Memorial garden proposed for city park

Home

Related Photos

Discussion

April 11, 2010

City Council says request warrants policy

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Sun Apr 11, 2010, 06:02 PM CDT

By Debby Woodin

dwoodin@joplinglobe.com

A request to build a memorial garden dedicated to crime victims has the city of Joplin studying whether organizations should be allowed to use portions of city parks for their causes.

The question arose when the City Council was called on last week to act on a request by the local office of the state Board of Probation of Parole to build a memorial garden dedicated to crime victims in Parr Hill Park.

Probation officers Tiffany Campbell, Michelle Lee and Michelle Wilcox told the council that they want to have a ceremony to kick off the project on April 22, during this year’s observance of Crime Victims’ Rights Week, if the council approves the request.

“This park is not just going to be for victims of violent crimes. It is for all victims,” Campbell said.

One council member called the project a “worthy cause,” but council members agreed that the proposal brings up questions about whether it is appropriate to allow even worthy causes to use city parks or property.

Construction costs

The group has a four-phase construction plan for the memorial, which would cost about $9,000 if all four phases are built. The group plans to apply for a grant through the Lowe’s home improvement chain that could pay part or all of the cost. It also plans to sell memorial bricks and plants, and it could conduct fundraising if the grant is not awarded, the women told the council.

The garden would be built in the southeast corner of the park. A sculpture that represents the strength of families and the community embracing crime victims would be centered in a sitting area with metal park benches.

“We want a place of remembrance and reflection,” Campbell told the council.

Installing the sculpture and its surroundings would be the first phase of the garden construction, estimated to cost $3,387. A community contest would be conducted for proposed designs for the sculpture.

In subsequent phases, a walkway would wind around flowering plants and trees, and lead to a pond that already exists in the park. There is a center island in the pond, and a bridge would be built to connect the garden to the island, Campbell said.

Construction of those features would cost a total of about $4,800; but, each phase would stand on its own as a park attraction until there is funding for the next phase or in case the project could not be finished, said Doug Joyce, the city’s parks and recreation director. That cost does not include memorial trees and plants, which could be purchased by the public to commemorate a particular victim. Prices would range from $25 for a plant to $200 for a tree, under the proposal by the women.

Installation work would be done by those required to perform community service from the board’s Restorative Justice Program for young, first-time offenders, and by those who are working their way through Drug Court on first-time offenses. No violent or sexual offenders would be assigned to the project.

“We have a lot of labor we can offer” through the community service programs, Campbell told the council.

Those programs also could provide labor for maintenance and perennial upkeep of the site, she said.

Council discussion

Council member Bill Scearce said the organization should have its funding in place before seeking a city decision on whether to permit the project.

Council members Benjamin Rosenberg and Mike Woolston called for a policy proposal to be drafted by the city staff regarding use of public parks for such purposes.

Rosenberg said that while projects such as commemorating crime victims are worthy causes, perhaps a project at the Dr. Donald E. Clark Public Safety and Justice Center at 303 E. Third St. would be more appropriate in this case.

Woolston said the city would need to be consistent in its decisions regarding such requests, creating a need for a policy on the use of public properties.

Mayor Gary Shaw told the women that the council would have someone get back with them when the city staff has looked into the matter.

Policy search

After the meeting, the parks director said he does not believe there is a policy, but he is searching parks records to determine if one exists. He also will check on whether other cities have policies.

A rose garden memorial in Schifferdecker Park is maintained by the Petal Pushers, a women’s group that works to beautify the parks, and there are some individual memorials at parks, Joyce said after the council meeting.

“Most of those are trees,” he said. “There are trees at Landreth and Schifferdecker parks in honor of people. There are also some names in the memory garden (rose garden) in Schifferdecker Park.

“The problem with memorials like these is the upkeep of them.” For instance, when a memorial tree dies, the city has to pay the cost of taking it out unless the donor left something to cover that cost.

“We need to come up with a game plan” for those issues, Joyce said.

Memorial stone

A stone dated 2000 commemorating crime victims stands in Landreth Park, though parks director Doug Joyce said it is in a location that is not easily accessible. He said a drainage channel has to be crossed to get to it, and a walking bridge that was placed over the drainage ditch by those who placed the stone has since deteriorated and been removed. He said the current staff of the Board of Probation and Parole was unaware of the existence of the stone.