Washington City Council votes to move forward with disc golf expansion

The Washington City Council moved forward with plans to expand the disc golf course in Sunset Park after postponing the conversation in September.

In August 2018, the council introduced the idea of expanding the existing nine-hole course to add nine more, making it a full 18-hole course. In September 2018, the council heard from four citizens who live in the park and were opposed to the expansion due to trespassing, property damage and inappropriate behavior from disc golfers. At their special session on Tuesday, April 30, one citizen, Luke Leyden, returned to express his thoughts.

Leyden said his concern was over disc golfers trespassing on his property to retrieve discs as well as ask for signage that all dogs walking the course with their owners must be on leashes. He reiterated he is not opposed to the expansion of the course, only to his property being part of the path.

Leyden said there is concern for not only people on property but the destruction of property such as cars, houses and even children playing outside are at risk of getting hit by the discs.

'It has already started and that's with a tremendously small (number) of people that have played,” he said. 'I don't know what it's going to take for the council to realize this is a serious issue.”

Washington Mayor Jaron Rosien said he agreed with request for signage to keep dogs on leashes; however, he recommended the council move forward with the expansion of the disc golf course and placing permanent concrete pads with the exception of making hole eight a temporary pad as there is currently a playground where the concrete pad will be.

Council member Danielle Pettit-Majewski expressed she wanted to see the council come to a compromise with Leyden, but also reminded him that he lives in a park that is a public access area.

Council member Elaine Moore built off Pettit-Majewski's point, saying the course is in a public park and restricting one activity could lead to the restriction of others.

'This is a park and at some point we have to treat it as a park,” she said. 'I think we're opening up a net. If we prohibit one type of activity in the park, where does that stop?”

Council member Brendan DeLong agreed, saying the council has tried to work with Leyden in the past and asked for his cooperation as well.

'I think we've hashed this over a lot and we've done our due diligence,” he said. 'I think that we probably should just move forward with it and hope for the best with some proper signage.”

Council member Steven Gault agreed, saying he did not feel council had the right to restrict park activities.

'I wish I had your problem. I wish I could live in the park,” he said. 'I personally don't think we should have the right to tell somebody what they can and can't do in the park. They pay the same taxes as we do, they pay the same taxes as Mr. Leyden does. It's everybody's park.”

The council approved the expansion of the course by a vote of 6-0.

The next meeting of the Washington City Council will be Tuesday, May 7, at 6 p.m., in the library.