McEuen Field Part 3

Two arguments and why they don't hold water.

If you go to Thursday night's meeting about McEuen Field, here's a couple arguments you may hear, along with why they don't make sense. These are from an ad hoc group billed as the Save McEuen Alliance, or something like that, which has been against any improvements since the mid 1990's. This group is led by Charlie Roan and Anne Solomon, a husband and wife team who I'm not 100% sure if they even live in the city limits of Coeur d'Alene.

I am at a loss as to why they are so selfish when it comes to McEuen. Why don't they want more greenspace and more feautures to attract more people to this beautiful piece of property? Here are two of their main arguments.

1. "Save McEuen for kids recreation" (as they parade kids out wearing Recreation Department shirts).

Amazing. There are currently 2 softball fields and 1 baseball field on McEuen. If these people really cared about KIDS they would say Coeur d'Alene already has plenty of softball fields and what we need are some more little league fields, including one at McEuen. Little league isn't played on softball fields, they are two different fields. Yet the CdA recreation Department has kids playing on the softball fields. If you really cared about kids you'd be asking for facilities for them, not to continue to force them to play on improper fields.


2. Mr. Roan has, and will probably again, try to sway you with numbers. He studied McEuen and (to paraphrase) determined that "there are 250,000 person uses per year on McEuen" so it would be unwise to do anything to the property that might endanger this great use.

Poppycock. I'll even give Mr. Roan the benefit of the doubt regarding the number. I have no idea how he arrived at it but will willingly accept it at face value. My question then becomes, why can't we turn McEuen into something that draws 500,000 people uses per year?

Outside the occasional baseball, softball and flag football games, very few people ever set foot on McEuen. The entire property is virtually empty at least 70% of the time. I challenge anyone to personally observe McEuen (count heads) twenty times over various times of the day and days of the week. This means mornings, mid-days, afternoons and evenings, weekdays and weekends. Besides parking at the City Lot almost every weekday for 25 years, I have always made an effort to count heads on McEuen, anytime and everytime I pass it. I've been doing it for years and I usually see less than a dozen people there. Too many times there were only a handful.

Currently, there is nothing at McEuen that draws my family to it except a parking lot. Ask yourself; given a sunny, family, free afternoon, where do you now choose to go in Coeur d'Alene? City Park? Independence Point? The Beach? Dike Road/Rosenberry Drive? McEuen? What draws you on a family outing?

Pay attention to what all parties are saying, and will say, about McEuen Field. Then take the sentiment out of it and take a hard look at it. Are you OK with the most valuable piece of property in Coeur d'Alene sitting unused the majority of the time? Do you prefer parking lots taking up what should be greenspace? Or do you share a vision for more green space, smaller parking footprint, increased recreational opportunity and a true park that appeals to a broad variety of locals and tourists alike?

The baseball field? I'll cover that next. Stay tuned. And if you missed them, read my previous posts on McEuen.

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OK, just back from the meeting. It was very good, lots of participation from a good crowd.

Mr. Roan and Ms. Solomon were there and they didn't use my accused arguments. I took that as a very good sign. My appologies if due. Now read my follow-up in the next blog.