A treasured park near downtown Prescott is in danger of being paved over as a parking lot. West Granite Creek Park (WGCP) was designed and built as a critical section of Prescott’s car-free Greenways Trail by Prescott residents, nonprofits, and business supporters. The paving plan would raze the park’s trees and vegetation, leaving a wasteland of asphalt and endangering trail users with speeding cars thus severing this section of Greenways Trail. Already, cars speeding in and out of WGCP pose a serious danger to bicyclists and pedestrians, even before paving.
West Granite Creek Park (WGCP) is protected as a natural open space car-free park and Greenways Trail by Council Resolution No. 3274 July 2000, signed by then Mayor Sam Steiger.
In 2021, the City removed its own barriers at the end of Granite Street to allow parking in WGCP. Crews removed trees planted during the park’s creation, obliterated the Greenways Trail, and allowed cars to park over the native riparian vegetation painstakingly planted by volunteers. Concerned park users were told repeatedly that this parking was temporary until the City could find a better solution. Instead, in November 2023, although nearby paved areas offer better parking options, the City paid for a design to permanently pave WGCP as a parking lot.
A coalition of Prescott organizations, Dexter Neighborhood residents, concerned parents, and citizens has formed to restore WGCP to a natural car-free park and trail as it was originally built.
“As a working parent, I walk and bike this trail to commute and to bring our nine-year-old son to and from school,” said Colleen McHorney of Parents for a Car-free West Granite Creek Park. “The City’s plan to permanently pave our park as a parking lot would sever our trail, destroy our community park, and pose a serious danger to cyclists and pedestrians, including my son. Since the city opened this area to vehicles, I have witnessed reckless drivers, vehicles suspiciously parked overnight, and a notable increase in litter. These will only increase with paving.”
The coalition to restore the park is now calling for letters to be sent to all City Council members in support of restoring WGCP to a car-free park and trail. Coalition helpers are also investigating the consequences to the City of paving. The paving would cost tax payers $500,000 and bring a backlash from horrified park supporters. There are also concerns regarding the legality of paving this open space riparian flood plain that was partially purchased with federal funding. Other resources that enabled the creation of the park, including grants, donors, volunteers, and donated materials, also came with restrictions and expectations.
Restoring the park to car-free would have minimal costs for the City. The coalition has engaged volunteers and donors of funds and materials, all ready to restore West Granite Creek Park to its original, natural, car-free splendor, including a fun kids’ trail from appropriate parking areas. Learn more at: www.PrescottBikePed.com and click on West Granite Creek Park Restoration.
For more information, please contact Sue Knaup: 928-541-9841, sue{at}onestreet.org
9 thoughts on “West Granite Creek Park Threatened by Paved Parking Lot Plan”
Just more of an example of our money hungry city councilmen caring only about money and not the people who live and pay taxes here. They allow thousands and thousands of home to be build on our beautiful hillsides, thousands and thousands of more people using up our precious water, thousands and thousands of new people packing our already overcrowded roads, and major hotels being built that destroy the old town feel. Now they have allowed such an influx of people and cars there is no place to park. I am afraid our small, quaint, quiet and friendly town is gone forever and for no other reason than for the money. I have lived in Prescott for thirty years and in the past ten years I have seen awful changes that makes me think that maybe moving to Prescott was a mistake. It has just become another city, nothing special about it, and we can thank each and every city councilman and mayor for destroying what use to be a nice place to live.
Another example of our “no development” city council selling out to developers. Often walk the dog on that trail. Why not pave everything?
City built a parking garage. but it doesn’t seem as it’s being used by the public it’s full of City cars and trucks and everything. so what’s up with that
“Everybody’s Home Town” is long gone. Prescott is turning into another Phoenix. Asphalt, cement, traffic, and big hotels being put up all over. If someone moved away ten years ago and came back now they would not know they were in Prescott. Of the people, by the people and for the people may be the American way but not Prescott’s way. It’s the way of a handful of councilmen and developers all hungry for money. We are running out of water folks! Our roads are in horrible condition and can’t handle the influx of cars. Our beautiful open spaces are being dug up for homes. It isn’t going to stop and actually it is too late to return our beautiful little town back to the way it was and should have stayed.
Anything to waste money on. Don’t concentrate on things like our horrible roads, the congestion downtown, and the money the City spent putting in crosswalk pavers at every intersection downtown which are no slowly sinking and will have to be replaced in just a couple more years. Instead the City pays more attention to destroying our beautiful land and and putting in an unneeded parking lot! Who is going to use this parking lot, no one because it isn’t close to anything! Just another example of how the City has to much money and can’t spent it fast enough. I think every major project should be put to a vote by the people who live here. Why a handful of old retired men/women can sit behind a big desk and make decisions for everyone is beyond me. Prescott has become a money hungry city and it’s too bad.
I’ve read your really good article and I’ve read the response. I just have one question, who is going to use this parking lot? It isn’t close to anything, the parking lot where Walgreens is has more than enough parking, as does the new eyesore hotel. There isn’t one business with two plus blocks. So again, why is the City of Prescott wasting our money when no one will use this new project.
Gee, wouldn’t it be nice if the City has so much extra money to waste that they lower our property taxes. The City has so much excess money that they come up with unnecessary projects. Can anyone tell me why they are taking out the cement in front of the Court House? Sure there were a few cracks here and there but to take it all out, come on guys. Seems our government wants to tax everyone to death so they can give money away to get votes. Seems like our councilmen are doing the same, tax the heck out of the residents who live in Prescott so you can spend more on building hotel after hotel, sell out the Square every weekend, and all to bring in more money. Seems to be the way of the world and I moved here thinking it would never happen in Prescott, I was wrong.
Great article and great responses, it looks like the people who work and live in Prescott all feel the same. My one big complaint is the very large and expensive parking garage that the City built a few years back. No one uses it, with the exception of renting spaces and City employees, and the reason is that you have to walk almost two blocks to get downtown to the Square. If you don’t want to walk that far then you can always walk down the dirty and noisy ally where all of the delivery trucks are running their engines and unloading goods. For whatever reason, they have fenced off the only real access to downtown with some really unused “food carts” or loud music playing, how stupid and a waste of space. Why doesn’t the City open up that wasted space and make it a gateway directly to downtown and maybe more people would use it? Just another example of the City putting the cart first and never thinking about the horse.
Prescott seems to have voted in a bunch of people who only have hindsight and no foresight. Let’s see, we the tax payers pay millions to relocate the Old City Hall facility to a new location and after the fact realize there is not enough parking. The City then forces a bank to move so City Hall can park on that property. If course the people who banked at the old location can now fight to find a parking spot blocks away just to make a deposit! Now the City wants to dig up beautiful Granite Creek Park to make a parking lot which no one will use. So, the residents who walk at Granite Creek because they can’t find a parking spot around the Square will once again have to find another peaceful and uncongested place to walk with their dogs and kids. The City now plans on a monstrous hotel to be build right in the heart of downtown Prescott leaving the people who now use the Old City Hall parking lot fighting to fine somewhere to park.
Shame on ALL of the City council people and shame on the Department of Planning and Zoning for NOT HAVE ANY FORESIGHT, just hindsight. All they see are dollar signs today and give not a thought to the impact on all of us tomorrow and the years ahead. Christmas is just around the corner and both the City of Prescott Council and Department of Planning and Zoning don’t have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, they have visions of money, money, money, dollar signs only! THEY SHOULD ALL GET A BAG OF COAL FOR DESTROYING Prescott.
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