To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: Jeff Brauer, Director of Parks and Recreation
Title
Resolution Naming of The Meadows Filing No. 18 Neighborhood Park the Deputy Zack S. Parrish III Memorial Park
Body
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Executive Summary
This summer, Town staff gathered input related to naming The Meadows Filing 18 park. More than 700 suggestions were submitted via an online questionnaire. Of the suggestions, 77 percent preferred a park name that honors Zackari S. Parrish III, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy and former Castle Rock Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty on December 31, 2017.
Both a Town staff naming committee and the Parks and Recreation Commission are recommending that the park, near Aspen View Academy, be named in honor of Parrish.
Police Chief Jack Cauley consulted with Parrish’s family, who indicated they prefer the park be named Deputy Zack S. Parrish III Memorial Park. Therefore, staff is recommending the park be named Deputy Zack S. Parrish III Memorial Park.
Discussion
The Town’s facility naming policy says the “goal in selecting names for Town facilities shall be primarily to advance fostering a sense of community and small-town character. This includes names which heighten the awareness of Town history, celebrate the natural environment and call attention to points of pride in our community, to people, events and geography that have shaped the Town, create our sense of place and make our community unique. It is recognized that there will be instances in which names regarding a special tribute, a memorial, a geographic feature or a modern neighborhood name may be appropriate.”
The recommendation to name the park for Deputy Parrish was not included on the online form. Rather, respondents wrote in their suggestions and nominations, which included 113 variations on such names, including “Parrish Park” or “Zackari S. Parrish III Memorial Park.” No other name for a park or recreation facility has experienced greater support since the adoption of the naming policy.
Staff recommends that the upcoming park in The Meadows be named after Parrish due to the overwhelming support, and because the name meets the criteria in the naming policy.
Of the name suggestions included on the online form, the most popular was Aspen View Park, a name inspired by the adjacent school. That option received support from 60 online respondents, compared to 732 responses favoring a name honoring Parrish.
Recommendation
Staff recommends naming the park site in The Meadows Filing 18 in honor of Zackari S. Parrish III.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve Resolution 2018-092 as introduced by title.”
Attachment A
Attachment A: Resolution