Hayden Residents Vote on McIntire Family Park Design Concepts

Sticker votes covered the concept maps by the time the two-hour open house at Hayden City Hall wrapped up March 20, and nearly every one of the dozens cast pointed toward the same playground vision: naturalized, nature-inspired play structures over conventional equipment.

The session drew dozens of residents, city staff and landscape architect Molly Teal of Architects West to review two Master Plan concept maps, labeled Concept A and Concept B, for the future of McIntire Family Park. Attendees placed stickers on their preferred layout, flagged priorities and debated the finer points of a park that has anchored Hayden community life since 1960.

Ross Welburn came away impressed. "I can see that they pretty much thought of everything," the Hayden resident said after reviewing the concepts.

Both layouts share a core philosophy: preserve McIntire Family Park's existing character while opening space for new activities. Each concept proposes adding a parking lot off Honeysuckle Avenue while keeping access to the City Hall lot from Government Way intact. The key difference between A and B lies in how that new lot is arranged, a distinction that proved consequential for at least one attendee.

Judy Eichelberger zeroed in on parking from the start. "Parking is at a premium downtown, you can't find it anywhere," she said. After working through the options with a friend, she landed on Concept B. "It seems to accommodate more people, which is something we need," she explained.

On the playground question, the community's preference was nearly unanimous. Climbing boulders and challenge courses drew strong interest as supplementary features, but the naturalized play structure dominated the sticker tally. Resident Olivia Baker put the sentiment plainly: "It makes the most sense for where we live."

The park has been shaping Hayden's civic calendar for more than six decades, hosting Hayden Days, outdoor concerts and the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. It gained the McIntire family name in 2016 and added a statue of former mayor Ron McIntire, unveiled last summer to honor him and his wife, to its collection of memorials.

Ty Kovatch, with the city of Hayden, described the volume of input collected as remarkable. "We got an unending supply of opinions and feedback tonight," he said.

Architects West will take that input and present formal recommendations to the City Council in May.