Posted: June 16, 2009

Residents living near two parks are unhappy over the city's decision to stop mowing portions of those parks and turn those areas into prairies.

But officials say converting fringe areas of Schmidt and Bluhm parks - as well as three other parks - into prairies would save the city about $4,000 a year in mowing costs. And if residents want to keep the areas from becoming prairies, they'll have to come up with a plan to continue mowing the grass on their own.

Schmidt Park neighbor Dennis Haase, of West Saroyan Road, presented the city's Parks and Recreation Board with a letter he said was signed by 33 neighbors who want the park to remain all grass. They worry that the tall prairie grasses would disrupt drainage and lead to a major increase in mosquitoes, ticks and vermin.

The area in question also is used extensively by children playing ball and Frisbee, people playing with their dogs and golfers, Haase said.

"The city would be reducing quality of life," he said, urging that the board put the prairie question to a referendum.

But Craig Anderson, director of parks and recreation, said there is plenty of room elsewhere in the park for those activities. He also said a prairie drains better than turf grass, so there should be no increase in mosquitoes.

And board member Gary Boisits said he has a wetlands area with tall grass behind his home and does not experience the problems that the residents are worried about.

The board last week told residents living near Schmidt Park, located off of Fleetwood Drive, and Bluhm Park, located near McShane Drive, that they had until July 13 to come up with a mowing plan or else the city would move forward transforming the area into prairies. At issue is 1.3 acres of land at Schmidt Park and 8.4 acres at Bluhm Park.

The prairie plan also affects 5.1 acres of Denoon Park, 9 acres of Kurth Park and 0.3 acres Manchester Hill Park. In fact, spraying to kill the grass in the affected portions of those three parks has already started. Another killing treatment will likely be needed this summer before prairie grasses and wildflowers are planted this fall.

The entire five-park plan involves turning from 2 percent to 20 percent of parkland into prairie, Anderson said. Not mowing those portions of the five parks would save $4,000, he said. The cut was in response to the mayor's direction to all city departments to cut their budgets. The park board also declined to sell any portion of Bluhm Park to residents, who had offered to buy the nearly 1 acre that is beside their homes. The board decided not to sell partly because the land might be needed in the future.