The Lisa Link Peace Park appears to many as a dingy playground for alcoholics and panhandlers. But people who attended a forum about the park Saturday saw a different place: a vibrant green space enjoyed by people from all walks of life.
This vision came across in three plans presented for public review by the Lisa Link Peace Park Advisory Committee, which has researched urban park design for more than a year. Proposed changes include adding public restrooms, a water fountain, a performance area and a carousel, as well as sponsoring more events in the park.
The committee will take the public's input and create a more concrete proposal to present to the city. An identical forum will take place tonight at 7 p.m. at the Madison Civic Center, 211 State St.
Attendees supported many aspects of the proposals. Jeff Erlanger, a District 8 Madison City Council candidate, said he liked the idea of putting public bathrooms in the park.
\On State Street now there's almost no place where you're allowed to go into [the restroom] unless you're a paying customer,"" he said.
UW-Madison sophomore Corinne Eggebrecht, said any change to the park would be an improvement.
""I like the idea of having a water fountain, and an entrance from the street so it's not such a desolate place,"" she said. ""The park is intimidating now.""
Yet some physical changes, like adding a carousel, attracted scorn at the forum. In 1999, a proposal came before the city's Park Commission to put a city-owned, 40-foot diameter antique carousel in the park. Later advocates suggested a cheaper proposal to put a smaller 22-foot diameter carousel in the park.
Sara Keenan, president of the State/Langdon Neighborhood Association, said a carousel would take away from the communal character of the park.
""[It's] taking a common space and you would have to pay to use it--it's making it commercial,"" she said.
Attendees also voiced concerns over questionable activities that take place in the park, such as vandalism and aggressive drunkenness. However, several committee members said improving the physical aspects of the park and sponsoring more activities would positively affect patrons' behavior.
Committee member Dolores Grengg said that after several movie showings at the park last summer, people asked to help clean up afterward. Improving the park, she said, would make people ""feel a sense of ownership and hopefully, responsibility.\
