City seeks input for controversial park

A public meeting centered on the Strawberry Plant Park project is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7.

An informal “walk around” on the park site will be held at 9 a.m., followed by a 9:30 a.m. meeting in the City Hall Council Chambers that will adjourn no later than 3 p.m.

According to consultant Dee Endelman, who has been meeting with specific stakeholders as a meeting facilitator, the purpose of the meeting is simply to include all members of the community who want to engage in a conversation regarding their interests in the project and to offer input to the City Council. The council will then decide what comes next.

City Planning Director Kathy Cook said the city’s primary interest in the park is the shoreline and that the park district will be involved in the upland part of the park.

“The process had not been inclusive enough and too targeted to stakeholders,” said Cook. “The facilitator has had meetings with focus groups and now we’ll meet with the community to see what they want the park to be.”

The city has continued to process shoreline-related permits, with about 30 percent of the design remaining, Cook said. She said the meeting will focus on the entire park, though the shoreline restoration is the city primary focus.

Information on the meeting and the project is available at the city’s Web site, www.ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us.