By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Nature and neighbors are clashing at a Bowling Green park where knee-high grass is seen by some as magnificent and others as a mess.
Several neighbors of Simpson Garden Park attended Tuesday evening’s park and recreation board meeting to express their displeasure with the unkept look of the park this year.
Others in the audience applauded the less manicured look, that differentiates the park from a golf course.
Board President Jeff Crawford praised the park staff for their expertise and efforts – but questioned the direction of the park. City residents expect Wintergarden Park to be wild, but not Simpson Garden Park, he said.
“When I think of a garden park, I don’t think Simpson fits that,” Crawford said. “The long grass is not acceptable to most community members.”
Chris Gajewicz, natural resources coordinator for the city parks, reminded that Simpson Garden Park had received awards and been recognized by Ohio Magazine as a “garden worth visiting.”
In order to reduce mowing, cut back on chemicals, and provide plants for pollinators, the park went with some patches of tall grasses last year. Then the wet spring resulted in some areas of the park being impossible to mow earlier this season, so more tall grass appeared.
Mike Przysiecki, on-site manager of Simpson Garden Park, said he had heard many positive comments from park visitors. But he was also made aware of displeasure by the neighbors.
“I’m aware not everyone is going to like what they see when they look out at the park,” Przysiecki said. “This may be a little bit much for the neighbors to digest.”
In some cases, “they are looking at it as an extension of their backyard,” he said.
Przysiecki talked with some of the neighbors who were outside as he worked in the park, and he offered personal guided tours of the park.
“So far, I haven’t had any takers. The offer stands,” he said.
The 11-acre park, located at the southeast corner of Wintergarden Road and Conneaut Avenue, has seven acres of lawn excluding the walkways, planting areas, parking lot and building. Five acres have been mowed, leaving two acres tall.
“I am open to criticism on this,” Przysiecki said. “This isn’t worth trying to fight a battle. The difficulty we have it trying to make everybody happy.”
In response to neighbors’ complaints, some taller grasses were cut recently.
Neighbor Ken Shafer thanked the park staff for mowing and asked that it continue. He questioned how the park could get away with having such long grass since the city has rules against unmowed lawns.
“If you’ve got long grass on the property, how can you not be in violation,” Shafer asked. He noted the city’s “good neighbor guide,” advising residents to report high grass.
“Do I need to call that number and say, ‘My neighbor, the park, is violating this,’” Shafer said.
Neighbor John Dunipace said the parks were not exempt from the rules, and the issue wasn’t a zoning matter. He quoted the city ordinance referring to grass eight inches or higher as a “health hazard or nuisance to neighboring properties.”
But where some residents see a problem, others see promise.
“It looks like the prairie,” said Enrique Gomezdelcampo. “If you look at it when the wind blows, it looks like the ocean.”
Gomezdelcampo reminded neighbors that the park staff members are experts, and the park is not an extension of neighbors’ backyards.
“This park is for all of Bowling Green, not just the people who live next to it,” he said.
Mandi Ricketts said she appreciated the park staff making environmentally responsible decisions to reduce chemical use, mow less and create pollinator habitats. “I appreciate the expertise of our staff,” she said.
Stephanie Tyson said kids in Bowling Green need a park like Simpson Garden Park. She mentioned her 7-year-old child asking, “Why would you cut it? It’s not a golf course.”
“Let our kids have a place to come. They need a natural place to go and run,” she said.
But Shafer countered by saying that fewer children play in the park now because the grass is too long to run through.
Another neighbor of the park, Roger Anderson, said he understands that a garden park must be constantly changing.
“It has to evolve. You can’t keep a garden stagnant,” he said.
But Anderson asked when the decision was made to go with tall grasses in Simpson Garden Park. He talked about raising money for the park when it was first built, and continuing to serve on the park foundation board.
“This was not to be a garden with tall grasses all around,” he said. “To me, right now, it looks messy. It doesn’t look natural.”
Betty Jean Anderson spoke of the citizens endowing land for the park and working on the original plan.
“Maybe we should have kept a citizens committee,” to retain some control over the park, she said.
Neighbor Dick Burkholder, a retired farmer, said he is accustomed to nature. “But right now, it’s a disgrace,” he said of the park.
He noted the memorial trees and sculptures in the park are now surrounded by tall grasses.
“The grass is growing up around them, and you can’t even see the plaques,” Burkholder said.
The park is becoming more like Wintergarden Park, he said. “It needs to be well-kept and manicured.”
Roger Mazzarella, who volunteers at both Wintergarden and Simpson Garden Park, appreciates the tall grasses.
“I like what I see when I walk by. It’s more natural,” he said.
And Caroline Dickinson, who moved here from England five years ago, said she likes the “English country garden” feel to the park.
Mayor Dick Edwards co-chaired the fundraising campaign for the park’s creation with his wife, Nadine, raising more than $800,000. He praised the park staff, and said he appreciated the small area of tall grass by the amphitheater.
“But we’re starting to see it go away” from the original plan, he said.
Edwards suggested that during the winter, meetings can be held to discuss the future of the park.
“I don’t want to see a duplication of Wintergarden Park,” he said. “I don’t want to see the whole thing go in that direction.”
Council member Bill Herald suggested that the board look for balance and better communication, and reach out to neighbors for input.
Gomezdelcampo stressed that Simpson is a city park, not just a neighborhood park.
Council member Sandy Rowland offered to host a meeting of interested community members next January or February. She also reminded the park staff that the complaints were not being lodged against them.
“This is about the length of the grass, and that’s all it is,” Rowland said.
Crawford agreed.
“I’m very proud of our parks,” he said. “We’re going to work toward some resolve to make as many people happy as possible.”
