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As a person who has frequent occasion to walk by Knox Park, I would like to offer some observations. I see the park and its prominent raised bed in all seasons. The bed remains untended the majority of the time and currently is overrun with Bind weed, an invasive and noxious vine prohibited by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. There are also clumps of poison ivy, which can be a beneficial weed but not if you are inviting people to pick it. There is black walnut sapling as well as a coffee tree sapling. Both are native and desirable trees, but wholly unsuited for a raised bed. Additionally, if left to grow they will reach a size that will become a serious financial responsibility for the city in terms of sidewalk disruption and will most likely require removal.
There has been a recent flurry of sprucing up with annual flowers, most notably hybrid inpatients. While very pretty, they provide little usable food to native bees, butterflies or hummingbirds. You might as well give them little bags of cheetos.
The adjacent property owners have invested in Marietta by owning and improving the properties in question. There is no trash, unkempt shrubbery, junk cars or other eyesores that would impede the enjoyment of the park for anyone. Mr. McMahan’s fence has been in place for decades and no one has had to call off a picnic for lack of space.
Council should disregard Mr. Kalter’s bloviating and approve the revokable licenses.