One woman came all the way from Texas. Another came from just across 43rd Street.
But no matter where they started, their destination last Thursday evening was the same: Rosenberger Hall in Clark Park, for the final of six public meetings on the master plan for improving the park.
Although previous meetings were mainly to solicit community input on the plan, this last meeting provided a chance for the master plan steering committee to explain the complex issues at hand to an audience of about 70.
"By and large, the things that have upset people the most have either been removed from the plan, been fixed, or, in a few cases, they were never in there to begin with," steering committee member Paul Brooks said. "So hear us out tonight... and if you still don't like it, tell us about it. But I think you're going to like it."
The 22-member steering committee that guided the master planning process is comprised of representatives from the Friends of Clark Park, the city Department of Recreation, the University City District and local neighborhood associations.
According to the committee, this wide representation has allowed the plan to be responsive to the community's concerns.
One of the most contentious issues has been whether or not to provide restroom facilities in the park, as none currently exist. Many fear problems with safety and sanitation.
"I don't want people to get the impression that there's going to be restroom facilities in the park, because if we can't find somebody to maintain them, and somebody to secure them, we're not going to do it," Brooks said.
The committee's decision was not only to specify a site for restrooms on the plan, but also to study all possible options for providing such facilities, including having them off-site.
The final plan -- as presented to the public -- was also vague on the issue of dog use in the park. Currently, despite a leash law, many people allow their dogs to run free in the park.
Although a dog run had been proposed in earlier versions of the plan, Brooks said that the latest plan does not mention the issue, citing a lack of community consensus about enforcement of the leash law.
Building a dog run, while at the same time allowing people to let their dogs run free, would be the "worst of both worlds," Brooks said.
Linda Amsterdam, president of the University City Dog Owners Group, cited the need for a consensus, but felt that a dog run should be built nonetheless.
"Understanding that in taking away some space in Clark Park for this particular use, it would allow the rest of the park to be better utilized by those who are afraid of dogs," Amsterdam said.
Among the plan's improvements are the reestablishment of the central plaza in the northern part of the park, drainage improvements in the Bowl (a bowl-shaped area of the park), new walkways, new lighting and a slightly larger basketball court.
The Gettysburg Stone and the Dickens Statue will also both remain in their current locations, as many in the community had requested.
"I may argue fine points, but I don't think fine points are the thing that we're here to talk about," said area resident Steve Beuret.
Others in the audience were not as pleased with the future vision of the park.
"We don't need to make any substantial physical changes to the park," said area resident Matthew Wolfe, explaining that the more pressing issues dealt with crime and maintenance. Any plan that does otherwise, he said, is a "detriment to the neighborhood."
The steering committee will meet today to review final public comments, and, if necessary, make any last changes to the plan. The Friends of Clark Park, which has the final say on the plan, will vote on the matter at their mid-July meeting.
To reach the improvements' estimated $2 million construction cost, money will be sought from a variety of sources, according to UCD Capital Programs Director Eric Goldstein.
"We don't have any firm commitments at this point, but we have lots of interested people," Goldstein said, adding that it may take up to seven years to raise the needed funds.
However, the process of implementing the plan will begin this summer when a detailed analysis of the park's trees is undertaken by the Morris Arboretum.
