"It comes down to what's best for Mandan - destination parks or neighborhood parks?" Mandan Park Board member Randy Baumgartner said at a hearing Monday, to determine the future of Canyon and Tower parks.

About a dozen people participating in the hearing held at part of the regular Mandan Park Board meeting. Only one person, Tom Baron, spoke in favor of closing both parks.

"I support closing these parks," Baron said. "I've thought about it and I think the board should do what's best for most of the people. We have some good destination parks in Mandan. Most are not lucky enough to live next to a park. We need to look at this objectively. We should close these and put our resources into bigger destination parks."

Those comments were the last the board heard about closing the park as several people followed Baron to the podium, pleading with the board to save the parks that have been stripped of their playground equipment and offer little more than a place to run around.

"I've lived near Tower Park since 1979," Don Friesz said. "My kids grew up there, and I have five grandchildren that always want to go over there and play when they visit. A day care has opened up just a half block to the south, and she has a dozen kids or better that use the park. It's been a convenience for years, and it's used all the time."

Bebe Mehring is the owner of the day care and says she watches over nine kids besides two of her own, and that number will soon grow to a dozen. Her family grew upset as the park district removed the playground equipment piece by piece and she wants to see new equipment brought back. She estimates that including the children in her day care, nearly 50 kids use Tower Park daily.

"The neighborhood used to be just older people, but now we've had new families move in and they have children which use it," Mehring said. "I'm a business owner and pay taxes and I'm a homeowner and pay taxes. Where should my tax money go if not into my neighborhood? Why do I pay taxes? Why did I bother to elect any of you? We've seen how that park has been used, there are kids there all the time."

Jack Feist, who lives near Optimist Park, often referred to as Canyon Park, said he had spoken to Realtors who assured him a park is a "real selling point" for home buyers.

"What are the first two things home buyers look at - where the schools are and where the nearest parks are," Feist said. "The majority of people that move into our area are people who have a young family or want to have a family. They want to have parks nearby. When the parks go and you get rid of the land, you're never going to get it back."

Margie Duppong, who pleaded for saving the parks at the first hearing, returned to offer more input on saving the park. She said organizations like National Guard and Boy Scouts would be willing to help with the parks. In the case of Canyon Park, the National Guard could bring in fill and level the contours ,which were posing problems. Eagles Scouts, she insisted, would be willing to take the parks on as projects and build the equipment needed.

"We need to insist as a community that we want you to keep these as community parks," Duppong said. "If you won't or can't let volunteers do it. If you need someone to volunteer, I'm here. Who's with me?"

Jennifer Miller said she has children living in major metropolitan areas across the nation and that small neighborhood parks are "found all over the place."

"You mention that Mandan is growing and the city is expanding all over the place," Miller said. "If Mandan is growing, the need to keep the parks will be more important than ever. We have to have green places people can go."

Board Chairman Tracy Porter gave some indication of what might be done with the parks. In the case of Tower Park, the land would be turned back to the city, which contracted with the park district in 1965 to run the area as a park. In the case of Canyon Park, the land would be offered to the adjacent landowners either for sale or for free. Porter said there wasn't much value in the property.

"To me, it's a fundamental issue of going with destination parks or neighborhood parks," Baumgartner said. "What's best for Mandan? I haven't made up my mind. We really have to think about which way to go, either way the decision is going to be unpopular. It's not our intent to take your park away."

Board member Terry Kraft wondered what the district would tell the rest of Mandan if it decides to invest its resources in the two small neighborhood parks.

"We have to answer to the community as a whole on how we spend our money. It's meeting the needs of a couple of hundred people versus 15,800. We have to look at the big picture where we're spending our money," he said.

Porter closed the hearing, telling the group they could continue to provide their comments to the district office up until the next regular board meeting in March, when a decision on the parks is expected to be made.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)