Finlay’s future: Cleanliness, water features, art among public’s suggestions for Columbia’s downtown park

More than 350 people put in their two cents about Finlay Park’s future by completing surveys and attending drop-in and input meetings Wednesday.

The city is spending $310,000 on redesign plans for the iconic downtown park and could invest $10 million or more in upgrades.

Design team members said some of the ideas people have brought to them include incorporating public art, finding ways to make the pond either more interactive or a serene feature and, perhaps the most unusual suggestion, adding a chairlift ride.

If you still want to have your say in what you want your park to be, you can fill out at a survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/finlaypark. The deadline to complete surveys is Oct. 31 at 5 p.m.

Here’s what some Columbians had to say about what they want – and don’t want – their park to be:

John Adams, 41

First and foremost, I think it needs to stay. I don’t want it ever to become an issue where, “It’s too much money (so) let’s do something else with it, develop it.” ... I think the water features are key; you can add to that. I think that the Busted Plug (sculpture and water feature) would be nice there if it’s done in a smaller scale, not a full-blown water park. I think there should be nothing in there you have to purchase. ... It shouldn’t be a place where homeless are fed because I think it creates, no matter how you cut it, a negative connotation for the park.

Tom Turnipseed, 78

We’ve got to keep it up, keep it like it is, real nice. Just what’s happening now is good. You know, it’s there for everyone. We’ve had a little bit of a problem at times, you know, people don’t like people that they think are homeless or poor to be there. But they have a right to be there, too, as long as they behave and keep things cleaned up and stuff like that. ... Not really change it but just keep it pretty and all. I think it’s got a lot of stuff. I’ve been to so many events there through the years.

Matt Woolsey, 56

Clean, neat, well-defined entryways and lots of water and lots of trees and paths. ... Personally, I never did like the look of the fountain and the thing that channels the water into the waterfall. I always wished there could be boulders or imitation boulders to make it look more natural, but that’s just me. I understand the modern design and the lines and all that, but I’m a nature nut.

This story was originally published October 8, 2014 at 9:05 PM with the headline "Finlay’s future: Cleanliness, water features, art among public’s suggestions for Columbia’s downtown park."