray Bredehoeft told those gathered.

"But art is in the eye of the beholder," Lawson replied. "And so, what I might think is fantastic, everybody else in this room maybe can't wait to knock it down or hopes that will happen. I don't know how you would find something neutral enough that everybody would like."

Bates said she'd like something more "natural" to be placed in the park, possibly a calming or relaxing water feature. Additional suggestions offered by Matthiesen included a potential butterfly garden and rain garden.

"The idea behind a rain garden is, from a storm water management standpoint it's to retain that water on the park area rather than moving it. Today, the water moves to the street, goes to the storm sewer and dumps into the river. So, what's happening with rain gardens is you're trying to either reduce that or eliminate that. So, what we're doing in the parks, where we can do it, is we're going to start utilizing rain gardens," Bredehoeft said. " ... The less amount of water we can take to that storm sewer, the better off we're going to be as a city."

It was also suggested that Westview Memorial Park could eventually host updated signage, kiosks or maps of an educational nature.