Wasilla wants residents to weigh in on overhaul plan for Nunley Park

What you need to know:

• Wasilla city officials are seeking public feedback on a proposed redesign of Nunley Park. The plan includes updated playgrounds, picnic areas, an amphitheater, accessible paths and new parking — along with the controversial removal of the park’s iconic red caboose due to safety concerns.
• The design proposal and a six-question feedback form are available online.
• The redesign proposal and public comment process follow a backlash over the unannounced removal of 50 trees in February.

WASILLA – A new design proposed for Wasilla’s popular Nunley Park is ready for public feedback, four months after city officials surprised users by removing a series of trees from the area.

The preliminary plan includes new parking, updated playground equipment, picnic areas, a revamped community garden space, accessible paths and an amphitheater built into a slope that runs through the center of the park.

The plan also recommends fully removing the park’s large red “Wasilla Railroad” caboose, which city officials say contains lead paint and asbestos and poses a safety risk.

A mock-up of the proposal will be posted at parks around the city through the end of July, officials said, with a QR code linking to a six-question survey designed to gather demographic data, feedback and ideas for updates.

The plan was first presented to the Wasilla City Council during a regular meeting Monday. It was created by Corvus Design under a city contract and presented by Marie Hulse, a landscape architect.

Hulse said the goal is to integrate practical design elements, such as parking and drainage, with features that residents want and will use.

“It needs to be fun — it needs to have features that actually bring people to the park,” she said.

The new proposal is the latest in a series of steps ordered by the council after Mayor Glenda Ledford in February directed the removal of about 50 trees to make way for new lighting and a planned overhaul.

The tree removals, which were done without public notice, angered some City Council members. A resolution approved unanimously in March ordered the city to stop work, hire a park designer, and gather feedback before moving forward.

Some council members said they liked parts of the proposed design but were concerned about the location of restrooms across the grounds from the play area, the planned removal of the caboose and whether the plan preserves enough green space.

“We want to aggressively pursue what the public wants, as opposed to six or eight of us deciding what the public wants and looking for that,” Council member Stuart Graham said during the meeting.

The caboose was purchased from a private party and installed in the park about 20 years ago. It was first brought to the city by McDonald’s as part of a 1990s-era marketing campaign. City officials blocked off the car with orange construction netting earlier this year as part of the tree-clearing project.

Hulse said the proposal will be updated based on public comment and council feedback.

“We wanted to bring this in front of the city and in front of the public to start the conversation, receive their feedback,” she said. “And then we can go from there.”

The survey and design plan can be viewed online.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsunsentinel.com