Last Sunday’s Public Forum included a letter titled “Liberty Park is withering.” The author, Scott Perry, points to a number of challenges in the park, which Salt Lake City is keenly focused on addressing. Mr. Perry is correct in that the park is suffering from our warming climate; warm water produced algae in the pond, more unsheltered camping and illicit behaviors in the park, as well as an aging infrastructure.
Mayor Mendenhall and our Public Lands staff also agree with Mr. Perry’s assessment that Liberty Park is a crown jewel of our city, as are all of our parks. That’s one of the primary reasons Mayor Mendenhall proposed the $85 million Parks, Trails and Open Space bond last year, which voters approved overwhelmingly. It will address long-needed repairs and create projects that will breathe new life into our parks across the city.
City leaders understand that addressing safety and maintenance is critical. These are complex tasks and we’re addressing these challenges from many angles. With the new fiscal year, the Council approved the mayor’s request for five additional full-time Parks maintenance positions working throughout the system who will repair irrigation, lighting and conduct general maintenance.
Another approach is the City’s Park Rangers, who are walking Liberty Park for the second summer and talking with visitors to encourage voluntary compliance of park rules, including off-leash dog walking, picking up trash and camping. They add another level of security next to Salt Lake City’s police officers who staff overtime shifts to enforce the park curfew during the summer months.
And more broadly, the city has been working closely with Salt Lake County and the state to develop more permanent, supportive and deeply affordable housing options, as well as more shelter space and resources for unsheltered individuals.
In addition, three new capital projects are already in the works at Liberty Park. This summer we broke ground in rebuilding the basketball court. The second project is in the design phase for the restoration of Seven Canyons Fountain with construction beginning next year. Lastly, the large children’s playground at the center of the park is accepting public engagement now, with construction next spring/summer.
An integrative strategy involving design, programming, maintenance and citizen involvement is required to create and maintain a safer and cleaner park space. The larger the number of visitors involved in positive activities, the more likely that anti-social behavior will be deterred and the park will thrive.
Salt Lake City’s parks maintenance crews work tirelessly every day to pick up litter, mow lawns, remove graffiti and repair vandalized amenities. There are three things you can do to become a partner in park stewardship: Help in park decision-making and design by giving us your feedback and ideas in our surveys; pick-up garbage and report problems such as vandalism and misuse of parks at www.myslc.gov; and visit your park frequently.
Kristin Riker is the director of Salt Lake City’s Department of Public Lands.
