T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY The city of Marshalltown has had the BPW Park property at 407 E. Marion St. on the market for over a year without finding a buyer thus far. During Monday night’s meeting, the city council voted 4-2 to lift housing restrictions on the property and keep it up for sale.

Although the property that currently houses BPW Park at 407 E. Marion St. has been up for sale for over a year, there have not been any takers thus far due to building restrictions caused by the fact that sanitary and storm sewer lines run through it and the city would maintain an easement as a result. As part of the final discussion item on Monday night’s agenda, the city council discussed how to proceed and whether the park should be sold at all.

Parks and Recreation Director Geoff Hubbard explained that the other park the city put on the market, Lawrence, has since sold and asked the council for direction on BPW due to the lack of interest from potential purchasers. Councilor Gary Thompson said he would like to see the equipment removed and repurposed at other city parks, and he hoped that something like a tiny home village would emerge after the property is eventually sold.

“The playground equipment is so old that if it gets taken out, it’s not gonna be usable anywhere else. So I could put some soccer goals out there,” Hubbard said.

Thompson in turn suggested removing the equipment regardless to reduce the city’s liability, and Councilor Mike Ladehoff asked if the equipment was unsafe. Hubbard responded that it wasn’t unsafe, just old. Ladehoff felt the property should remain for sale with the playground equipment left up for kids to use but not plan on replacing it.

Hubbard said he planned to leave the equipment up until the property was sold. Councilor Mark Mitchell asked about changing the criteria as he had heard from someone who was interested in buying the property and keeping it as a park while maintaining it himself.

“I think part of the problem was when we put it out for bid, it had to be a duplex or a certain structure. So if we take away the limitations on it and someone wanted to buy it and maintain it as an empty grass lot to maintain or whatever, I don’t have a problem with either/or. I think, if we all just want to get rid of it, do we care what’s on it?” Hubbard asked.

Councilor Greg Nichols welcomed the idea of a community garden to compete with one Thompson is working on, and Ladehoff pointed out that the property is already zoned medium density residential, which comes with its own set of restrictions. Councilor Jeff Schneider expressed concern about liability issues for a private park and said he drives by BPW occasionally and doesn’t see many kids playing there.

“Maybe we are better off just removing the playground equipment and making it a field with soccer goals or something,” Schneider said.

Hubbard said there would be plenty of room to keep the equipment in its current place and still have soccer goals, and Mitchell said the individual he spoke to had a similar plan. Thompson then asked if the restrictions could be removed to speed up the sale and get the property back on the tax rolls.

Thompson then motioned to remove the housing restrictions and keep it for sale, which received a second from Ladehoff. During the public comment period, 4th Ward City Council candidate Melisa Fonseca recalled her experiences playing at the park as a child and wondered about the possibility of keeping it as a city park for kids who live nearby.

“I know there’s renovation at Peterson Park. Is that not a possibility for this park?” she asked.

Thompson responded that it was put up for sale because of its proximity to Riverview Park, and he believed it would sell right away if the restrictions were removed.

“I think it’s unrealistic for a seven-year-old to walk Swayze Street or Lee Street or Union Street to Riverview Park. There’s, like, no way,” Fonseca said. “That’s where I lived, and that was the only park other than Woodbury Elementary.”

She added that reducing the restrictions might lead to finding a buyer but also asked if keeping it a city park was important. Ladehoff said it came down to budgeting with regard to underutilized parks, and Fonseca felt that the look and condition of BPW may be the reason it isn’t getting as much use.

Lonnie Hogeland Sr. suggested reaching out to the Business and Professional Women (BPW), the organization that donated the land decades ago, to see if they want the park back, but Hubbard said the group is no longer active in Marshalltown. Doris Kinnick felt it should be maintained as a park to allow kids the opportunity for recreation within the neighborhoods where they live.

Thompson’s original motion passed by a 4-2 vote with Schneider and Barry Kell opposed.